This Banana Bread is by far the best vegan Banana Loaf recipe I have come up with, and I have made a lot of bread! Eggless and made with wholemeal flour, this delicious banana bread is light, soft, and perfectly sweet. One of my most popular baking recipes tried successfully by many of our readers.
About Eggless Banana Bread
Banana bread is an all-time personal family favorite. When I find myself pressed for time, which happens often, I throw this quick recipe together with overripe bananas and other pantry staples.
It’s no surprise that this vegan banana bread is one of the most popular baking recipes on my blog, alongside my mouthwatering Banana Cake and Chocolate Cake recipes.
About 9 years ago, I started to get requests for an eggless version of the classic banana bread recipe. And I tried — I tried many, many times to make the absolute best eggless banana bread — and I failed at least 6 times before finally getting it right!
Making an eggless or vegan cake or bread is always a challenge, as one wants the best texture and taste in the bread. I succeeded at making eggless and vegan versions, but I was never quite satisfied with the texture of the loaves.
I tried adding vinegar, buttermilk, cornflour and so many other ingredients, but it just never came to that perfect, moist bread. The loaf kept ending up dry and soft, but a bit dense and even crumbly at times.
So one day, I decided that I would simplify my ingredients list and that I would only use items that were easily available in my kitchen.
I even realized that I could puree bananas and use that as an egg substitute — which works perfectly for banana bread. Well, I added just bananas, oil and a few other ingredients from my pantry and the result was (finally) a moist, light, and soft eggless banana bread.
What ingredients should I use?
- Flour: I have made the bread with organic whole wheat flour, but if you want you can make the bread with all-purpose flour or half-half of both the flours. You can also use cake flour or pastry flour.
- Sugar: You can use brown sugar, organic unrefined cane sugar or granulated white sugar — all work well in this recipe.
- Oil: You can use any neutral flavored oil for this recipe. I have made this bread on various occasions with a variety of oils, including coconut oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil and even olive oil.
- Flavorings: I added cinnamon powder, nutmeg, and vanilla extract to this vegan banana bread, but both the cinnamon and nutmeg are optional.
- Sunflower Seeds: I have added sunflower seeds in the bread to make it more nutritious. However, you can easily skip adding them or add your favorite edible seeds or nuts.
How to make Banana Bread
Prep Oven and Make Banana Puree
1. First preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes. Next, while the oven is preheating, slice your ripe or overripe medium to large bananas into a mixing bowl.
Tip: I typically use about 4 medium or 2 large bananas for this recipe. In weight, the bananas (with their peels) are 300 grams or 10.5 ounces.
2. Then, add ⅓ to ½ cup sugar, depending on the sweetness of your bananas. Here I have used raw sugar, but feel free to add brown sugar, white sugar, coconut sugar, palm sugar, maple syrup or jaggery (Indian unrefined cane sugar).
With palm sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup and jaggery the flavors will be different.
3. Next, use a masher or fork to mash the bananas into a smooth consistency. If you prefer, you could also puree the bananas with sugar in a blender.
Tip: There should be no chunks left in the puree. However, fine threads of bananas in the mixture are fine. Additionally, you can use a blender to mash the bananas if needed.
5. Add ½ cup of oil to the mashed banana mixture. Use a neutral flavored oil, so that the after taste of oil is not felt in the bread. I prefer to use sunflower oil.
On various occasions I have also used coconut oil. But with coconut oil, on refrigeration the texture becomes dense as the coconut oil solidifies. So keep a note of this.
6. Now, stir briskly for about 2 to 3 minutes with a wired whisk or a spatula so that the oil mixes evenly with the banana puree.
7. Finally, stir in the following flavorings to your oil and banana puree:
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder (ground cinnamon)
- 2 to 3 pinches or ⅛ teaspoon of grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla powder or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Tip: That being said, both the cinnamon powder and nutmeg powder are optional.
8. Next, combine the flavoring spices and vanilla with the banana oil mixture. Stir and mix well!
Make Banana Bread Batter
9. Sieve 1.5 cups whole wheat flour (about 180 grams), ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1.5 teaspoon baking powder and a pinch of salt directly in the bowl.
