The Best Vegan and Gluten-free Banana Bread
The Best Vegan and Gluten-free Banana Bread- made with a combination of oat and almond flour, this healthier banana bread is as wholesome as it is delicious!
This recipe has been a long time coming. Even though I already have a vegan and gluten-free banana bread on my site, I knew I could make a better version. Not that the old one isn’t good, I just wanted something with more of a classic texture. So over the past year, every time I had a few ripe bananas, I would test different variations of this recipe. I had to make so many little tweaks here and there that I eventually lost count of how many times I made it, BUT…it finally turned out PERFECT.
If you’ve baked vegan and gluten-free recipes that don’t involve starches then you know things often turn out dense and gummy. I find myself running into that texture all of the time. UGH. Let’s just say my goal in life is to avoid that outcome. When it finally happens I feel like screaming from the mountain tops.
What You Need To Make It and Possible Substitutions
In all seriousness, it’s very hard to get the ratios and ingredients just right in order to avoid gumminess. With that in mind it’s hard for me to recommend substitutions but I know I will get a lot of questions regarding this so I might as well address it up front…
- Ripe Bananas- The spottier the bananas, the better! You want them super ripe so that they blend easily and offer up plenty of natural sweetness. Obviously we won’t be subbing these for anything.
- Dairy-free Milk- I’ve tested it with soy milk, an almond/cashew blend with pea protein and oat milk. All of these have a decent amount of protein so I’m not sure if using plain almond or coconut milk would have a different outcome. I’ll have to try it that way and update the post accordingly.
- Apple Cider Vinegar- This is my go-to for vegan baking because it reacts with the leavening agents and creates air bubbles in the batter to allow for some lift. Very important when you’re trying to avoid a dense and gummy texture. Lemon juice or white vinegar will have a similar effect.
- Vanilla Extract- I use this solely for flavor so while it’s technically optional, I highly recommend including it.
- Melted Coconut Oil- I always have coconut oil on hand because it blends seamlessly in baked goods and provides the best moisture. However, olive oil or any other neutral flavored oil would likely work. If you wanted to make it oil-free you could try using equal amounts of runny tahini, cashew or almond butter. I haven’t tested it oil-free and my suspicion is that the result would be denser but it’s worth a try if you’re determined to make it oil-free.
- Coconut Sugar- The first several times I made this recipe I tested it with maple syrup and it consistently led to a dense texture. I found that coconut sugar lightens up the texture while still adding a subtle sweetness. That said, you can easily substitute equal amounts organic cane sugar or brown sugar. If you’d like to go the maple syrup route just keep in mind you will have to adjust the liquid (using less milk) and it will change the texture.
- Oat and Almond Flour- My go-to blend for gluten-free baking is oat and almond flour because they’re usually easy to find and work so well together. Oat flour can typically be substituted with brown rice flour but almond flour is unique in that it adds a source of fat and moisture to the recipe. Because of that I don’t recommend substituting the almond flour.
- Baking Powder and Soda- I use both to balance out the acid in the recipe, create a golden brown color and add extra lift.
Why I Like to Use a Blender
Technically you don’t need a blender to make this banana bread but it really helps incorporate air into the recipe which provides lift and reduces that dreaded dense and gummy texture. It doesn’t have to be a high speed blender. A NutriBullet would work just fine.
Also, this is my all-time favorite baking pan to use. Every loaf comes out perfect!
Possible Mix-Ins
I included dark chocolate chips in the recipe because that’s what goes over best in my house but feel free to switch things up with chopped nuts (like walnuts or pecans), raisins, or whatever you prefer!
Looking for more ways to use ripe bananas? Check out these recipes!
- Vegan Banana Oatmeal Blender Muffins
- Vegan Spinach Blender Muffins
- Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Vegan Almond Butter Banana Bread
- Flourless Vegan Banana Bread Waffles
- Flourless Double Chocolate Banana Bread
The Best Vegan and Gluten-free Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 medium bananas, (at least 1 cup when mashed) make sure they are very ripe!
