In our household, we rely on bananas a lot for that healthy and quick breakfast, especially on days when the kids are rushing to get ready for school, and hubby and I for work. We constantly replenish our stock of bananas at home, but invariably end up with a few that ripen too much. My kids aren’t picky at all when it comes to fruits, but I know how they feel on seeing bananas speckled generously with brown and black spots. Not the most appetizing sight – I have to admit! I have the perfect solution – turn those overripe bananas into healthy, moist bread. And the best part, this recipe is oil-free and refined sugar-free as well.
The original recipe was given to me by my dear friend, Radhika who in many ways is my soul sister when it comes to clean, plant-based eating and holistic living. I’ve modified her original recipe to suit my taste, and now I’m sharing it with you.
This bread will stay fresh for 2 days at room temperature in a covered bowl, upto a week in the fridge and 2 months in the freezer. Simply thaw it out in the fridge overnight, and warm it up right before eating.
Tips for making the best banana bread
- Overripe bananas: The riper the banana, the sweeter the bread. So make sure you select the ones that have plenty of brown/black spots on them.
- Nut butter and applesauce: This is an oil-free recipe, but you’d never know that because the nut butter and applesauce make this bread nice and moist.
- Do not overmix the batter: I can’t stress this enough. Overmixing will prevent the bread from rising and produce a dense loaf
If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Vegan Pumpkin Bread and Vegan Zucchini Bread. Be sure to leave a comment or review too!
Vegan Banana Bread
Course: Food, BreakfastDifficulty: Easy1
Loaf15
minutes45
minutes
An oil-free, refined sugar-free and moist banana bread recipe – the only one you will ever need!
Ingredients
- Wet:
4 overripe bananas
10-12 dates
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup nut butter of choice (I used almond butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla
- Dry:
1½ cups spelt flour or whole wheat flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup flax meal (or ground flaxseed)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cups chopped raw walnuts or pecans
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk all the dry ingredients except the chocolate chips and nuts in a large bowl until well combined.
- Add all the wet ingredients to a food process and blend until well combined. Small pieces of dates will be seen in the mixture which is fine.
- Fold the wet mixture into the dry gently, until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and half of the chopped nuts into the batter. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter into the loaf pan and top with remaining nuts. Bake for 45-60 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy!
