The Best Healthy Banana Bread (Vegan & Gluten-Free) Recipe
This healthy banana bread recipe is both vegan and gluten-free, using wholesome ingredients like ripe bananas, oat flour, and natural sweeteners. It’s moist, flavorful, and perfect for a guilt-free treat or breakfast snack. Enhanced with warm spices and a touch of vegan chocolate chips and walnuts, this bread offers comforting flavors with a nutritious twist.
- Author: Emma
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf (8-10 slices) 1x
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Wet Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas (about 1 ½ cups mashed banana)
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups oat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
Add-ins
- ⅓ cup vegan chocolate chips, plus more for topping
- ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a loaf pan or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mash Bananas and Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas until smooth. Add coconut sugar, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, and melted coconut oil. Mix well until fully combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. This ensures the dry ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the bread tender.
- Add Chocolate Chips and Walnuts: Fold in the vegan chocolate chips and chopped walnuts evenly throughout the batter.
- Pour Batter into Pan: Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Optionally, sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top for a decorative and tasty finish.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the banana bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then transfer it onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- You can substitute oat flour with another gluten-free flour blend if preferred.
- If you do not have coconut sugar, brown sugar can be used as an alternative.
- To keep it extra moist, avoid overbaking the bread.
- Store banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- Freezing slices is a great way to preserve the bread for longer periods.
Keywords: healthy banana bread, vegan banana bread, gluten-free banana bread, dairy-free, egg-free, oat flour banana bread, vegan chocolate chip bread