10. Make sure the sieved dry mixture sits evenly on top of the wet mixture (pictured below).
11. After that, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients — don’t mix!
Tip: This folding step is most important — you want the whole bread mixture to be combined into one and mixed evenly, but you also want to avoid stirring because that will deflate the batter.
12. The folded batter should be fully combined but not flat (pictured below) and will have a thick consistency.
Note 1: Ensure that you do not overwork the batter as this will cause gluten strands to form in the batter which result in a doughy texture after baking. The batter should have volume and not look flat or stringy.
Note 2: If in case the batter looks very thick or dry then add about ¼ to ⅓ cup of water or preferred nut milk. Depending on the type of wheat flour, sometimes more liquids will be needed to get the right consistency.
13. This step is optional, but I always like the extra flavors nuts, seeds, or other ingredients add to vegan banana bread.
For this recipe, I included about 2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds, but you can also add chopped walnuts, chocolate chips or any dry fruit or nuts of your choice like I have done in the video.
14. Fold the batter gently once again until the sunflower seeds are fully incorporated.
Bake Eggless Banana Bread
15. Pour the batter into a greased or lined loaf pan (8 x 4 x 2.5 inches) or a round cake pan (8 x 2 inches). Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean.
Tip: The temperature varies from oven to oven, so keep a close eye on your banana bread. Be careful NOT to open the oven until the bread is ¾ done.
When in doubt, use a skewer or toothpick — the benchmark is that a bamboo skewer inserted in the bread should come out clean with no wet or sticky batter clinging on it.
16. Place the loaf pan on a wired rack for the bread to cool. When the bread cools down, then remove the loaf from the pan.
17. Slice and serve your Eggless Banana Bread as is with tea or coffee or as a sweet snack.
The remaining loaf, you can wrap in a cling film or keep in an air-tight box in the fridge for about more than a week. Warm the bread before serving.
Expert Tips
- Warm before serving: If coconut oil is added to the bread, it solidifies when refrigerated, hence the bread also becomes dense when you refrigerate it. So before serving just warm up the bread, and it will have its natural texture back.
- Adjust sweetness: Sweetness of the bread can be adjusted as per your preferences.
- Keep it simple: You can skip adding sunflower seeds.
- Flour options: I have made the banana bread with whole wheat flour, but if you want you can make it with all purpose flour or half-half of both the flours.
- Bake time: The timing varies from oven to oven. Depending on the temperature in your oven and the size of your pan, the bread might take less or more time than what I have listed in this recipe.
FAQs
I have not added any other ingredient besides the usual bread ingredients in this vegan banana bread. I had flax meal but still I wanted to make a bread without flax seed meal as many of us do not have these readily available in their kitchens.
Your banana bread can last 1 to 2 days after baking if properly stored. Simply wrap your loaf in plastic wrap and leave it on the counter. In the fridge it will last for more than a week.
Whisking disturbs the combined ingredients and causes the dough to lose air that helps it to rise. When using the folding method instead, you preserve more of the volume and will have a fuller banana bread.
Banana bread is the perfect recipe to use when your bananas are past eating raw. I generally use overripe bananas — it’s better to mash and make a delicious loaf of banana bread than waste bananas that are too brown to eat!
Banana bread comes under the category of sweet breads. Unlike a banana cake that is more sweeter with a light and soft crumb, a banana bread is less sweeter with a slightly denser crumb.
More Sweet Breads To Try!
Bread Recipes
Bread Recipes
Bread Recipes
Bread Recipes
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Eggless Banana Bread Recipe (+ Vegan & Whole Wheat)
Ingredients
For making banana puree
- 4 bananas ripe or overripe, medium sized – 300 grams (with peels)
- ½ cup raw sugar or brown sugar or granulated white sugar
- ½ cup sunflower oil or coconut oil or any neutral flavored oil
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder (ground cinnamon) – optional
- 2 to 3 pinches grated nutmeg or ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg powder – optional
- ½ teaspoon vanilla powder or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Other Ingredients
- 1.5 cups whole wheat flour – 180 grams
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt – optional
- 1 to 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds – optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes.
