The Best Healthy Banana Bread (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
This is the best vegan and gluten-free banana bread you’ll ever eat! Made with oat flour and naturally sweetened with coconut sugar, this healthy banana bread is perfectly soft, tender, moist, and so delicious!
Banana bread is one of my favorite things to bake (and eat), so this recipe has been a long time coming (along with my healthy banana muffins and banana bars).
I’ve been testing this banana bread recipe for the past year. I was determined to make a healthy banana bread that’s vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar free. Well, last week I finally perfected it, so here it is! All those failed attempts were worth it because this truly is the best banana bread recipe.
A lot of vegan and gluten-free breads can turn out flat, dense, and gummy. I ran into that a lot when recipe testing. But not this recipe! I’m sure you can imagine my excitement when I cut into it for the first time.
Featured Comment
I have made this recipe twice now and everyone who’s tried it keeps begging me to make it again. Best banana bread recipe ever!!
— Emily
It comes out perfectly moist and fluffy with a light crumb and it’s full of that delicious banana flavor which is complimented by the warm spices and hint of caramel from the coconut sugar.
The crust gets golden with a slight crunch and the inside has the softest crumb texture – like a pillow! And of course, the rich pockets of melty chocolate chips and crunchy walnuts are the cherry on top.
Why You’ll Love This Banana Bread
There’s a reason why this healthy banana bread recipe has gone viral several times!
- Made with simple healthy ingredients that are dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free
- Comes together in one bowl – easy to make, easy to clean!
- Tastes even better than traditional banana bread! Your friends and family won’t be able to tell the difference.
- Jazz it up with walnuts, chocolate chips, etc. The possibilities are endless!
My friends who are non-vegan and non-gluten-free can’t even tell the difference. A lot of them actually prefer this healthier version to traditional banana bread!
Ingredients Needed to Make Banana Bread
This healthy banana bread recipe comes together with a few pantry staples you probably already have in your kitchen.
- Bananas: What’s banana bread without bananas? The riper your bananas are, the better. The bananas act as the egg replacement and help bind the bread together.
- Oat Flour: This recipe uses nutrient-dense oat flour instead of regular flour. While I sometimes make my own oat flour, I recommend using store-bought oat flour for this recipe for a light and tender crumb. If you have a serious gluten allergy, be sure to use certified gluten free oats.
- Coconut Sugar: This natural sweetener adds some extra sweetness and caramel flavor and it pairs sooo well with the bananas.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Reacts with the leavening agents to give the bread height and fluffiness.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: It can be tricky to get vegan and gluten-free breads to rise, so we have to use a bit more leavening agent to get that nice, fluffy rise!
- Vanilla Extract: A banana bread essential.
- Non-Dairy Milk: Any dairy-free milk will work (soy, almond, oat).
- Coconut Oil: Makes the banana bread extra moist and tender. Make sure to use refined coconut oil since it doesn’t have any flavor.
- Spices: A cozy combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Vegan Chocolate Chips: I always stir in a big handful of chocolate chips to the batter, plus a little more on top.
- Walnuts: I like to add chopped walnuts on top for some crunch and added flavor.
Scroll down to the recipe card to get the full recipe with measurements!
How To Make The Best Banana Bread
This banana bread recipe comes together in just a few easy steps.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Mix the ingredients: Whisk together the wet ingredients, then stir in the dry ingredients.
- Bake: Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and top with chopped walnuts and vegan chocolate chips. Bake for 60-65 minutes.
- Let cool: Remove the bread from the oven and let it set in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Finally, slice and dig in!
Megan’s Tips
- Use ripe bananas. This is key to getting that sweet flavor! The darker, older, and mushier the bananas, the better.
- Let it cool completely. I know it’s tempting to dig in once you pull it out of the oven, but patience is key. If you cut into it before it’s cooled, it can be gummy and sticky. Banana bread retains heat after it’s pulled out of the oven, so cutting it while it’s still warm can cause a gummy interior.
Serving Suggestions
What’s better than a warm slice of banana bread? I like to enjoy it plain (totally delicious), but it also tastes great topped with some vegan butter or a drizzle of nut butter. Or make it a full breakfast and serve it with my vegan tofu scramble or my pumpkin spice chai latte for a cozy treat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute the oat flour?
I wouldn’t recommend substituting the oat flour in this banana bread recipe. Oat flour has a very unique texture, giving the bread a fluffy, light crumb and sturdy texture.
Why do I need to use spotty/brown bananas?
This is key to getting that sweet and flavorful taste! The darker, older, and mushier the banana, the better. Ripe bananas are extra sweet and add the perfect amount of moisture to this healthy banana bread.
Can I freeze this banana bread?
Of course. Once your banana bread completely cooled, slice and freeze in an airtight bag. Then, let it thaw overnight on the counter.
How can I make my own oat flour?
