This gingerbread banana loaf combines classic gingerbread spices with the natural sweetness of ripe bananas. Each slice is soft and moist, making it the perfect festive treat for using up those overripe bananas during the holiday season. Finish it off with dairy-free cream cheese frosting for an extra-special touch!
📝 Why You’ll Love This Banana Gingerbread Loaf:
- Taste: Warm, sweet, rich, with subtle banana and hints of spicy ginger and notes of caramel from the molasses.
- Texture: So soft, perfectly moist, with a tender crumb that holds together beautifully when sliced.
- Difficulty: Easy peasy.
- Time: A little over an hour.
- Why We Love This Gingerbread Banana Bread: Gingerbread banana bread…banana gingerbread loaf…or should we just call it a banana gingerbread? Either way, this loaf is vegan, delicious, and the perfect bake for the holidays or even Christmas morning.
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe is adapted from my vegan pumpkin bread. I swapped the pumpkin with ripe bananas and switched pumpkin pie spice for gingerbread spices, bumping up the molasses to deepen that warm, festive flavor. The flavor was spot-on, but after baking, I noticed that the loaf sank in the middle (see below!).
Here’s why: ripe bananas add a lot of natural sugar, and molasses is also a form of sugar. By increasing the total sugar content by over a ¼ cup, I threw off the loaf’s structure.
In baking, sugar prevents gluten from forming strong bonds, which can weaken the overall structure if there’s too much of it. This caused the loaf to collapse slightly.
- To fix this, I reduced the brown sugar instead of reducing the banana or molasses (to keep the banana flavor and rich molasses taste). This kept the sweetness and flavor I wanted, but also created that sturdy, domed top.
- After a few tests, the final recipe baked up exactly how I wanted it: deliciously moist, perfectly risen, and with a beautiful, even dome on top!
Ingredients:
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Salted Vegan Butter: I used Violife Plant Butter Blocks (you can learn more about my favorite vegan butter brands here). This recipe uses melted butter. It can be swapped 1:1 for dairy butter or for vegetable oil or coconut oil. If using oil, increase the salt by 1/8 tsp.
- Light Brown Sugar: This adds extra molasses flavor. You’ll need a 1/2 cup.
- Dark Unsulphured Molasses: I used Grandma’s Original Molasses (with the yellow label!). You don’t want to use blackstrap molasses here as the flavor will be too bitter.
- Ripe Bananas: This recipe calls for just about 1 cup of mashed banana. This is equivalent to 230g or two large bananas. Banana helps hold the bread together, so no additional vegan egg substitute is needed like flax eggs.
- Gingerbread Spices: I used a mixture of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Soy Milk: You can also use another other dairy free milk like oat milk or almond milk or even dairy based milk if that’s what you have on hand.
- All-purpose Flour: I used King Arthur’s Unbleached All-Purpose Flour which has a protein content of 11.7%, the perfect amount to help create structure in the quick bread. I don’t recommend using lower protein flours like cake flour or even some generic brand all-purpose flours.
- Leavening: This gingerbread loaf is eggless! Which means we need baking powder and just a touch of baking soda to help it rise. The batter is acidic because of the molasses and brown sugar, so a tiny bit of baking soda helps create a good texture in this loaf.
Helpful Equipment
Here are a few tools that will make creating this recipe extra easy:
- Digital Kitchen Scale: For accurate measurements
- Potato Masher or Fork: To mash the bananas well
- Large Mixing Bowl: To make the batter
- 8.5×4.5″ Metal Loaf Pan: To bake the loaf
- Wire Cooling Rack: To cool
Step-by-Step Instructions
*Ingredient Quantities are in the Recipe Card Below!*
STEP 1: Mash the bananas well with a fork or potato masher. If using a scale, be sure to measure so you don’t have too much banana in the batter.
STEP 2: In a large bowl, combine the melted vegan butter, light brown sugar, and molasses with a whisk until uniform. And mashed banana, spices, vanilla and dairy free milk.
STEP 3: Add the dry ingredients on top. Use a fork or small whisk to mix the leavening and salt into the flour and use a spatula to combine the wet ingredients with the dry. The batter should be on the thick side but pourable.
STEP 4: Transfer the batter with a spatula or spoon into the prepared loaf pan. Even out the top of the batter with a spatula.
STEP 5: Bake at 350F for about 55-60 minutes or until the top springs back to the touch. Or a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread removes with just a few moist crumbs.
Serving Ideas
Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes at room temperature on a wire rack. Then, remove the bread from the pan and let cool completely before slicing or frosting.
This vegan gingerbread banana bread is so delicious and flavorful on its own. It would be great with a cup of coffee or even a chai latte during the winter.
If you’d like to make this into a loaf cake or a festive dessert, I’ve included an optional dairy free cream cheese frosting which pairs so well with the gingerbread flavor. It adds sweetness, a hint of tang and a pinch of orange flavor to the loaf.
You can decorate with sprigs of rosemary or tiny gingerbread cookies like I did or leave as is. So good!