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 1½ cups oat flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F then grease a standard size loaf pan.
- In the bowl of a blender, combine the bananas, milk, vinegar, coconut sugar and vanilla extract. Blend on high for 15-20 seconds until a smooth frothy liquid forms. Alternatively you can use an immersion blender or mash everything together by hand. I recommend using a blender for best results. Pour the liquid into a large bowl, add the melted coconut oil and set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make sure to whisk or sift any lumps of flour.
- To the bowl with the liquid ingredients, add the dry in 4 separate parts, stirring in between. This will assure the flour is incorporated as evenly as possible. Lastly, stir in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter to your greased loaf pan and arrange a few more chocolate chips on top. Bake in the oven for approximately 45 minutes. The bread should be firm and golden brown. Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving. I know it's tempting to eat it right away but the texture will improve as it cools.
How long should I leave baked bread to cool in the loaf pan before transferring to rack? Thanks, huge fan of your site!
Until it’s cool enough to handle! Probably 20 mins or so. :)
That’s very unusual! Did you change any of the ingredients?
WOW!!!! I will be making this often!!! Your promise for a non-gummy banana bread was right on!!!
So good!!!!!
Thank you for your persistence! You rock!!’
Delicious! Best banana bread I’ve had since going vegan three years ago! I’ve tried lots of different recipes but they have all had that gummy texture that you mentioned, but this one was fluffy and light, perfectly sweet and absolutely delicious. My new go to banana bread recipe.
This makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for the review!
Finally a vegan, healthy banana bread that’s NOT gummy! It’s actually… well, BREAD. Thank you!
I used a gf flour mix in place of oat flour since I was out and it worked great too.
I’m so glad that worked for you! Thank you for the review.
I will never make another banana bread recipe again! This banana bread is seriously so scrumptious and perfect. I even left the oil out on accident (I left it in the microwave after I melted it) and it still came out amazing. Thank you thank you thank you!
Wow! So glad to hear it was good without the oil. Thank you for the review!
Wowwww this was fantastic. I doubled the recipe and did one loaf pan without choc chips, and mini muffins with mini choc chips. When I make this again I’ll probably skip the sugar especially if I’m adding choc chips, and probably do a touch less salt. I can’t get over how good this is, I’ve been sending the recipe to all my friends!
Hi Sarah, i want to say thank you for this amazing recipe!! I just made it and it turned out great, I used blueberries instead of chocolate chips and walnuts on top and it amazing! Thank you a lot for this awesome recipe!!! I must to be gluten, egg and dairy free because health problems and this recipe is just perfect! Simple ingredients, no flour mixes, no gums. Just amazing! Thank you! God bless you!
I’ve tried to make vegan banana loaf cake multiple times. Either it was too gummy or too dry. Today I tried your recipe! I’m happy to say it turned out delicious! Usually with vegan loaf cake recipes, my cakes don’t rise as much. That’s not the case with your recipe. It did rise perfectly. I l love that it’s gluten free. Thank you so much for your delicious recipe. I’ll be making more banana loaf cake again.
This banana bread came out very good. I followed the recipe as is, except added walnuts. How long does it last? Do you store it in the fridge or on the counter? Can I freeze the rest of this? Thank you for the recipe.
I recommend storing it in the fridge as it will last longer that way. Usually up to 1 week. I haven’t tried freezing it but it should work well! Just make sure it is in a well sealed container. :)
Your last recipe for vegan gf banana bread was already my favorite! I can’t wait to try this one now! Thank you :)
Thanks Tanya! I prefer the texture of this one but the other one is a little easier to make since you don’t have to measure out flour. :)
Best I’ve had. I only used almond flour, added 3 tbsp maple syrup instead of coconut sugar, a dash of almond essence and only 3 tbsp coconut oil as I didn’t have enough. It crumbled on me out of the pan but the taste!! Absolutely amazing. What can I do better to make it hold stronger?
