Classic Banana Bread Recipe | Vegan and Gluten-Free

This classic banana bread is both vegan and gluten-free. Its easy to make and the ideal recipe if you are new to baking, or just looking for a delicious breakfast, snack, or dessert.

About This Vegan, Gluten-Free Banana Bread Recipe

As a vegan cook,  I’m always searching for ways to adapt traditional recipes without sacrificing flavor or texture. This  recipe is my favorite for vegan, gluten-free banana bread; it is just as moist and delicious as any conventional recipe.

I don’t know anyone who hasn’t tried banana bread at least once, but if you haven’t tried it, you’re in for a treat.
Whether you’re a seasoned baker or new to gluten-free and vegan baking, I promise you will love this banana bread. It’s a simple, comforting recipe with a lightly caramelized brown sugar topping that can be enjoyed for breakfast with coffee or tea, or anytime !

Banana bread is not a typical  bread, such as a bread made with yeast, but is a quick bread  which has a texture more like a muffin or cake. Its a classic recipe which was developed in the United States during the 1930’s. Being careful not to throw food away, using mashed overripe bananas in a sweet bread was a delicious, inventive way to use them and to avoid waste.

Recipes for banana bread quickly became popular and began to be published in many cookbooks. The first banana bread recipe is thought to have been published in 1933 in Pillsbury’s “Balanced Recipes” cookbook. Many recipes have been published since then with many variations.

One of the main ingredients for this Gluten-Free recipe is oat flour. I always make my own oat flour for baking as it’s quite easy to make and much less expensive than store-bought oat flour.

Here are the instructions on how to make your own oat flour. The instructions are also in the notes on the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to Make Oat Flour:
Add 2 cups of oats at a time in a high speed blender on  medium speed for about 30 to 60 seconds. If you have a regular blender or a food processor, you may need to grind your oats a bit longer, but be careful not to overgrind since  this will result in a texture of baked goods that is too dense. 
Make sure that there are no large pieces of oats when you have finished grinding.

Store your oat flour in a glass or plastic container with a lid, or in a plastic zip-top quart-sized or gallon- sized bag, depending on how much you are making. If you are only grinding 2 cups of oats it will fit into the quart sized bag.

Ingredients for Vegan Banana Bread

• 1 1/4 cup (150 g) gluten free flour
• 1 3/4 cup (204 g) oat flour
• 1/2 cup (112 g) (plus 2 tablespoons for top of banana bread) coconut sugar or brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or ground cinnamon
• 4 medium -sized or 3 large very ripe bananas. You should have 2 cups total mashed bananas
• 1/4 cup (56 ml) 56 ml unsweetened soy milk or almond milk. Other unsweetened plant-based milk may be used
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
• 2 tablespoons high quality vegetable oil. I used coconut oil, but avocado or grapeseed oil may be used
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or line your pan with baking paper ( parchment paper).
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together both flours,sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg or cinnamon, and salt
• Mash the bananas in a large sized bowl using a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth but still a bit chunky
• Into the bananas, stir the plant milk, flax seeds , lemon juice or vinegar, oil, and vanilla. Mix well.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet in the large bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Be careful not to stir for too long since oat flour tends to become a bit gummy if overmixed.
• Gently fold in any additional ingredients like nuts or chocolate chips.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the 2 extra tablespoons of sugar over the top.
  Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let it cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before removing. Then let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Mitzi’s Tips for Success

Here are some tips to help your banana bread turn out great every time:

Make sure to use over-ripe bananas. The browner they are, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be. Don’t use bananas that are still very yellow. This will affect the banana bread’s flavor, moisture, and sweetness.

Be careful not to overmix the batter. Stir until just combined to keep it light. Overmixing will result in ‘tunnels’ to form and will make for a rubbery texture.

If your banana bread is too dry it usually means overbaking or that too much flour was added. So make sure to measure correctly.
Banana bread that is too moist, undercooked, or one that just will not cook through in the center of the loaf could mean that too much liquid was added or that the banana bread was underbaked. It could also be a problem with your oven not baking evenly, so check that your oven heats properly, and that both top and bottom elements are working before baking.

If you do not end up with enough mashed bananas for the recipe, add some unsweetened applesauce, vegan yogurt, or plant based milk to make up the difference.

Also, it’s always a good idea to check the center with a toothpick and bake a little longer if needed.

Let cool completely before slicing. This helps it hold its shape and improves the texture.