- Grease a bread loaf tin or a rectangular cake pan with oil. You can use the rectangular cake pan of size ( 7.5 x 4 x 2.5 inches) or round cake pan (7.5 x 2 inches).
Making Banana Puree
- Take sliced bananas and sugar in a mixing bowl.
- Mash the bananas well with a vegetable masher or puree them with a hand blender or a regular blender.
- Now add the oil, vanilla, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder to the banana. Mix thoroughly with a wired whisk or spatula so that the oil is mixed evenly with the banana puree.
- Sieve the whole wheat flour with baking soda, baking powder, salt directly in the bowl containing the mashed bananas.
- Now fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Do not mix. Do this cut and folding technique properly, so that all the ingredients are mixed evenly.
- This folding step is important as you want the whole bread mixture to be one and mixed evenly.
- Keep in mind not to overwork the batter as this will result in gluten strands being formed in the batter, that will make for a doughy texture in the bread. The batter should have volume and not look flat or stringy.
- If the batter looks very thick or dry then add about ¼ to ⅓ cup of water or preferred nut milk and gently fold again.
- Lastly add the sunflower seeds and fold once again.
- Pour the bread mixture into the loaf pan.
Baking Banana Bread
- Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 to 40 minutes or till a toothpick or a bambook skewer inserted in the bread comes out clean.
- The timing varies from oven to oven. Depending on the temperature in your oven and the size of your pan, the bread might take less or more time than mentioned here.
- So take your call and keep an eye on the bread. However don't open the oven untill the bread is ¾ done.
- The benchmark is that a tooth pick inserted in the bread should come out clean.
- Place the loaf pan on a wired rack for it to cool. When the bread cools down, gently remove the banana bread from the pan.
- Slice and serve banana bread.
- The remaining banana loaf, you can wrap in a cling film or keep in a box in the fridge. You can choose to warm the banana bread before serving.
Video
Notes
- If coconut oil is added to the bread, it solidifies when refrigerated, hence the bread also becomes dense when you refrigerate it. So before serving just warm up the bread and the bread will have its natural texture back.
- Sweetness of the bread can be adjusted as per your preferences.
- You can skip adding sunflower seeds. You can also choose to add nuts or edible seeds or dry fruits of your choice. Walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, pistachios, raisins, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds are some good options.
- I have made the banana bread with whole wheat flour, but if you want you can make it with all purpose flour or half-half of both the flours.
- Note that the approximate nutrition info is for 1 slice of banana bread made with sunflower oil and raw sugar.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Eggless Banana Bread post from the archives was first published on October 2012. It has been updated and republished on November 2022.
Hi
Dassana, I tried your cake recipes many times. Problem I found while baking was I am unable to make neat slices ,while baking top gets dried. My finishing was not good as shown in the picture. I am baking using convention mode.kindly clear my doughts
janaki, in convection oven, baking is quick and fast. so either you can reduce the temperature or time of baking. so for baking banana bread you can use a temperature of 170 degrees celsius and make for about 30 to 40 minutes. OR you can bake at 180 degrees celsius and reduce the time. so check after 20 to 25 minutes if the cake has baked or not.
secondly do not overdo the folding part. the batter has to be folded with light pressure from the hands and just folded enough so that everything is mixed well. keep the pan in the center of the oven and use both the top and bottom heating elements of the oven while baking.
Can I use maple syrup instead of sugar?
yes maple syrup can be used instead of sugar.
Hi Dassana, Thank you for this recipe. I wanted to clarify if the same temperature should be fine if I’m using a microwave and what mode should I bake it on: convection? Thank you so much.
welcome aparajita. for a microwave convection oven, you can use 170 degrees celsius. 180 degrees will also be fine. but sometimes convection ovens bake faster and the thus the top crust becomes too golden. so either you can reduce the temperature or reduce the time. also just use the convection mode only for baking. do not use any combination modes.