It’s not holding together because you used all almond flour. If you follow the recipe as written it will hold together much better, I promise! :)
This is a weekly staple in my house! I honestly make it once a week and it comes out perfectly each and every time. The texture is probably the best texture of GF bread I’ve ever had – it definitely does not taste GF or vegan for that matter. I love how easy it is to make with a blender and how versatile it is with options to add different add-ins like chocolate chips, cranberries, nuts, etc. Another big plus for me is that it makes a super breastfeeding snack and the oat flour helps with milk supply. I’ve made it so many times, I have the recipe memorized :) Thanks for sharing!
If l can’t use baking powder can l only use baking soda. And it is necessary to use chocolate chips?
I recommend following the recipe as written for best results. You could technically use just baking powder but it will change the texture. As far as forgoing the chocolate chips, you can definitely do that. The bread might not be as sweet but still delicious! :)
I can’t speak about the baking powder only, but I substituted an equal amount of chopped walnuts for the chocolate chips and it was delicious! Plenty sweet enough for me without being too sweet. I also used unsweetened applesauce in place of the oil (same amount as called for), so that may have added a touch of sweetness. Hope that helps!
Hello. Can I ommit the coconut sugar and make it sugar free?
I haven’t tested it like that so I’m not sure. Let us know if you give it a try!
Such a great tasting easy banana cake.
Thanks for sharing.
I don’t have oat flour on hand.
Can I substitute with coconut or cassava flour?
Thank you !
No unfortunately they are much more absorbent and are too different from oat flour. Brown rice flour is the only sub I would feel comfortable recommending.
Would white rice flour or sorghum flour be a good substitute for oat flour?
The absorbency tends to vary a bit from rice flour to oat flour but it will work. I believe rice flour is a bit more absorbent so the texture might be drier. I haven’t baked with sorghum flour before so I’m not sure about that one!
So good! Has great texture and of course wonderful healthy ingredients, so that’s a win!
I didn’t use ripe enough bananas like the recipe said so the banana flavour didn’t come through as much as I’d like, may even add more to the recipe next time!☺️
This was literally the best banana bread I’ve ever made! The texture is fluffier than any other baked good I’ve attempted while still being moist. I’m obsessed!! ( I also used Swerve brown sugar replacement as a 1:1 replacement of coconut sugar to cut down slightly more on the carbs and it still worked great!!)
Wow. This banana bread is awesome. My non-vegan/GF friends love it. I get to enjoy bread like I did before I was gluten free. The texture really is astounding. Thank you!
We CAN’T have ANY NUTS due to ALLERGY,
What can I substitute the almond flour with please?
I’m sorry but the almond flour is key to the recipe. I explain why in the body of the post.
We are also allergic to nuts so I just made this by replacing the almond flour with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF Flour and baked for an additional 10 minutes. Worked like a charm. Still fluffy, moist, and held together without being gummy.
That’s so good to know! Thank you!
This is THE best vegan gf bread, hands down!! Thank you for this recipe!!
This is the best flavored banana bread I have made … so I used organic brown sugar I didn’t have coconut palm I am sure it’s a tad less sweet with the palm sugar . I had 3 very ripped bananas so I slightly 1dded more bananas maybe 1/3 of a cup more si I had to add some oat not flour just a few more rolled oats . I made 3 small loaves it took longer to bake but this is because I added more liquid . This banana bread is so tasty and yummy so good and healthy …great recipe thanks !
This was the recipe i have been searching for so long now.It was perfect absolutely awesomeness!though i use raisons and walnut.thank you
WOW!! I’m so glad I found this recipe! It really is heaven sent ❤️ 100% will be sticking to this recipe from now on!
Would this work with Bobs Red Mill 1-for-1 GF flour mix? Also, what do you think about baking in paper loaf pans vs. metal?
