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My vegan gluten free banana bread recipe yields the most sweet, moist, and fluffy loaf! It’s made in one bowl, uses simple ingredients, and tastes like ANY good banana bread out there.
Want more vegan and gluten-free desserts? Try my vegan gluten free cupcakes, vegan blondies, and vegan cookie dough next.
Sometimes, I’m craving banana bread but just ran out of flour or eggs. Other times, I need an allergy-friendly recipe to share with friends or my sister (who has celiac’s disease). Either way, it’s good to have a few secret recipes in my arsenal.
My vegan AND gluten-free banana bread recipe is just as light, fluffy, and sweet as classic banana bread, just made with diet-friendly ingredients. It’s also comes in a clutch whenever I have to bring something to a gathering or coffee date and there are a few dietary restrictions within the mix.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Made in one bowl. So clean-up can be kept to a minimum.
- The perfect texture. Golden and firm on the outside, yet tender and soft on the inside, this banana bread recipe ticks all the boxes. Trust me, no one will know it’s GF and vegan.
- No quirky ingredients. No flax eggs or complicated egg replacements are needed. If you bake often, I’m willing to bet you have everything you’ll need already!
Ingredients needed
- Bananas. Mashed, overripe bananas are best, as they will yield a sweeter loaf.
- Vegan butter. Gives the banana bread a rich, buttery texture without needing oil. I’ve tested a bunch of vegan butter, and the Miyokos brand is my favorite (I found it at Whole Foods and Target). It bakes and tastes like real butter.
- Vanilla extract. A must for delicious baked goods!
- Milk. I prefer unsweetened almond milk, but soy milk or any dairy-free milk will work.
- Apple cider vinegar. Helps the bread rise without eggs.
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour. Don’t bother buying fancy gluten-free flour blends. Look for a short ingredient list that includes xanthan gum (or add ½ teaspoon to it).
- Sugar. I’ve tried this recipe with white sugar, brown sugar, coconut palm sugar, and sugar-free sweeteners, and they all turned out great, so use whichever you prefer.
- Baking soda. Helps the bread rise.
- Salt. Brings out the natural sweetness.
How to make vegan gluten free banana bread
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Step 2- Combine ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, sugar, butter, and vanilla. Once smooth, add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
Step 3- Bake. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 4- Cool. Allow bread to cool in the pan completely before slicing.
What if I’m all out of ripe bananas?
If you only have unripened bananas, I have a hack that’ll soften them up in no time! Simply preheat the oven to 300F and place the unripened bananas (still in their peels) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15-20 minutes and peel once they’ve cooled.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Make it oil-free. Swap the melted vegan butter for applesauce, or if not strictly vegan, use regular butter.
- Avoid over-baking. The banana bread will continue to cook as it cools. As soon as a toothpick comes out clean, the bread is ready!
- Let the bread cool completely. If you try to slice it before it’s fully cooled, you’ll notice the bread is gummy and won’t hold its shape well.
- Add mix-ins. Elevate the texture and flavor of the banana bread by folding in chocolate chips, chopped pecans, nut butter, or a heavy dash of cinnamon.
Storage instructions
To store: If you intend to enjoy your banana bread within 2 days, it can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container. If you want to keep it fresher longer, keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze: Wrap the leftover slices in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 6 months. Let the bread thaw overnight in the fridge.
Frequently asked questions
I haven’t tested this recipe with other types of flour, so I can’t vouch for their quality. If you want to use other types of flour, try my almond flour banana bread or oat flour banana bread instead!
More banana bread recipes to try
Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups bananas mashed, approximately 4
- 1/2 cup vegan butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk any dairy free milk will work
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups gluten free flour Gluten free all purpose flour with xanthan gum added in
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the mashed bananas, sugar, softened butter, and vanilla and whisk until combined and smooth. Add the milk, apple cider vinegar, salt, and gluten free flour and mix until combined.
- Pour the mixture into the lined loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out the center clean.
- Allow banana bread to cool in the pan completely, before slicing up.
The taste and texture are perfect. And to my surprise, and delight, it raised as high as a typical banana bread. I added 1/4 c dairy-free chocolate chips and half cup chopped walnuts. Thank you for this yummy recipe!
Finally a gluten free banana bread that is moist ! No dairy and no eggs too yay my tummy is so happy!! I added a tad bit of cinnamon in it and vegan Choc chip ! So darn delicious!!! Thank you so much !!!
How’s everyone store their banana bread to avoid it to dry out or get moldy too fast? I’m always in the constant battle of put it in a Tupperware or leave it in the baking pan with a tea towel on top, please someone solve this mystery for me haha!
