Description

This banana bread is plant-based, one-bowl simple, and endlessly comforting. It’s moist, flavorful, and requires no fancy equipment—perfect for breakfast, snacks, or impromptu gifts. Those overripe bananas? They’re your secret ingredient for natural sweetness and maximum banana flavor.

Ingredients

Scale

Wet Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, mashed (the browner, the sweeter!)
½ cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
¼ cup maple syrup (or agave)
½ cup neutral oil (canola, vegetable, or melted coconut)
¼ cup non-dairy milk (almond, oat, soy, etc.)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or 1:1 gluten-free flour blend)
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon (optional: pinch of nutmeg or allspice)
¼ tsp salt

Optional Add-Ins:

½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans), chocolate chips, or berries

Instructions

1. Preheat & Prep

Oven: 350°F (175°C)
Loaf pan: 8×4 or 9×5 inches, greased and lined with parchment paper “sling” for easy removal

2. Mix Wet Ingredients

Mash bananas in a large bowl until mostly smooth.
Stir in brown sugar, maple syrup, oil, non-dairy milk, and vanilla until combined.

3. Add Dry Ingredients

Sprinkle flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt over the wet mixture.
Gently fold until just combined—some small lumps are fine. Overmixing = dense bread.

4. Fold in Optional Add-Ins

Add nuts, chocolate chips, or berries, folding gently to distribute evenly.

5. Bake

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake 50–60 minutes, checking at 50 minutes with a toothpick. It’s done when it comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
The top should be golden brown with a slight crack—perfect!

6. Cool

Let cool 10 minutes in pan.
Lift using parchment sling and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Notes

Double Chocolate Bliss: Replace ¼ cup flour with cocoa powder; fold in ½ cup vegan chocolate chips.
Lemon Blueberry Burst: Add zest of 1 lemon and ½ cup blueberries.
Morning Glory Loaf: Add ½ cup shredded carrot, ⅓ cup raisins, ¼ cup shredded coconut.
Nutty Espresso Crunch: Add 1 tbsp instant espresso powder and ½ cup chopped toasted hazelnuts.
Banana Bread Muffins: Divide batter into 12 muffin cups; bake 20–25 minutes.