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
Emma Bollington says
So good! Absolutely loved it. I used prunes instead of dates and used nuttelex instead of coconut oil. Going to try half banana next time and make up with strawberries.
Thanks so much for the recipe.
Kate says
This recipe is amazing. Tastes better than any other banana bread I’ve ever had, truly!
Sarah says
So glad you liked it. Thanks for sharing!
Carolyn says
Recipe really looks good. Looking forward to making it.
Do have 1 question I do not eat/use processed oil. Can I use more applesauce instead?
Sarah says
It will affect the texture but it should work. Let us know how it turns out!
Julia says
Did you use unsweetened apple sauce?
Sarah says
Yes, but it wouldn’t make a big difference either way.
Edith-Nicole says
This is delicious. The texture came out kind of odd – more like a bread pudding or custard than a bread, and I’m not sure why exactly, but it’s holding up well, moist, and tasty, so no complaints!
Sarah says
I’m glad you liked it. The texture shouldn’t be so liquid-y though! I’m not sure what happened…
Bianca says
My mixture was a little dry? I did replace the flour with coconut flour and oat flouer.. could this be why? Other than that great taste!
Sarah says
Yes, it’s because of the flour replacement. You can’t replace coconut flour or oat flour with wheat flour for the same results.
Bianca says
That’s what I figured! Still really yummy. Thanks!
Ash says
I have been vegan for 9 months now and have yet to tackle any baking so I found this recipe and thought it was a great way to start! I loved it! It could have been a tad sweeter which is a shame but as the ingredients are 100% vegan and sugar free its fantastic! I have a friend with their own bee hive and I know that they are looked after so well, I wouldn’t be opposed to adding some of that next time 🙂 (even though it isn’t fitting with the diet)
lizzie says
hi can i use a chai seed egg instead of applesauce and do i use two chai eggs or one? thanks
Sarah says
Yeah, I think that would work. You would want to use 2 chia eggs. GENERAL rule of thumb is each egg is about 1/4 cup of whatever you are replacing it with.
Kara says
This bread is amazing! Banana bread is one of our family favourites, and this one totally blows Grandma’s recipe away! 😉
I adjusted the following and it really worked !! I used 1.5 c oat flour (basically just ground oats) and 1.25 c wheat flour, then added 1/2 tsp nutmeg with the dry ingredients and 1/4 c hemp seeds with the walnuts !! So much delicious flavour !
Stino says
Hello! Do you leave the pits in the dates or do you take them out?
Sarah McMinn says
You should definitely remove the dates.
Katie McVay says
Thank you for this great recipe! I love that it is completely fruit sweetened. It is my go-to banana bread, and I’ve made it numerous times with different substitutions – always comes out great. I’ve used 100% whole wheat flour, I’ve also used a combo of equal parts oat, whole wheat, white, and almond flours (my favorite). I’ve replaced the oil with coconut butter, olive oil, and even peanut butter. Of course, I’ve also made it as written and it’s awesome.
Sarah says
Thank you for your kind words and sharing different substitutions you’ve tried. That’s great to hear!
Alexandra says
Did the peanut butter affect the texture at all
ellen says
I’ve made this twice now, so I feel obliged to comment 🙂 I added some chopped dark chocolate and used olive oil instead of coconut. I love what a healthy treat it is and it’s just as good the next few days.
Chrissy Johnson says
I made this for breakfast this morning and LOVED it. I added some vegan chocolate chips and used pre-made date paste and it turned out exactly as I hoped it would 🙂 Thanks, Sarah <3
mrs. cugliani says
Love the recipe! Under the list of ingredients you typed ‘wet’ when I think you meant to type ‘dry’ above the flour, etc.. Good luck with all your new adventures!
Sarah says
Thank you! I fixed it.
Lou Smith says
This looks great! I’m excited about the prospect of using coconut oil as I have never used it before in baking. Thanks for letting me know how much to put in and to measure when melted. Will get baking this weekend!
Kristin says
So happy to see you back, Sarah! Looking forward to the great things you have in store both for you and us!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Banana bread is always a good way to celebrate!!! Have a beautiful safe trip dear!! xoxo