Amazing recipe! Thank you so much! The bread is delicious and moist! However it doesn’t rise so much for me.. should it be only 225 gr of mashed bananas for one portion? Because the recipe says approximately 4 bananas which is around 400 gr. Could it be that the bread didn’t rise enough because I had more grams of bananas? It was still delicious but flat.. should I increase the baking soda next time? what would you recommend? Also, can I bake it using the fan ? Should the temperature be different in that case? Thank you in advance for the advice!
Hi Eva- If you open the oven door too much throughout the baking process, it can deflate. Everything else, I haven’t tried so feel free to experiment and see
My kids and friends ask me to make this all the time. Friends don’t even know it’s Gluten and Dairy free!!
Love this so much!!
This was the best vegan banana bread recipe I’ve ever made.
The BEST vegan banana bread recipe I’ve ever made.
I’ve made this recipe a few times and it never fails to delight. It’s simple to make; I do it differently each time by adding currants, dates, flax meal and /or hulled hemp seed to boost nutrition and taste.
I recommend it very highly – no chance of it disappointing!
The best vegan gf banana bread.
Forgot to rate.
The BEST banana bread recipe! I initially made it for my son and added blueberries. It’s better than the non-vegan banana bread I’ve been making for years. I’ve now made with raspberries and with chocolate chips and amazing every time. Thank you!
This is the best vegan and gluten free banana bread that I’ve tried and I’ve tried a few that have been fails. Thank you for sharing this!
It is very moist, even stays moist if you over bake it, as I did. Keeping this reciepe.
Can I make muffins with this recipe and if so, how long should they bake for.
Yes 12-15 minutes or as needed.
Thank you!
Great recipe! Best egg free banana bread I’ve ever tried!
Thank you, Jennifer!
Wow! I just made this and I’m eating it right now 100/10, definitely keeping recipes 😋
I make this recipe regularly. I use gluten free baking flour and vegan butter. It’s perfect! Everyone loves this recipe. It is hard to not eat the entire loaf in one sitting!
I will be making this today, vegan and gluten-free. For those of you that had a dense loaf and used gluten-free flour, you must weigh the flour, not eyeball the amount in a measuring cup. It is very different than using regular flour, it is sort of like a science experiment. The recipe looks amazing and I will be adding vegan chocolate chips and some cinnamon sugar streusel to it. I am sure it will be yummy!
I just baked the banana bread it came out perfect, really good, you can not tell is gluten free and vegan!!only thing I add was a couple of grated carrots 👌🏻Thank you for the recipe, I’d try a few before no one was good enough.
Ha ha it’s funny to read all this comments of people complaining about the results but they completely changed the recipe 🤷🏻♀️If you have your own version why to bother in looking for recipes, anyway I just have to let it out,
I’ll try your banana bread for my daughter that is vegan, thank you!
This was super yummy! I used applesauce instead of the vegan butter and it came out wonderfully.
Absolutely delicious and flop proof! I make it weekly as a tea-time treat.
Thank you!
Very excited to try this! Can I bake it with olive oil instead?
Heather you say you followed Lisas subs. Did she/you use half the sugar? I could quite understand what she said
I followed Lisa’s substitutions and can honestly say this is the BEST gf/df banana bread recipe! Even my doubting husband loves it! Thank you for the recipe!!
This recipe is just the best. So delicious,spongey and moist. You would never guess it was vegan or gluten free. I like to add a quarter of a tsp of cardamon powder and a quarter of a tsp of cinnamon powder. Everyone who has tasted it asks me for the recipe
Best banana bread ever!
Absolutely beautiful banana bread. Thanks so much for this recipe! Amazing spread with vegan butter and crumbled walnuts.
I followed the recipe to the tee. It can out so good! Kiddos and husband loved it. Thank you Arman!
You are so welcome! 🙂
Made this the other day cause I forgot to get groceries and needed a quick birthday cake. Everyone, including me, loved it! And I basically always have all the ingredients on hand. Will definitely make this one more often
Thanks, Isa!
Yum!!!!! Easy, quick, delicious. I know it says to wait until cooled, but I simply could not wait! I cut off a chunk and plopped on a dollop of vegan butter. I’m assuming this can be toasted too right? Thanks so much:)
LOVE 🙂 Yes definitely toast it 🙂
This recipe is delicious! I followed the recipe to a tee. I did get concerned when my vegan butter (miyokos) became a bit pebbled but it didn’t matter. The final product was light, fluffy, and delicious. This will be my new go to recipe! Thank you!
I just made this last night and my family and I were shocked by the results. LOVED IT! Absolutely delicious and it’s indecipherably vegan & gluten-free.
Thank you so much for the feedback!
thoughts on using baking powder instead of baking soda
Haven’t tried!