You could probably replace the oat flour with the GF mix but the almond flour cannot be substituted. A paper loaf pan should be fine!
My daughter and I tried baking for the first time and since she loves Banana Bread we decided to go try your recipe since I can’t gluten nor dairy. It was so good! She kept on saying it’s better than her favorite from Starbucks. Definitely making these again. Thank you!
This is awesome bread I won’t have to look for another recipe ! The only changed I made is no sugar substituted 1 table spoon maple syrup and I added 1/4 cup raisin and walnuts , 1 tsp pumpkin spice grated nutmeg and 1/4 tsp ginger just perfect the texture is unbelievable!! Thanks
Hi! It came out so so gummy. The only thing I changed is I used bob’s gluten free baking flour to replace the oats. I kept everything else exactly the same including the almond flour. I’m so sad :( I really am tired of gummy breads.
Sorry you had bad results, Sarah! I recommend sticking with the recipe as it’s written and reading all of the tips I suggest for best results. :)
Best banana bread I have ever made! My husband said so too. Thank you very much and the notes you gave were very helpful.
I did not have enough oat flour so I used a little oat flour and buckwheat flour instead in the same measure as the recipe above. I had almond flour, phew!
My bananas were not spotted but I risked anyway;.)
I also had about a teaspoon of coconut oil so I filled up the rest with tahini and applesauce so as to fill a 1/4 cup. Realized I have run out of vanilla extract so I used vanilla powder. Used almond milk.
everything else stayed the same.
The bread was moist, tasty, and fluffy.
Thank you! Excellent recipe!
Can i omit the coconut sugar to make sugar free?
You could but it will alter the texture and flavor. Just be prepared to experiment with the outcome!
I’ve made it with no sugar. It’s great!
What do you consider a standard size loaf pan? 8.5” by 4.5”? Or 9” by 5”? Many thanks.
9×5 but either will work!
Thank you!
I made it in an 8.5 x 4.5 and it worked perfectly. I made this for a vegan/gluten free friend and she raved about it. I liked it, too.
INCREDIBLE! I only use this recipe for banana bread now! My friend is gf & vegan and we both love it! So light and not dense like some gf desserts can be! Even though I’m not gf/vegan this is always my go-to banana bread recipe! Never going back! :)
Yay! Thanks for leaving a review, Hana!
Hi, love your recipe! Can i also use the same recipe to make muffins. How long would I have to bake it for muffins?
I think that would work well! I would check them around 20-25 mins. You have to be careful not to open the oven too early though or that could affect how well they rise. I can usually smell when baked goods are close to being done and then double check by peeking through the window of the oven to make sure the edges appear firm and golden. I hope that helps! :)
Thank you so much for this recipe. I just made it, sans the chocolate chips, and doubled the recipe and the amount of cinnamon, and it turned out incredible. Love it.
Awesome recipe!! Thank you..gonna try it next with no chocolate…but Im worried about the texture being right…we will let ya know!
I just made this tonight and it turned out FANTASTIC! Will make again!
Great banana bread. Replaced the coconut oil with applesauce, as we are oil-free. Actually worked totally awesome when we replaced the almond flour just with more oat flour, too. We also have a couple nut-intolerant folk in our family, so we gave it a whirl and voila!
I havent had a chance to try this bread as its still baking, is it supposed to rise? I followed the recipe exact and it hasn’t risen at all. 45 minutes to bake also doesnt seem to be enough time. Its pretty soft so I have added time. Ill let you know what I think of the flavor when its done baking and cooled.
I made this recipe exactly like it says, it did not rise and is very crumbly. It tastes ok but Ill be looking for a different recipe. I think its a good concept but it needs some work.
Turned out absolutely perfect! Didn’t have a loaf pan and used a baking dish and set it to 25 minutes. Absolute perfection!
Will definitely be making this one again! :) Best vegan banana bread (brownie-like for me)!
