Classic Healthy Banana Bread (Vegan & Gluten Free)

If you’re looking for a classic, fluffy, moist, and all around amazing banana bread, look no further than this healthy vegan banana bread! It’s gluten free, dairy free, egg free, and tastes just like a classic loaf from your neighborhood bakery.

I’ve eaten enough banana bread in the past few weeks to last me a lifetime. Not really because this healthy vegan banana bread is DELICIOUS and I will be making it on repeat, but wow, I’ve had a lot of banana bread.

Between this recipe and my pumpkin bread, I have definitely hit my quota for Fall breads this year.

My recipe for chocolate chip banana bread has been such a hit, but I felt like it was time to make things a bit more classic (and appropriate for breakfast!).

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How to make healthy vegan banana bread

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Combine the 2 tbsp ground flax with 5 tbsp water in a small bowl and set aside to thicken. This will be the “flax egg” and will help bind all the ingredients together.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher. Be sure to measure out 1 1/2 cups and adjust as needed. You’ll need a total of 3-4 bananas depending on their size. The riper the better!

Once mashed, add in all remaining wet ingredients, including the flax egg once it has thickened. 

Add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, baking powder and mix well. 

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Add in the oat flour using the ” pour and level” method explained in depth below. Once all of the flour has been added, use a wooden spoon to make sure everything is well combined, but careful not to over mix!

Add to a 9×5 loaf pan lined with parchment paper. I like to cut the parchment paper so it is only covering the long edges of the pan (see above photo). This makes it super easy to just lift the bread out once it has cooled.

Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing to allow the bread to set. Otherwise, it will be more crumbly if you do not let it cool.

How to get the perfect crack on top of bread

There are a few factors that go into getting that perfect crack on the top of bread and one little hack I’ve been using to force the bread into giving it to you (in the sweetest way possible of course).

Baking time, temperature, loaf moistness (is that a real word?!) etc. If a loaf is too dry (which this one certainly is not) it can cause the crust to form and crack before the inside of the bread has cooked.

The goal is to get a nice crack on the top. BUT, we want it to happen toward the end of baking and we don’t want it to be too big. This is a goldilocks situation here.

I have a trick for you! Once you put the batter in the pan, take a knife and make a slit down the long side of the loaf about 2/3 of the way over from one of the sides. This will encourage the loaf to spread slightly as it bakes, giving that beautiful crack you see pictured above.

How to properly measure gluten free flour for baking

Ok friends, this is IMPORTANT!!!!!! Hopefully I got your attention there 🙂 When measuring gluten free flours, you want to use the “pour and level” method. Gluten free baking can be tricky, and using the right amount of flour is essential to getting the right texture.

To use this method, pour the flour into your dry measuring cup (don’t use a wet measuring cup) and then take a knife to level off the top. Add what’s in the cup to the bowl with the other ingredients and do this until you have a total of 2 3/4 cup.

Avoid measuring the flour right out of the bag since you will end up with more flour than the recipe really calls for and the bread will be a bit too dense. This is really important with gluten free baking! 

You definitely don’t want to end up with a gummy and super dense loaf, but if you follow the pour and level method the bread should turn out moist and fluffy as I intended!

Recipe tips, tricks, & notes

• Once prepared, this healthy vegan banana bread will store on the counter for 3-5 days. Keep it covered or in an air tight container to prevent it from drying out. Store it in the fridge and it will keep for 5-7 days.

• I say 3-4 ripe bananas because it will depend on the size of them. To get the right consistency of the bread, you want to measure the bananas after they are mashed and make sure you have 1 1/2 cups total. If your bananas are small, you’ll probably need closer to 4, if they are large you can get away with 3. 

• Because coconut oil hardens when it gets cold, it can be tough to work with in recipes like this because it will cause the batter to thicken prematurely when it comes into contact with the milk. For this reason, I suggest using refined avocado oil which has a neutral flavor. However, if you don’t have it, melted coconut oil will also work, just keep in mind the batter will thicken a bit. 

• To keep banana bread moist, make sure to keep it covered or in an air tight container once it has been sliced. This way it won’t dry out too quickly. This recipe stays pretty moist on its own thanks to the almond butter and oil, but keeping it covered is your best bet!

• Your bananas should be nice and spotty/brown before making banana bread. The uglier the better! You don’t want to use bananas that have any green on them since they won’t be as sweet or as soft. Super spotty and with lots of brown is ideal!

• If desired, you can reduce the sugar in this bread to 1/2 cup but it will obviously not be as sweet! To make this recipe refined sugar free, you can sub the brown sugar for coconut sugar!

Try these banana recipes next!

• Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
• Banana Bread Granola
• Gluten Free Banana Pancakes
• Caramelized Banana Pudding

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