Hi Dassana,
Thank you for sharing, but was there an older version of this recipe, with eggs? I seem to remember trying the older version and it was very good. Is it possible to get this recipe back? Thank you. : )
hi sarah, i can send you the recipe on your email id. let me know.
Yes, please do send me the recipe! I have a few friends from India visiting for dinner on Tuesday night, so I would like to make this for them here in Canada. I will let them know about your blog. : )
Thank you!
sure sarah. i will send you the recipe. welcome and thanks.
Thanks a lot for this recipe. Turned out very delicious. I sprinkled a mix of seeds on the top just for added crunch.
welcome tara. thanks for the feedback and rating on banana cake recipe. yes both seeds and nuts can be sprinkled on top.
My favorite recipe and so easy! Sometimes I add ground flax and chia for extra nutrition and I typically omit the seeds and use walnuts. Sometimes I add a bit of sugar and cinnamon to the top and it gets crusty and extra delicious!
thanks becky for sharing all the variations you make in the eggless banana bread. it will help the readers too. also thanks for reviewing the recipe.
HI. I was wondering if we can use honey instead of sugar in this recipe?
avoid adding honey as it becomes toxic when heated. instead of honey you can add jaggery (gud), coconut sugar or palm sugar or palm jaggery.
The best ever banana bread recipe. Tried and tested a gazillion times. Made so many variations using this as a base recipe! I have made the vegan version too for a friend and she said it’s the best banana bread she has ever had in her life.
My husband buys bananas and wait for them to ripen and then urges me to make this recipe of banana bread. He’s that obsessed!!
Thank you For this amazing recipe <3
thats great to know neha and thanks again. your comment has definitely proved the point that this recipe is one of the best banana bread recipe on the web. even i make this banana bread or banana cake when i have over ripened bananas. its a favorite with the family too.
thank you very much to share your eggless recipes
welcome goyens
Hi dassana…can i steam these cakes as i.dont have an oven
Wat is the proper way to steam cook this.
Thanks
Nisha
Welcome Nisha. I never tried the steaming method for making this banana bread. So I don’t know how the recipe will work if you steam the bread.
Delicious banana bread and so easy to make ! I used rapeseed oil, added walnuts and a couple of teaspoons of cacoa, used 2 more teaspoons of baking powder instead of baking soda and sprinkled some granulated brown sugar on top before baking. Yum yum yum ! Thanks for a great recipe !
thank laine for this feedback. glad to know that the banana bread recipe worked well for you with the variations done.
Thanks so much. The recipe is excellent. I baked it today , using frozen bananas and added a little milk to the mixture to get the correct consistency. Excellent recipe. Thanks once again
Welcome Sidhika. Nice to know this. Thanks for sharing positive feedback on banana bread recipe.
I love your banana bread recipe, I just wanted to know if you could substitute coconut flour for the wheat flour?
with coconut flour some experimentation is required. a few readers have used coconut flour, but i have never tried with coconut flour. you will need to add some coconut milk or water to get a batter consistency as coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquids.
Hello!!! I made this recipe yesterday and it was AMAZING!!!!!! I used 1cup spelt flour and 1/2 cup almond flour and it was so amazing! I also took out the sugar and put 3 tbsp maple syrup and another 3 of honey. I’m keeping this recipe forever! Thank you very much!!!!
Welcome Katerina. Glad to know this. Thanks for sharing your positive feedback on banana bread recipe.
Hello! Was so glad to come across your vegan version of banana bread. I’ve been making traditional banana bread for years – with eggs and butter. Now my children are vegan and I thought I’d never be able to bake all the things that they enjoyed before – so I’m definitely going to give this a try! I think you mentioned that one could use a combination of all-purpose and wholewheat – so that’s good – I do find that wholewheat can sometimes get quite dense. I usually blend brown and granulated sugar – would this still work in your recipe? And can I use vegan margarine and some vegetable oil instead of coconut oil?
Many thanks!
thanks tia. do try the recipe. you can use a combination of whole wheat and all purpose flour. even i use it at times for some cakes and breads. of course both brown and granulated sugar will work in my recipe. you can use use vegan margarine.