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When I usually want to make banana bread, it’s because I have too many ripe (or overripe) bananas sadly sitting in my fruit bowl. This vegan banana bread recipe is designed for exactly that moment. It uses 3 large ripe bananas to help you use them up and consistently bakes into a bakery-style loaf that you wouldn’t guess is vegan!
Looking for more ways to use ripe bananas? Be sure to check out my vegan pumpkin banana bread, gingerbread banana bread or these banana bread chocolate chip cookies next!
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Banana Bread
Unlike many eggless banana bread recipes that turn out dense, overly wet, or sink in the middle, this one is carefully balanced to rise beautifully every time.
It develops a classic bakery-style crack down the center, a golden-brown exterior, and a soft, tender crumb. Plus, you can mix in chopped walnuts or chocolate chips! Below are just a few reasons why I love it.
Emily’s Recipe Notes:
- Flavor: Banana-forward, just sweet enough with a hint of cinnamon
- Texture: Moist and fluffy – not dense at all
- Difficulty: Easy – one bowl.
- Time: Just over an hour with baking
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe is adapted from my jumbo vegan banana chocolate chip muffins, but instead of using dairy-free yogurt as an egg substitute, it relies on simple pantry staples.
Which means no vegan butter or specialty ingredients required. It’s meant to be an approachable vegan banana bread that’s especially great for beginners.
A combination of baking soda and vinegar helps the loaf rise tall, and the batter has slightly more volume than non-vegan versions to account for the lack of eggs. This combo helps result in a fluffy, bakery-style loaf without eggs!
What If My Bananas Aren’t Ripe Yet?
If your bananas aren’t ripe but you want to bake right away, there is a workaround. I tested this recipe using bananas roasted at 350°F for 10–15 minutes to speed up ‘ripening’.
Place bananas on parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes until soft.
Baking softens the bananas and concentrates their sugars, making them usable for banana bread.
I made this recipe exactly as written using 350g of roasted bananas. The loaf baked up moist and flavorful, but didn’t rise quite as tall as the version made with naturally ripe bananas.
with ripe bananas
- Ultra-tall, fluffy, uniform crumb
- Moist and slightly sweet
- Banana flavor improves the next day
with Roasted bananas
- Not as much rise + thicker batter
- Moist, a bit sweeter, stodgier
- More pronounced banana flavor 1st day
Although the banana weight was the same, roasting changes how moisture is held in the fruit, resulting in a slightly thicker mash and batter, which likely limited the rise.
Ingredients
Ingredient Highlights & Some Swaps
Ripe Bananas
Very spotted or overripe bananas work best and give the tallest rise and strongest banana flavor.
I also tested this recipe with bananas that were oven-roasted at 350°F for 10–15 minutes to speed up ripening. This works in a pinch, but the batter is slightly thicker and the loaf doesn’t rise quite as tall. You can see photos in the section above. For best results, naturally ripe bananas are ideal.
Soy Milk
Unsweetened soy milk is my preferred choice because its higher protein content adds structure while still providing moisture. Other unsweetened plant milks will also work.
Baking SOda + Vinegar
These work together to create lift in the absence of eggs. The baking soda reacts with the vinegar, along with the natural acidity in the bananas and brown sugar, helping the loaf rise tall and evenly.
All Purpose Flour
All-purpose flour gives the most reliable structure and crumb. For best results, measure by weight or use the spoon-and-level method to avoid adding too much flour, which can make the loaf dense or dry.
Neutral Oil
A neutral oil keeps the loaf moist without adding flavor. I used sunflower oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil. I don’t recommend coconut oil, as it solidifies at room temperature and can affect the texture of the loaf.
How to Make Vegan Banana Bread
Exact ingredient quantities are in the recipe card below!
Add the peeled bananas to a large bowl.
Mash them well with a fork or a potato masher until smooth.
Add the remaining wet ingredients to the bowl with the mashed bananas.
Pour the dry ingredients on top.
Whisk or mix the batter until just combined.
Fold in any chopped nuts (like walnuts or pecans) or chocolate chips.
Transfer to a parchment-lined baking pan. For a pretty crack down the center, run a butter knife coated in melted vegan butter down the center.
Bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
Cooling, Serving & Storing the Bread
Once baked, let the loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Then you can transfer it to a wire cooling rack and let it cool completely before slicing.
I swear the flavor improves as it cools and it tastes even sweeter and more banana forward the next day! To store the loaf, just wrap it well in plastic and keep it at room temperature for 2-3 days.
It can also be sliced and frozen for 2-3 months.
More Vegan Quick Breads
Best Vegan Banana Bread
Rate this RecipeIngredients
- 3 medium-large ripe bananas, 350g, mashed – about 1 ⅓ cups
- 1 cup light brown sugar, 175g, loosely packed
- ½ cup soy milk, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar, 8g, or white vinegar
- ½ cup sunflower oil, or other neutral oil
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract, 12g
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 280g – spooned into the measuring cup and leveled off
- 1 tsp baking powder, 6g
- ¾ tsp baking soda, 3g
- ¾ tsp fine salt, 5g
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1g
- ½ cup rough chopped walnuts or dairy-free chocolate chips, 60g, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8.5 × 4.5–inch metal loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add the brown sugar and all remaining wet ingredients and whisk until smooth and well combined.3 medium-large ripe bananas, 1 cup light brown sugar, ½ cup soy milk, 1 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar, ½ cup sunflower oil, 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- Add the flour to the bowl. Sprinkle the remaining dry ingredients over the flour, whisking them together lightly, then mix everything into the wet ingredients just until a thick batter forms. Fold in nuts or chocolate chips, if using.2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¾ tsp baking soda, ¾ tsp fine salt, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ cup rough chopped walnuts or dairy-free chocolate chips
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. For a decorative crack, optionally run a butter knife dipped in melted vegan butter down the center of the batter.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove the loaf and let it cool completely before slicing.
Recipe notes
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