Storage
To store this bread, wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Or place individual slices in an airtight container.
For freezing, if the slices are frosted, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for about an hour, or until the frosting is firm. Then, transfer the slices to a freezer bag and store for up to one month.
Helpful Tips For an Amazing Gingerbread Banana Loaf
❶ Line the Loaf Pan: For easy removal and to prevent sticking, line the loaf pan with parchment paper.
❷ Use a Digital Scale: Measure the ingredients like the banana and flour with a digital scale. If you don’t have one, be sure to measure the flour using the spoon and level method.
❸ If Sensitive to Spice, Reduce the Ground Ginger: I personally love the flavor of this spice blend. But if you are sensitive to spice, I recommend reducing the amount of ground ginger to only 2 teaspoons.
More Delicious Vegan Cakes and Quick Breads:
- Apple Gingerbread Snack Cake
- Vegan Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Bisquick Zucchini Bread (Vegan & Eggless!)
- Cinnamon Swirl Bread
More Gingerbread Recipes:
Did you make this Gingerbread Banana Loaf?
I’d love to know! Leave a star rating and comment below!
Gingerbread Banana Loaf
Equipment
- 1 8.5×4.5" Metal Loaf Pan
- Digital Scale to measure ingredients like banana and flour
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted vegan butter - 114g, melted and cooled* see notes
- ½ cup light brown sugar - 100g
- ⅓ cup dark unsulphured molasses - 115g, like Grandma's Original (not blackstrap)
- 1 cup mashed banana - 230g, about two large bananas
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon - 8g
- 1 tbsp ground ginger - 6g, consider using 2 tsp if sensitive to spice
- ½ tsp ground cloves - 1g
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg - 1g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract - 4g
- 3 tbsp soy milk or other dairy free milk - 40g
- 1 ¾ cups King Arthur's Unbleached All-Purpose Flour - 210g, spooned into the measuring cup and leveled
- 1 tsp baking powder - 4g
- ¼ tsp baking soda - 1g
- ½ tsp salt - 2g
Optional Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 tbsp salted vegan butter - 14g or butter of choice – softened
- 2 oz dairy-free cream cheese - or cream cheese of choice
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar - 150g, plus more as needed
- ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste - or extract
- ⅛ tsp lemon or orange zest
Instructions
For the Bread:
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prep an 8.5×4.5” metal loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper. Mash the banana well in a small bowl with a fork or potato masher.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the melted vegan butter, light brown sugar and molasses together. Add the mashed banana, spices, vanilla and dairy free milk and mix to combine.½ cup salted vegan butter, ½ cup light brown sugar, ⅓ cup dark unsulphured molasses, 1 cup mashed banana, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp ground ginger, ½ tsp ground cloves, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 tbsp soy milk or other dairy free milk
- Add Dry Ingredients: Sprinkle the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt on top. With a fork, sift the dry ingredients together, then fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spatula until they are just combined. The batter should be on the thick side but pourable.1 ¾ cups King Arthur's Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt
- Transfer to Pan: Transfer the batter with a spatula or spoon into the prepared loaf pan. Even out the top of the batter with a spatula.
- Bake: Bake for 55-60 minutes. The bread should be golden brown on top and the center should spring back when touched.
- Cool: Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Then, remove the bread from the pan and let cool completely at room temperature before slicing.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream the Butter and Cream Cheese: In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream the softened vegan butter and dairy-free cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, about 1–2 minutes.1 tbsp salted vegan butter, 2 oz dairy-free cream cheese
- Add the Powdered Sugar: Gradually add the powdered sugar to the bowl, mixing on low speed. Once incorporated, increase the speed to medium and continue mixing until the frosting is smooth. If the frosting is too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
- Flavor the Frosting: Add the vanilla bean paste or extract and the lemon or orange zest. Mix until everything is well combined, and the frosting is light and creamy.¼ tsp vanilla bean paste, ⅛ tsp lemon or orange zest
- Use or Store: Spread the frosting over the cooled gingerbread banana loaf or transfer it to an airtight container. This frosting can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days; just re-whip it lightly before using if it firms up.
Notes
- Melted Butter: Be sure to melt the butter and let it cool slightly before adding the sugar. Adding sugar to hot melted butter will dissolve the sugar granules and lead to a thinner batter/different loaf texture.
- Use a Digital Scale: Measure the ingredients like the banana and flour with a digital scale. If you don’t have one, be sure to measure the flour using the spoon and level method.
- If Sensitive to Spice, Reduce the Ground Ginger: I personally love the flavor of this spice blend. But if you are sensitive to spice, I recommend reducing the amount of ground ginger to only 2 teaspoons.
- Dairy Free Butter and Dairy Free Milk: These can be swapped 1:1 with regular butter and milk.
Nutrition
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This is a moist, fragrant, full flavored favorite holiday treat. The bread can be smelled all over the house, and everyone loves it!
so glad you enjoyed it!