vegan banana bread with smear of vegan butter

Wildly Simple Vegan Banana Bread

If youโ€™ve been looking for the most simple & easy vegan banana bread recipe then look no further. This recipe is wildly simple and easy to make, youโ€™ll be eating this healthy alternative to any coffee shop or store-bought banana bread, wondering where itโ€™s been all your life.

Itโ€™s 2022 but I have been on a kick lately of making some pretty tasty recipes that are not only healthy(ish), but they also make me feel super energized.

One thing about me is that I love comfort foods. Like, Iโ€™m a bit obsessed with them. Anything that makes me feel like Iโ€™m getting a big fat hug from the inside, Iโ€™m down for 100 percent.

[Which is why this leads me to make a crazy simple, oh-so-good banana bread.

As with so many people, sometimes you go to the grocery store and purchase a bunch of bananas at the beginning of the week, promising yourself that youโ€™re going to make a healthy smoothie or top off your big bowl of oatmeal with some fresh banana slices, only to end up never using them at all.

I donโ€™t know what happens to my brain but there are times I have every intention to use my bananas, but they just end up going bad. Has that ever happened to you too?

Despite the past not using my ripened bananas, I made it a goal this week to use my off-ripened bananas this week for good!

This simple banana bread recipe is giving me all the feels because it is:

  • EASY: Is it just me or are you still feeling the post-holiday food coma lingering all day long? Iโ€™m not kidding. It feels as soon as Christmas passed, all I wanted to do was either sleep or create recipes that were SIMPLE. This is why this recipe is my absolute favorite to have on hand when I want to eat something sweet but do not need a ton of ingredients thrown together to make.
  • BETTER THAN STORE-BOUGHT: I feel like everywhere you look right now, all treats are laden with sugar, frostings, or heavy oils, but not this recipe! Although I do add sugar and oil to the recipe (no frosting, but feel free to add your own!), this banana bread recipe is made with flaxseeds, bananas, and maple syrup. Just enough to give you that healthy(ish) feel without feeling like youโ€™re eating something thatโ€™s dry and unappetizing.
  • A SPECIAL TREAT: People are usually planning their next big โ€œdet makeoverโ€ after New Years, but me over here, Iโ€™m not there yet. Nope, not even one bit. And Iโ€™m not shy to even say so. I am here quietly sipping on a hot cup of coffee and eating slabs of this decadent banana bread with crumbs all over my countertop. If youโ€™re in the same boat as me, you probably feel like you deserve a treat all the time, so donโ€™t feel any shame! Just whip up this simple banana bread recipe and indulge, because you DO deserve it!

In my Wildly Simple Banana Bread Recipe, I added:

  • all-purpose flour
  • cinnamon
  • brown sugar
  • ground nutmeg
  • baking soda
  • sea salt
  • vegetable oil
  • vanilla extract
  • maple syrup
  • flax eggs

How To Make This Wildly Simple Banana Bread

First, make your flax egg and set it aside. Next, grab a medium-sized bowl and add it in your flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, baking soda, sea salt, ground nutmeg and whisk together until all is combined.

In another medium-sized bowl, mash your bananas and then add to your mashed bananas your vegetable oil, vanilla extract, your flax eggs, and maple syrup & stir well.

To your wet bowl, add in your flour mixture in small batches at a time and mix well until all flour is incorporated.

Pour out your batter into a well-greased pan & bake for 45-55 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when pierced into the center of your banana bread.

For years, Iโ€™ve been looking for the perfect banana bread recipe I could find to call my own, and I think my friends, I may have found it.

I personally am a fan of banana bread that is plain with no extra stuff added โ€“ no chocolate chips, no nuts, no seeds, no fruit.

I think in order to truly love & appreciate a good-tasting banana bread recipe, it should be just that โ€“ simple. In fact, Itโ€™s actually quite hard to find a good quality banana bread recipe! Thatโ€™s why when I tweaked this recipe to perfection (in my humble opinion), I knew right away it was the one.

Now, just because I am a fan of plain & simple banana bread, doesnโ€™t mean you canโ€™t go ahead and add other ingredients youโ€™d like to it โ€“ I say go for it!

This recipe is so versatile, you can add anything you like to make it that much more special for you.

When youโ€™re combining your wet & dry ingredients together, that is the perfect time to pop your add additional ingredients. You can even skip the step of adding things into the batter and use your add-ins as a topping instead.

If youโ€™re worried about the sugar content or oil, you can adjust the measurements. Use less sugar, or use another sugar substitute you prefer, but leave in the maple syrup. It really does add a subtle maple depth to the banana bread recipe.

If you also want to substitute out the oil, use unsweetened applesauce at the same measurement and your banana bread will come just the same.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Double The Recipe?

You can double the recipe. Simply use the scale measurement located in the recipe card to get your exact measurements.

