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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 😋