This is the best banana bread I have ever made. Gluten free, dairy free and egg free, amazing texture and taste. I find baking without eggs a real challenge, so thank you for this recipe👏👏👏
That is what I like to hear 🙂
i just love this site, how can i make the Banana bread KETO ?
No idea, I’ve only tried it as written.
Sorry forgot to rate it!
Aw thank you 🙂
Thank you for this recipe!!
The only changes I made were: 2T vegan butter + 2T applesauce,
1/2 c sugar, and added some chopped walnuts.
So so good and easy, mixed it in 1 bowl with a fork!!
Thank you, Lisa!
I made this recipe with the double chocolate variation and it is delicious! Reading through the reviews I’d like to put a few comments in for disappointed bakers. All purpose gluten free flour comes as a blend therefore not one single flour can be used to substitute. For instance, coconut flour highly absorbs liquid so recipes that have it usually require small amounts or greatly increase the liquid; dry batter would then make sense. Almond flour will probably give it a little bit of a grainy texture and will be quite dense. Flour blends include some form of starch (potato or tapioca) which helps it not be so heavy. Also coconut sugar, especially dark coconut sugar, definitely will darken recipes when replacing for regular sugar as well as slightly alter the taste. I agree with Courtney that gluten free baking certainly takes some learning and I have had many trial and errs before coming to these conclusions! Enjoy!
Thank you for sharing your insight, Jordan- Appreciate it 🙂
Delicious! Loved it. I did cream the butter (grass-fed) and sugar (white) together with a hand-held mixer before adding the rest of the ingredients. I used an all-purpose gluten free blend flour and oatmilk and it came out amazing. It was moist on the inside and had the perfect crunchy-crust on the top. I will definitely be making this one again. Thank you!!
So delicious! 😋 I made this with my own oat flour. I simply ground 2 cups of gluten free rolled oats in my Ninja. It definitely needs the 70 minutes baking time. I enjoyed it with Country Crock vegan butter and an ice cold glass of almond milk. 🤤 So yummy!
I just made this, and it is very moist! I used a mix of unbleached all purpose flour and white whole wheat flour, as well as organic sugar and vegan butter. I would suggest maybe using an electric beater (if you have one) to blend the sugar/butter mixture, as with a whisk the butter just remains lumpy and I was not able to get a smooth mixture as the recipe states. I was surprised that it came out so well considering this. I had to bake it for 75 minutes. My loaf is much darker than in the picture, but not burnt. It tastes delicious! I would suggest to those in the comments above trying to sub a gluten free flour…maybe you are not used to baking gluten free, but there are gluten-free all purpose flour blends that work well. Since gluten is a binder, if it is missing from a recipe the bread tends to fall apart/crumble. You can also try adding xanthan gum to your own gluten-free flour (search online for amounts/ratios). I learned all of this the hard way years ago when I was experimenting with gluten-free baking! Happy vegan baking everyone!
Thanks for all the feedback, Courtney x
Hi I make this recipe for the banana bread I used Almond flour since I have a food intolerance with gluten, whear, grains I cant use all purpose flour or oat flour I followed all the steps and ingredients and use country crock dairyfree, veganfree, gluenfree butter I use 1/2 cup = 1 stick and 1 cup of Coconut sugar and it did not come out like the your in the picture it didnt seem like it cooked all the way through and it was real wet dark brown
Hi Sherri, this recipe calls for all-purpose flour, not almond flour. You can’t replace the flour with almond flour for it, so I’m not surprised it doesn’t look like the recipe.
I followed the recipe too but came out very dense on the button half. Any suggestions on how I can improve this? Am a beginner baker.
Hi Victoria, did you change any ingredients?
I followed this to a tee and it was pretty bland and dry. It also looked completely different than the picture, i did use dark coconut sugar so i assume thats why it looks different. Does coconut sugar typically alter the taste much from other sugars? what would be the best sugar option for this?
Not sure why it came out dry, Avery- It’s been made by hundreds who have all said it is super moist, if anything.
I’m unfamiliar with dark coconut sugar, but if that it is what you’ve used, I can only imagine that is why it doesn’t look the same and perhaps even dried it out.
I recommend white or brown sugar.
I substituted the flour for coconut flour.
Okay, well this recipe doesn’t call for it and it cannot be used as a substitute for the flours listed. 🙂
What should the batter/cake mix look like at the end? Mine is very dry with only one cup of coconut flour, but maybe this is correct?
There’s no coconut flour in this recipe…
Instead of vegan butter can I use regular or Irish butter?
Absolutely 🙂
So delicious! 😋 I made this with my own oat flour. I simply ground 2 cups of gluten free rolled oats in my Ninja. It definitely needs the 70 minutes baking time. I enjoyed it with Country Crock vegan butter and an ice cold glass of almond milk. 🤤 So yummy!