This healthy vegan banana bread is sweetened naturally with dates and bananas for a delicious, moist, and healthy morning or midday sweet bread. Prepare this easy quick bread recipe in just 10 minutes. Then sit back with a cup of tea and relax while you watch it bake.
I originally published this recipe in March of 2016. It was a significant post in that it was my first recipe back after a year and a half hiatus from the blog; a hiatus I took while I survived the darkest time in my life. At that time in my life I was very uncertain if I had a future with this blog and it was only from the encouragement of a couple of dear friends that I decided to pick it back up again.
And look what’s happened in the nearly 3 years since!
I’ve updated the photos, tweaked the recipe, and rewritten this vegan banana bread post so that it’s fresh, new, and exciting.
While I love the reminder of what I’ve been through, I’d much rather embrace the present that is so simply good. And since you seem to love my vegan muffins and quick bread, I think it’s time to revisit this healthy vegan banana bread for a quick and delicious recipe I am certain you will love.
How to Make Vegan Banana Bread {Video}
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
I love this recipe and I think you will too! This vegan quick bread is moist, rich, and naturally sweetened. It is the perfect morning pastry or a midday snack.
Here is everything you need
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Flour – For healthier flour options, you can use 1:1 gluten-free flour blends, buckwheat, or spelt flour.
- Dates – For this recipe make sure to use Medjool dates rather than regular dates for they are juicier and sweeter.
- Bananas – Use overly ripe bananas. This gives the recipe more sweetness and flavor while also being easier to mash and incorporate into the remaining ingredients.
- Applesauce – Look for unsweetened applesauce. The applesauce acts as the binder for these muffins. You can’t taste the applesauce but if you would prefer a different kind of egg replacer, check out my complete guide on replacing eggs to get a few more ideas.
- Coconut Oil – Coconut oil adds a bit of flavor and moisture to the muffins. You could also use avocado or olive oil although olive oil will add a slightly savory flavor.
- Vanilla Extract
- Baking Powder & Soda
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Toasted Walnuts – Make sure your walnuts are toasted to bring out the flavor. You can omit them for a nut free option or swap them out for vegan chocolate chips for vegan banana bread.
Recommended Equipment
For this banana bread recipe, you will need a mixing bowl, utensils, a wire cooling rack, a loaf pan, and basic kitchen utensils. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
How to Make Healthy Banana Bread
Like most quick bread, this banana bread is nearly fail-proof. As long as you can whisk and blend, you should be able to make this deeply satisfying vegan quick bread in no time.
Step One – Purée the Dates and Bananas
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.
Drain the dates and place them in a food processor with the bananas, applesauce, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Blend the ingredients until a smooth purée forms. You will need to scrape down the sides of the food process a couple of times to make sure you get all the bananas and dates.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Step Two – Make the Batter
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to mix the date/banana mixture into the flour until the flour is fully hydrated.
Pro Tip: Do not overmix your batter. Overmixing allows the gluten to develop and too much gluten will give you gummy and dense muffins.
Add the walnuts into the batter and fold them in with a wooden spoon or spatula until they are evenly distributed. The goal with folding is to get the walnuts fully incorporated into the batter without overmixing the batter. To do this, use a wooden spoon or plastic spatula and fold the batter from bottom to top in a “C” shape.
Step Four – Pour and Bake
Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake for about 60 minutes at 350 F. The baking time will vary depending on your oven. After about 50 minutes, you can check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle of the loaf. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, your banana bread is done.
If your bread batter is still fairly loose, bake for another 10 minutes before checking again.
Variations of Vegan Banana Bread
One of the biggest reasons I love this vegan banana bread is because there are so many flavor variations. A few of my favorites mix-ins to add are:
- Chocolate chips
- Pecans or Hazelnuts (omit the walnuts)
- Raisins or Cranberries
- Shredded Coconut and Pistachios
Or, skip the loaf pan and make them into muffins.
Serving and Storing
Serving
Serve this vegan bread immediately with some vegan butter and a chai tea latte.
Storing
Tightly wrap uneaten bread and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days. For best results, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a large ziplock bag. This bread can be frozen. To thaw the banana bread, let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. Once it is thawed, it should be eaten within 3 days.
Make in Advance
If you want to make this bread batter in advance, store the batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
To bake the bread, preheat the oven and bake according to the instructions. However, these bread may take a few minutes longer to bake since the batter will be chilled. The bread will also be slightly denser as the baking soda begins to activate once it’s mixed into the batter, causing it to be slightly less potent.
Tips And Tricks
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Soak your dates for 20 minutes before blending. This helps soften the dates and makes them easier to purée.
- Use very ripe bananas. This adds sweetness to the recipe. Ripe bananas are also easier to incorporate into the batter.
- Do not overmix your batter. Overmixing allows the gluten to develop and too much gluten will give you gummy and dense muffins.
- Make sure to let the bread sit in the loaf pan for 20 minutes before flipping them out to a wire cooling rack. Otherwise, the muffins may fall apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
For sure! For gluten-free quick bread, I recommend using a 1:1 baking blend.
Sure. If you would like to make this recipe oil-free, simply swap out the oil for additional applesauce at a 1:1 ratio.
For sure! You can omit them entirely or swap them out for vegan chocolate chips, raisins, or cacao nibs.
