Recipe

The Vegan Banana Bread Recipe That Will Change Your Life Forever

By Karly Wilson at St. Louis University

I have very distinct memories from my childhood that involve eating banana bread. One specific memory I have is visiting one of our family friend's house after school and always having banana bread as a snack. I think that's where my love for banana bread began. I don't know about you guys, but I'm a big fan of warm, gooey banana bread, perhaps because it makes me nostalgic about my childhood. There's something about this bread that makes it impossible for my friends and I to stop eating it. Whenever I make a batch, it's gone within a couple hours. I guess that's why I call it the BEST Vegan Banana Bread Ever, and I bet you will all agree!

The BEST Vegan Banana Bread Ever

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 50 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
  • Servings: 10
Ingredients
  • 2 cups mashed bananas
  • 6 tablespoons ground flaxseed
  • 9 tablespoons boiling water
  • 1/4 cup canola vegetable or safflower oil
  • 1/2 cup original unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Karly Wilson

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350º F. To make the flaxseed "egg," mix together the ground flaxseed and boiling water in a small bowl. Let the mixture sit for 2-3 minutes. It should congeal into a thick pudding-like texture. (See the end of this recipe for a few notes on flaxseed egg replacements).

Karly Wilson

Step 2

Place the bananas in a bowl and mash them together. You can also place them in a blender to get a smoother consistency, but I like mine a little chunky.

Karly Wilson

Step 3

Add the flaxseed "egg," oil, vanilla, applesauce, and sugar to the mashed bananas and mix until smooth.

Karly Wilson

Step 4

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Karly Wilson

Step 5

Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and fold the batter together with a spatula until thoroughly combined.

Karly Wilson

Step 6

Now you have two options...are you going to make banana bread loaf or muffins? This recipe is great for both, but I usually make mine in a loaf type pan simply because I don't have muffin tins in my apartment.

Scoop the batter into an oiled loaf pan or lined muffin tin.

Karly Wilson

Step 7

Time to bake! For the loaf pan, bake for 50 minutes or until the center is set and the outside is golden brown. For muffins, bake for 25 minutes or until the muffins are set and the outside is golden brown.
#spoontip: Please note when I say "set" for this recipe the center will always be a little moist because of the ingredients used. So as long as it's not runny and you feel comfortable eating it, you're good to go!

Karly Wilson

Step 8

Allow the banana bread to fully cool before slicing. Or if you're like my roommates and I, just scoop it onto a plate right after it comes out of the oven because it's just that good!

Karly Wilson

Now, here are a few notes on flaxseed egg replacements. Over the years, I have tried out several types of egg replacements. Flaxseed has proved to be the best option for baking, since it acts as a perfect binding agent for any sweet breads, brownies, and muffins a like! For every egg that a recipe calls for, I typically use 2 tablespoons of flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of boiling water. However, other food blogs I have read suggest using 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and 2 1/2 tablespoons boiling water. Either way, you get about the same result. 

Next time you are looking for a vegan pastry that will treat your banana bread sweet tooth cravings, try this recipe out and thank me later!