Vegan Banana Bread Recipe: How to Make the Best Dairy-Free and Egg-Free Banana Bread

Before you start, gather these ingredients:

Peel and mash your ripe bananas in a large mixing bowl until smooth. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be. If your bananas aren’t quite ripe enough, you can speed up the process by placing them in a paper bag with an apple for a day or two, or bake them in their peels at 300°F (150°C) for about 15-20 minutes until they turn black.

To your mashed bananas, add the melted coconut oil, sugar, flax egg (ground flaxseed mixed with water), vanilla extract, and plant-based milk. Whisk everything together until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. This step ensures that all the dry ingredients are evenly distributed, which will result in a more uniform texture in your final product.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, gently folding them together with a spatula. Be careful not to overmix – stop when you no longer see dry flour. Overmixing can lead to a tough, chewy texture. If you’re using any optional add-ins like nuts or chocolate chips, fold them in now.

Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with a little oil or line it with parchment paper. This will prevent your banana bread from sticking and make it easier to remove once baked.

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with your spatula. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 55-65 minutes. To check if it’s done, insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf – it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Once baked, let the banana bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, carefully remove it from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. This step is crucial for achieving the perfect texture, so resist the temptation to cut into it right away!