It’s really easy! Just add oats (rolled oats or quick oats) to a blender or food processor and blend until a fine flour forms. However, I do recommend using store-bought oat flour in this banana bread since it’s professionally milled and gives the bread that light and tender crumb we’re after.
I hope you love this healthy banana bread! It’s the most popular recipe on my website for a reason. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
got more bananas? Make These Recipes Next!
Find all of my banana recipes here and more vegan breakfasts here.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ★★★★★ star rating below. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations!
The Best Healthy Banana Bread (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas, = 1 ½ cups mashed banana
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Dry ingredients
- 2 cups oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup vegan chocolate chips, plus more for topping
- ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, coconut sugar, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar until combined.
- Mix in the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vegan chocolate chips until just combined.
- Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and top with more vegan chocolate chips and chopped walnuts (if desired).
- Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it sit in the pan for 15 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (tempting, but this is very important!). Once cool, slice and serve!
Can you use regular flour instead of oat flour?
I haven’t tried substituting the oat flour for all-purpose flour, but it’s usually not a one-to-one swap since oat flour has a unique texture and gives the bread a fluffy, light crumb and sturdy texture. If you have oats on hand, you can easily make your own oat flour by blending them for about 20-30 seconds until they turn into a fine flour. Let me know if you give it a try 🙂
I’ve been trying to find a healthy but delicious recipe, and I found it!!! I actually subbed some of the coconut oil for aquafaba to make it a little healthier, and it came out amazing!! Not as moist as yours of course, but the recipe was so moist in general that it still came out just wonderful!! Thank you!!!!
I’m soo happy you loved this healthy banana bread, Vickie! Thanks so much for sharing your review 💛 and I’m glad to hear it worked with the aquafaba!
Hi! I can’t wait to try this recipe tonight. Could you please share me the metric measurements please?
Will do!
Omg this banana bread is next level!! Super moist and rich with flavor my pickiest eaters at home absolutely loved it!
Aww I’m so happy to hear the banana bread was a hit 🙂 thanks for sharing, Cindy!
Very excited to try this recipe- Could you share the metric measurements with me as well? thank you very much!
Sent 🙂
Hi I just want to comment again cos I forgot to tell that I made some little changes noting too much but I have changed the coconut oil for olive oil and sugar and maple I used just a little bit my bananas are always very ripe and sweet enough. I love the crunch of nuts so I put a bit more than the recipe and different types, but like I said this recipe is my number one my most loved recipe ever. <3
I’m glad to hear it worked with those little changes – thank you for sharing! Happy baking 🥰
This banana bread is my favourite recipe ever I’m telling you since I found this recipe I’ve been baking two banana bread every single weekend and I even gave one as a present, my husband is obsessed with it every single person that have a slice is in love. I can say it properly it’s the most amazing banana bread in the world. Thanks a lot you nailed this recipe 😀
This absolutely made my day! Thank you for sharing Daniela 🙂 sooo happy you love this banana bread recipe!
This is excellent. Great way to use up some overripe bananas. Loved the ooey gooey banana and chocolate together. That with the cinnamon and nutmeg warming up the flavors it’s a loaf you won’t want to share. 🤪
“Wait until completely cool” yah right. 😂
So happy you loved this banana bread, Lynne! I know I know… it’s so tempting isn’t it? 😂
This is actually the best banana bread I’ve ever made. It’s so perfect, so delicious!!!
That makes me sooo happy to hear 🙂 thank you for sharing, so glad you loved it Charlize!
Really looking forward to making this. Would you be so kind as to share metric measurements with me, please? Thanks in advance!
Sent 🙂
Hii very excited to try this recipe- pls can you share the metric measurements with me as well! thanks
Will do!
This truly is the BEST banana bread recipe – healthy or not! But I do love that it’s made with wholesome ingredients…can’t get enough…yummmm!
So happy to hear this 🙂
Can you substitute almond flour for oat flour?
Hi Angie, I wouldn’t recommend substituting the almond flour for oat flour since oat flour absorbs more liquid and gives the bread a fluffy, light crumb and sturdy texture, while almond flour is much denser. Someone else already tried it and they said “although it was absolutely delicious & maybe the best tasting I’ve ever had, it was overly moist & didn’t completely set”. You might be able to swap for a gf all purpose flour, but I haven’t tried it. Either way, let me know if you give it a try 🙂
I needed a healthy snack recipe for my brother’s school assignment and found this one! I had to swap the oat flour for coconut flour since it was the only flour I had — I used ¼ cup coconut flour for every 1 cup oat flour because it absorbs more. It turned out amazing! He loved it, and he’s a picky eater 😅 Loved how fast and easy this recipe was. Thank youu!!
Awe amazing, I’m so happy to hear that you and your brother loved it 🙂 good to know that it worked with coconut flour too. Thanks for sharing, Brianna!