Can I Make This Banana Bread Recipe With Another Flour?

Although I have not tried this with any other flour, you can absolutely make this banana bread recipe with another flour of your choice. You can make this recipe using whole wheat flour, oat flour, all-purpose gluten-free flour, half all-purpose flour & half oat flour, half all-purpose flour & half whole wheat flour, etc.

You may need to adjust the ratio amount of your flour mixes as some flour combinations may end up giving you a denser banana bread (i.e. all-purpose flour & whole wheat flour).

Can I Make This Recipe in One Bowl?

For sure you can! If youโ€™re wanting to make this banana bread recipe in one bowl, add your dry ingredients to a bowl: ground nutmeg, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, brown sugar, and all-purpose flour.

Next, take your mash your bananas (that youโ€™ve mashed in a small bowl), flax egg, vanilla extract, vegetable oil & maple syrup and add it to your dry ingredients and mix well until combined.

Can I Make Banana Muffins with This Recipe?

For sure! Prepare it just the same according to the recipe instructions and pour the batter into prepared muffin tins. You will for sure need to bake this less โ€“ around 20 -30 minutes, depending on the size of your muffin tray.

Make sure to check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or the sharp point of a knife into the middle of your muffin. When it comes out smooth & clean, your muffins are ready!

Storing & Freezing Vegan Banana Bread Recipe

Store your vegan banana bread in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days at room temperature. Not like it’ll last for long but I’ve found this to be the best way to ensure your banana bread is fresh.

Alternatively, if you want to freeze your baked banana bread, make sure to wrap it well in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn for up to 3 months for the best results.

Additions & Substitutions

Add-Ins: Feel free to add in walnuts to make turn the vegan banana bread recipe into vegan banana nut bread, banana nut muffins or add in chocolate chips to turn this recipe into a chocolate chip banana bread recipe.

Spices: This recipe is very forgiving. You can leave out the nutmeg and add more cinnamon if you prefer, or, in addition to the cinnamon and nutmeg in the recipe, add 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom, ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon of allspice to turn this into a Vegan Chai Spiced Banana Bread.

Gluten-free: You can substitute an equal amount of gluten-free all-purpose flour if youโ€™d like. The best substitute for this is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free, 1 to 1 Baking Flour.

So hereโ€™s your recipe on how to make your Wildly Simple Banana Bread Recipe!

Wildly Simple Vegan Banana Bread Recipe

Wild & Whelm
If you've been looking for the perfect, vegan banana bread recipe then look no further. This recipe is wildly simple and easy to make, you'll be eating this healthy alternative to any coffee shop or store-bought banana bread, wondering where it's been all your life.
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 1 hour
Total 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Desserts
Cuisine American
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

FLAX EGG
  • 2 tablespoons 30ml of ground flaxseeds
  • 5 tablespoons 30ml of water
BANANA BREAD
  • 2 cups 500ml of all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup 125ml of loosely packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons 10ml of ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon 5ml of baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon 5ml of salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon 0.5grams of ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup 125ml of vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon 15ml of pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup 60ml of pure maple syrup
  • 3 ripe bananas

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Next, make your vegan flax egg by mixing the water with the ground flaxseeds. Once mixed, set it aside for 5 minutes to thicken up. Prepare your loaf pan and grease it with vegan butter & set it aside. Mash your bananas in a medium-sized bowl and set it aside.
  • In another medium-sized mixing bowl, add your flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg and whisk together well. To your bowl with your mashed bananas, add in your vegetable oil, vanilla extract, maple syrup, your flax eggs & mix well.
  • Combine your flour ingredients to your mashed banana mixture in batches and incorporate well with a spatula until no flour is visible in the batter. Be careful to not overwork your batter.
  • Pour your batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake at 350ยฐ for 45-60 minutes or until a pierced knife comes out smooth & clean.
  • Slice up your freshly baked banana bread and slather some vegan butter on top. If youโ€™re feeling fancy, serve this with some rich & creamy vegan ice cream.

Notes

If you have some flour leftover, or you need to add a few more tablespoons of flour, itโ€™s ok and doesnโ€™t mean something went wrong with the recipe. I have found during our test runs that some bananas are moister than others, especially if they have been frozen.
If youโ€™ve used frozen bananas in this recipe, you may need to adjust your flour amount and add a bit more to the recipe.
Keywords banana bread, bread, vegan

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Did You Make This Recipe?

Share a photo and tag @wildandwhelm and use the hashtag #wildandwhelmmade โ€” I canโ€™t wait to see what youโ€™ve made so I can feature you on my page!


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4 Comments

    1. Hi Carolyn,

      Although these substitutes may change the flavor of your baked banana bread, you can substitute the maple syrup for molasses or corn syrup for a 1:1 ratio. You could also try agave syrup or a homemade monk fruit simple syrup.

      Let me know how this works out for you!

      Christina

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