More Vegan Quick Bread Recipes
- Vegan Zucchini Bread
- Classic Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Vegan Lemon Pound Cake
Healthy Vegan Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup dates pitted and soaked in hot water for 20 minutes
- 4 very ripe bananas
- 1/2 cup apple sauce
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup walnuts, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray an 8×4 loaf pan and set aside.
- Drain the dates and place them in a food processor along with the bananas, apple sauce, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- In a separate bowl whisk together dry ingredients. With a wooden spoon, mix the date/banana mixture into the flour mixture until the flour is fully hydrated. Be careful not to overmix. Once your batter is uniform, stir in walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread even the top.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow loaf 20 minutes to cool in pan before transferring to a cooling rack to cool.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container or freezer.
Video
Notes
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Soak your dates for 20 minutes before blending. This helps soften the dates and makes them easier to purée.
- Use very ripe bananas. This adds sweetness to the recipe. Ripe bananas are also easier to incorporate into the batter.
- Do not overmix your batter. Overmixing allows the gluten to develop and too much gluten will give you gummy and dense muffins.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Ann says
This bread was so easy to make! It is delicious. I love that it doesn’t have sugar only natural sweeteners like dates, bananas and applesauce.
I will be making this again and again!
Susan says
This recipe has become a staple in our home. We use 1:1 flour for the gluten free folks, (we have a few) and I soak the dates in leftover coffee for a little extra zing. Also we can get well aged bananas from our local grocery store for a dollar for two dozen bananas so we freeze them in batches of four! My husband hates all forms of bananas except for this banana bread.
Luz says
Hello,
Can you explain how to substitute for GF? Does 1:1 ratio mean it’s the same amount of cups as all purpose flour?
Tracy Ross says
Please explain what is healthy about coconut oil
Jenohn says
Listen. Let me just say this.. I have made banana bread so many times but this recipe is the best banana bread I have ever made, amongst vegan, non vegan and everything in between.
I’m eating a warmed slice with a glass of almond milk as I type this review. And I don’t type reviews.
It is such a simple, fool-proof recipe with the perfect amount of sweetness. I added sugar free dark chocolate chips in mine. Chefs kiss. The banana flavor is not overwhelming, just perfect and elegant. I also didn’t have applesauce so I threw in an egg (I halved the recipe btw). The dates give such a more soulful, authentic sweetness… I do not miss the sugar at all.
My only gripe is halving the recipe because I’ve already eaten 3 slices today and the sun is no where near setting.
Steph says
Hello,
Thanks for the recipe it’s great! But I think I may have failed abit because my cake bottom part seems to be a little wet ( not very clean knife) despite me baking for about 70 mins and the top became quite dry.
Is it suppose to be like this ?
It’s like dense and sticky like flour
Kelly Vollmer says
I used all Apple sauce and no oil still delicious. I’m SOS free but still used the salt not a lot for the whole recipe. Definitely will make this version from now on. You have so many tried and true recipes I love.
Emilia says
What can I use instead of dates ?
Krosey says
Used melted vegan butter and added some chai spice. Cooked completely through, AMAZING texture. So grateful one of the best recipes I’ve made sugar free. Mmm
Jess says
I never ever write reviews, but I HAVE to for this one. I dabble in vegan recipes, trying to find healthier versions of old favorites. This banana bread far exceeded my expectations. I’ve told everyone I know that I found THE banana bread recipe– I’ll never have to search for another. The one that is healthy and actually tastes like the full sugar & dairy version I grew up on. A few notes: I made it with Bob’s red Mill gf 1:1 flour & added chocolate chips & slivered almonds.
Kasey says
I’ve never left a review on a recipe before but I’ve stopped eating added sugar. It’s been a few months now and it’s very hard to find vegan bread/cake recipes using dates instead of sugar. I’ve tried a few but I’ve never had one be as successful or taste nearly as good as this. This has become my go to banana bread recipe thank you so much!!! I add a “cream cheese frosting” that I make with vegan cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and date paste and it tasted sooo good!! Thank you again!
Amelia says
I am very appreciative that you include the nutritional breakdown with your recipes. I also thank you for your notes that tell me/us how to make them gluten-free, etc.
Lisha says
Iv tried a bunch of recipes and none of them turned out good .. This one was so simple and came out too good …. Skipped the applesauce because i didn’t have it .. And soaked the dates in wine for about 6h … It was so so good! My new favourite!
Shevonn says
I have been searching for the perfect banana bread recipe and this is it! It is moist, fluffy, and not too sweet. I used whole wheat pastry flour and just under 1 cup of dates. Love it!!
Frizzle says
I was dubious about this recipe but it turned out fabulous! I tasted the wet batter and thought it was sickly sweet but when tasting the final product, the texture & sweetness were perfect. I made muffins (which this recipe mentions “muffins” multiple times but doesn’t actually include directions on how to make them)- it made 18 muffins, I baked them for about 25 minutes until the top was golden brown and a knife came out clean. super yum!
Sarah King says
This recipe has become a staple in our house, and I use the base as a way to make other breads and muffins without added sugar. Lately, I’ve been swapping the whole wheat flour for shredded coconut and mixing in a few chocolate chips (I know, that kind of kills the no sugar thing). Thank you so much, Sarah!