This easy banana bread is very quick to make, healthy, and — if you’re into healthy desserts — it is delicious! It has no refined sugar, and it is sweetened only with maple syrup and bananas. I like to add the optional chopped pecans on top — they get all toasty, like a simple streusel topping. Though this banana bread is delicious without the pecans too.

This is my modified version of a vegan banana bread recipe from Lazy Cat Kitchen. Yum!

Print Recipe

Banana Bread

This easy vegan banana bread is quick to mix up, has no refined sugar, can be gluten-free, and, if you like healthy-tasting desserts, it is delicious! The pecans on top get all toasty while they bake, and the taste of the bananas shines through.

Prep Time8

Cook Time22

Total Time30

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Equipment

bowl
cookie sheet or 8x8 pan
optional: potato masher
measuring cups and spoons
something to stir with

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients:

4 bananas -- ripe and freckly
6 tablespoons maple syrup -- use real maple syrup here; you can go up to 1/2 cup if you like sweeter banana bread
1/2 cup nut butter or tahini or allergy-safe substitute -- I've used all tahini, all almond butter, or a mixture, and all come out well

Dry Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour, or gluten-free flour mix -- I use 1 1/4 cups quinoa flour + 1/2 cup teff flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum -- Only add xanthan gum if you are using a gluten-free flour mix that doesn't already have it.
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder -- or 1/2 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda -- in addition to any you used in the previous step
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped pecans optional!

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Put all the wet ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher (easiest!), or use a fork to mash up the bananas and mix everything together. The goal is to completely mash the bananas, but it's okay if there are still some pieces.
Add the dry ingredients -- except for the pecans -- and stir well.
You can use either an 8x8 inch square pan or a 11x17 inch cookie sheet. If yours is not nonstick, line it with baking paper.
Pour the batter into the pan. Use a spatula to spread it out evenly.
Scatter the pecans on top. Use a clean spatula to pat-pat-pat the pecans into the batter, so that they will stay on the banana bread through cooking.
Bake in the preheated oven. For a cookie sheet, bake for 22 minutes. For an 8x8 square pan, bake for 35 minutes. You can check the internal temperature with a thermometer to test for doneness. It's done when the inside is at least 180 degrees.
Let it cool for a few minutes. Cut into pieces and serve! Yum!