Can I substitute the oat flour for gluten free all purpose flour??
I haven’t tried it but it might work!
I made it and it turned out great!!!
Thank you!
Are the calories listed at the bottom for the entire loaf? Or a suggested serving/portion. Hoping to hear from you. Thanks!
The nutrition facts are for 8 servings so 1/8th of the bread. :)
I’m sure this recipe is great, I must of done somthing wrong. I am a home baker I just love baking and cooking. Recently my family had to make changes health wise and I’m feeling overwhelmed ( i feel new to baking). I tried your recipe except I usually bake my overripe bananas to bring out more flavor. Oh I also used canola oil instead because it’s supposed to enhance banana flavor. Do you think that’s why my banana bread turned out literally flavorless? Or maybe just bad bananas?
I now sub the chocolate chips for walnuts. This bread has become a household favourite and I make it at least once a month! We LOVE it!!
This is delicious. I see the nutrition listed but not how much a serving is. Love to know.
Thanks,
The nutrition facts are for 1/8th of the recipe. So if you slice the loaf into 8 pieces, it is the amount for one piece. Hopefully that makes sense! :)
This Banana Bread is absolutely delicious. Definitely the best gluten free thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. I love this recipe so much and can’t wait to continue using it! Thanks so much.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for the review!
This banana bread is SOOOOO good! We make it all the time! We use erythritol (instead of sugar) and erythritol chocolate chips. Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe! Highly recommended!
I found and started baking this recipe last year, and am long overdue posting a comment.
It’s my go-to GF, vegan banana bread. Like Sandy (above) I also use erythritol (the ‘brown’ variety by Swerve). I’ve used all kinds of add-ins like chopped dates, prunes, raisins and nuts. (If I had been thinking clearly during the holidays, might have tried using the batter as base for fruitcake.)
The hardest part is waiting for it to cool. Never any storage problems since there’s nothing ever left to keep.
Thank you!
This recipe is FANTASTIC… wow super moist- and the ripeness of the bananas (and size) matters for sure. I use coconut milk everytime and the bread comes out great. My partner loves it more than his mom’s banana “normal” bread thanks for this recipe. I make it every other week now!
This is by far the absolute BEST banana bread I have ever made. Since I’ve been cooking vegan the past 2 years I have made some disastrous desserts. Seems like if eggs aren’t involved it turns into play dough blobs. The chemistry in this recipe is genius!! Thank you! I substituted hazelnut flour for almond flour as I’m allergic. With the chocolate chips it has a wonderful Nutella vibe. Yummy!! 5 stars
I’m so happy you were able to use hazelnut flour as an alternative! Thank you for leaving a review :)
Love the look of your recipe! Just wondering what would be the equivalent amount of mashed banana needed in grams? Thanks so much!
Can I use coconut flour instead of the oat flour . I know it is more dense so wondering about ratio.
Thanks
No, I’m sorry, coconut flour is entirely different and it will ruin the recipe. It is very hard to bake breads/muffins/cakes with coconut flour and not use eggs. It is extremely absorbent and dense. It’s my mission to crack the code though! :)
Love! Love! My favourite vegan banana bread recipe. So glad I’ve stumbled on this one. Thank you.
Just made this recipe into muffins. We didn’t have oat flour, so made it by blending 1 cup old fashioned oats and 1 cup quick oats. I wish I would have blended it more because it made the batter look too much like oatmeal. Also we didn’t have any chocolate chips so placed about 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate hazelnut butter in the center of each muffin. This came out absolutely delish! I didn’t have high expectations since this is gluten free and vegan but they were soooo good. I just had 2 muffins! Cooking time was a bit different, I did 23 minutes and they were perfect!
Simply amazing! So simple to make and it tastes awesome. Thank you for this recipe.
I agree with the other reviews. This was the best vegan banana bread I’ve ever made. Thank you for figuring out this recipe and sharing it! I didn’t have enough of the flours so I ended up using 1 c oat flour blend, 1 c almond flour and 1/2 c cassava flour.
