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In my early days of blogging, I didn’t know much about writing recipes. In most cases, my recipes came about simply from my own desire to eat something– for instance, this vegan almond flour banana bread.
My old recipe desperately needed an update, because I’m pretty sure when I originally posted it, I had only tested the recipe once. That’s how it worked when I first started this blog. I would suddenly have a craving to eat something, so I’d try to make a healthier version of it, and if it turned out tasting half-way decent I would post it here on the website.
That formula worked well for me in many cases, because some of my recipes are just too easy to mess up, but with baked goods (and particularly with egg-free paleo recipes) a lot more experimentation is needed to create something that has a taste and texture good enough to serve to the masses. So, while my original recipe still tastes amazing, the texture definitely left something to be desired. It’s pretty moist and gooey in the middle! Which isn’t surprising, since it’s nearly impossible to get an egg-free almond flour bread to rise like a normal loaf. I didn’t have a problem eating it that way myself, but it’s probably not something you’d want to serve to company.
That’s why I recently started playing around with this recipe again, this time using arrowroot starch as the binder instead of chia eggs. It took me eight(!!) attempts to get it right, but I’m so happy with the final result. I actually think it’s easier and tastier than the original.
Tweaking this recipe so many times also gave me the opportunity to make it with FROZEN bananas, once my stash of fresh ripe ones ran out. Umm… why didn’t I ever try this before?! I almost always have overripe bananas stashed in my freezer for smoothies, but they are especially convenient for this banana bread, too. The results are almost identical using fresh banana compared to frozen ones that have been thawed, so feel free to use whichever is most convenient for you. No more waiting days and days for bananas to ripen on the counter if you don’t want to!
This recipe is lower in sugar than traditional banana breads and also happens to be oil-free, while still being super moist and delicious. I can’t stop eating it over here, so I hope you will enjoy it as well.
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Vegan Almond Flour Banana Bread
Makes one 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan
Ingredients:
3 very ripe bananas (fresh or thawed from frozen)
2 1/2 cups almond meal/flour
1/2 cup arrowroot starch
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, use a fork to mash the bananas well– you should have a little over 1 cup of mashed banana. (Note: if using bananas that were previously frozen, do not drain the liquid from them when they thaw– that moisture is important to the overall texture of this bread.)
To the mashed bananas, add in the almond meal, arrowroot, coconut sugar, baking soda, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon and stir until a relatively smooth batter is formed. Stir in the vinegar last, so that it can react with the baking soda, then immediately pour the batter into the lined pan. Smooth the top with a spatula then bake at 350ºF until the top of the loaf has begun to rise and crack, feeling firm to the touch, about 45 minutes. All the loaf to cool completely before cutting.
As with most eggless bread recipes, it’s not unusual for the center of the loaf to fall or sink a bit, but the entire loaf should be cooked throughout and have a bread-like texture. (Definitely a step up from my previous vegan & paleo banana bread!) Store the leftover bread in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas (fresh or thawed from frozen)
- 2 1/2 cups almond meal/flour
- 1/2 cup arrowroot starch
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, use a fork to mash the bananas well-- you should have a little over 1 cup of mashed banana. (Note: if using bananas that were previously frozen, do not drain the liquid from them when they thaw-- that moisture is important to the overall texture of this bread.)
- To the mashed bananas, add in the almond meal, arrowroot, coconut sugar, baking soda, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon and stir until a relatively smooth batter is formed.
- Stir in the vinegar last, so that it can react with the baking soda, then immediately pour the batter into the lined pan. Smooth the top with a spatula then bake at 350ºF until the top of the loaf has begun to rise and crack, feeling firm to the touch, about 45 minutes. All the loaf to cool completely before cutting.
Notes
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 212, Fat: 12g, Carbohydrates: 25g, Fiber: 4g, Protein: 5g
Note: As always, please let us know if you try any substitutions in the comments below. It took me eight attempts to get it right with these ingredients, so I’m a bit burnt-out on banana bread at the moment and won’t be trying other flours for a while! I do have a nut-free vegan banana bread recipe in my first cookbook, Everyday Detox, if you need a nut-free alternative.
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Reader Feedback: Have you ever tried using frozen bananas in other baked goods? I feel like this has opened up a whole new world for me!
i used cornstarch and lemon juice as substitutions!!
This almond banana bread recipe is SOOOO GOOD!!!! I had to make another loaf (same day) because my family loves it that much! Thank you for another great healthy recipe. I added chocolate chips and OMG, haha!
This turned out quite gummy and was slightly bitter. What did I do wrong?
Hello, I’ve been a fan of the original version of this recipe. Each time, the loaf cooked throughout and had bread like texture. I have now message this version twice, followed the recipe to the tee, oven at 350 and each time the loaf and the muffins have been undercooked. The first time I made loaves and I cooked them on 350 for 45 minutes. The center was gummy in the middle. I tried cooking for longer, but the outside was overdone and inside underbaked. The second time I used medium size bananas and decided to make muffins hoping the shallowness would help the bread cook through. I cooked for 40 minutes (35-37 minutes is best to prevent the outside being overdone with muffins) and the bottom of the muffins were overdone-my fault, however, the inside was still underbaked. I no longer have the other version but would love to continue using that because I never had this issue. I’m not sure if I need to turn down my oven to 300-325 to ensure the bread cooks through and through. Thoughts? Appreciate the feedback.
Here’s the original version:
3 cups almond meal, or almond flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons freshly ground chia seeds
3/4 cup water
2 very ripe bananas, about 3/4 cup mashed
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup, for vegans)
coconut oil , for greasing pan
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan well.
Using a coffee or spice grinder, grind the chia seeds first, then measure what you need for the recipe. (I measured out 1/4 cup of seeds before grinding, which turned out to be more than what I needed after they were ground.)
Mix 1/4 cup of the ground chia seeds with 3/4 cup water, and allow to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes to gel into “chia eggs.”
Combine the rest of the ingredients in a medium bowl, add the chilled chia eggs, and mix well until a batter is formed.
Transfer to the greased loaf pan, and use a spatula to smooth the top.
Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the golden brown and when a knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Slice and serve!
I’ve made it monthly and kids and I love it!! Start first 10 minutes @ 400degrees then reduce temp and find the center stays lifted better.
Thank you so much for the great recipe, I love it! I swapped cinnamon for cardamom 🧡
I want to try this but can’t have coconut sugar. Can I substitute with honey? If so, how much? Thank you.
I made this recipe about four years ago and I’ve refuse to have banana bread any other way. It is THAT good. One small point: I’ve noticed that the bread tastes much better –and sweeter– the longer it lasts. I tend to leave it out on the counter but I’ll refrigerate it if I want it to last longer. This is an incredibly easy one-bowl recipe that uses ingredients you either have on hand or are pretty easy to find. Thanks so much for this.
On repeat in our home. Great recipe.