Homemade Vegan Banana Bread

If you’re anything like me, you’ve inevitably got a bunch of over-ripe bananas languishing on your counter.

I’m notoriously bad for buying up too much produce and not eating it quickly enough — but with the bananas, there’s a method to my madness: I always let them get as ripe as possible before freezing them for my breakfast smoothies.

(Speaking of which, if you’ve ever wanted to get into green smoothies, I highly recommend starting with the delicious and foolproof recipes over at Simple Green Smoothies. Their recipes were a great entry point for me!)

Anyway, I was thrilled to see that Elana was developing a new banana bread recipe for the blog; now I’ve got a fun way to use up the rest of my bananas whenever I’m smoothied-out.

Or, ya know, anytime I want a guilt-free sweet treat.

This recipe is extremely easy and doesn’t even require any fancy equipment! Elana uses her stand mixer, but you can easily use a fork to mash the bananas into a puree.

Then, simply mix in the rest of the ingredients, pour the batter into a loaf pan, and pop it in the oven.

About this Banana Bread Recipe

Elana uses a flax egg, which is a simple egg replacement that we have instructions on how to make here.

This recipe also calls for coconut oil and applesauce to do the job of butter or vegetable oil in a normal banana bread recipe.

Genius, right?

Experts agree that coconut oil has several health benefits that other oils don’t, but we still like to use foods that are less processed as much as possible. That’s why she swapped half of it out with applesauce.

Don’t ask me how, but applesauce acts like oil in this recipe, but without the downsides of ingesting a ton of oil. Unsweetened applesauce is much less processed, so you can eat as much of this bread as you want without feeling guilty at all!

…Okay, okay, you should still follow sensible portion sizes…. but you get the idea. This banana bread is about as healthy as banana bread gets.

This recipe is quick to whip up, it’s a family pleaser, and it makes for an excellent breakfast, dessert, or anything in between!

Give it a try, leave a rate and review in the comments, and tag us on Instagram @plum_savory with your lovely creations 😍

‘Til next time,
Nicole

Homemade Banana Bread

Try this easy banana bread recipe that goes great fresh out of the oven with a generous helping of vegan butter!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 10 slices

Ingredients

  

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 flax eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Optional: 1/2 cup of add-in like vegan choc. chips or chopped walnuts

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stand Mixer version:

• Use flat beater to beat raw bananas until they have a pureed texture.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and beat on low until mixture is a batter.

Other versions:

• Mash bananas into a puree using a fork.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until mixture is a batter.
• Pour batter into a loaf pan**Elana used a lo lightly greased with coconut oil. Cook for 50-60 minutes, until loaf is light brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Serve warm topped with butter (or vegan butter).
• Keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days or on the counter for 2-3 days, though best when fresh!

Notes

*Elana used a mini-loaf pan to create 4 loaves, but the cooking instructions are for a loaf pan that creates one loaf. If you use a loaf pan to create smaller loaves, keep in mind the cooking time will be shorter.  

Keyword easy, healthy, healthy dessert, quick, vegan, vegetarian