I have never had a better Banana-Bread recipe then this one….it is truly the BEST! This is a recipe that I’m going to make all the time.
This turned out so yummy! I had to change a few things because I didn’t have all the ingredients, (I used coconut flour instead of almond, added hemp hearts and walnuts) but it was easy to follow and love that it doesn’t need flax or an egg!
Thank you for providing this great gluten-free recipe that doesn’t contain unhealthy fillers that are common in gluten-free baking. Wonderful healthy recipe!
Hi there! Thanks for the great recipes ❣️.
I must admit that I committed a big no-no by altering and adding ingredients, so please bear with me as the results were fantastic .
I had a beautiful fresh pineapple and really wanted to add some to this recipe, then I decided that some shredded coconut and walnuts would be pretty terrific, too. Added more almond flour to help sop up the moist pineapple crush!!
I baked it in a deep glass pie plate, and it turned out perfectly! I still wasn’t done with my craving for pineapple so I made a classic, sorta, frosting with chunky pineapple , powdered sugar, plant based butter and a smidge of vanilla all whirled up in the blender. YUM!
Honestly, it was just like a carrot cake without any carrots!
The voracious lions had it polished off in no time!
Sorry, not sorry for the substitutions! Your recipe is SOLID!!! Thank you!
I made a lot of changes and came out excellent. Used 3 very ripe bananas, 1/8 cup date syrup, 1/4 cup tahini, 1/4 cup cassava flour, 3/4 cup almond flour, 11/2 cup oats not ground and no other sugar or oil, everything else was the same except no salt, added 85 % dark
cacao chips.
Oh and I forgot to include earlier, the bread also rose beautifully whilst it was in the oven (dome shape). However, after removing the loaf pan from the oven, it sank considerably and became flat :(
I had way too many overripe bananas on my counter so quickly made this banana bread. It’s SO good!!
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This is hands down my absolute favorite banana bread to make! Thank you for the wonderful recipe! I usually have a few slices left over though and was wondering what the best storage would be for them. Can I keep them on the counter for 2 or 3 days or would you recommend them to go in the fridge?
Sorry I’m just seeing this! I would recommend refrigerating it to help it stay fresh for as long as possible. :)
We love this banana bread! Added walnuts and it’s so yummy! The boyfriend (not vegan) loves it too! I’m so excited to have this recipe in hand now
So glad to hear that! Thanks for the review, Emma!
Love this recipe and have made it several times now. I add a flax egg too and it makes the bread a little fluffy. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
This is my go to banana bread recipe. Everyone in the family loves it, thank you! I found myself out of chocolate chips one day, thanks to my son finishing them off, so I ended up improvising with chopped pecans and apples, and made into muffins. Thankfully, your recipe is versatile and it turned out pretty darn good that way as well. Thank you!
I forgot to mention, one of the times I made this, I forgot to put the coconut oil in it (left it in the microwave), but it still came out great!
Hi! Can you use honey instead of coconut sugar?
Unfortunately that would require altering other parts of the recipe since honey is a liquid sweetener and coconut sugar isn’t. You would have to use less milk and it could change the texture. For best results, I recommend making the recipe as written (although you could use another granulated sweetener like brown sugar or cane sugar, if you like).
Thank you so much for sharing. So super yummy!!!
Hi! I have made this loaf twice this week to serve it to my guests for coffee visits. I followed the recipe exactly paying attention to the measurements snd steps and yet both times been disappointed by the crumbly texture when slicing it and the fact that it falls apart when serving it. Delicious flavour but disappointed by this . What am I doing wrong?! Thank you
Sorry you aren’t having good results! It’s possible that you are over measuring your dry ingredients or under measuring the wet. Did you make sure you had 1 cup bananas when mashed? Did you spoon and level your flour and use a liquid measuring cup for the liquid ingredients?