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.
Vegan Almond Flour Banana Bread
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!
These are incredible. The most bread-like texture for vegan bread yet. I made them into muffins and cooked for 5 minutes less. Perfect! I added some vegan chocolate chips, walnuts, and coconut flakes. Saving this recipe! Thank you 🙂 Toddler and husband approved!
This recipe is soooo good! My daughters have to do an elimination diet so its been tough finding treats for them that are dairy, egg and gluten-free. This one is a definite keeper. We made 12 muffins with your recipe and added enjoy life chocolate chips. Yummy!
I love all of your recipes!!! I My Mom and I both tried making this and the bread never cooked through entirely. I even left it in for an additional 10 minutes and it was still undercooked. We both followed the recipe. Not sure what we could’ve done incorrectly…
This was too good! Thank you for putting out this recipe!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe !
I made it last night & used tapioca starch instead & only 2 cups of almond flour & added some walnuts but it came out sooo moist and delicious.
I have been looking for vegan recipe that uses almond flour and this one is the winner !
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know.
Very good, thanks for the recipe! I used organic corn starch instead of arrowroot and it worked. Also use data 1/4 c brown sugar and some chocolate chips instead of coconut sugar. Wish I’d added nuts. Thanks again.
I tried this yesterday and used tapioca flour instead of arrowroot. I used fresh bananas. Left the bread for 60 mins in the over but it was still gooey from the inside. I love the taste of the outside area which is completely cooked.
Any suggestions?
I love this recipe!! I had to substitute arrowroot starch for potato starch and the results were delicious. I did a little research and apparently potato starch helps to add a little moisture! Thank you!!
2 1/2 cups of almonds, thats a lot of almonds to eat from one loaf of bread. Not good for you surely.
Tried your flourless almond bread before. It didn’t dry out all the way. Any suggestions?
Good taste and texture. I was a little short of banana so added some apple purée (unsweetened, just apple) but it was too sweet for me. Next time I will try using a bit of oat flour in place of the arrow root starch. Thank you!
Best banana bread I have ever had!
The ONLY Grain Free Banana Bread worth making. Thank you so much for this recipe. We had tested what felt like hundreds of banana “bread” recipes and started to think that we’d have to abandon our old favorite for good due to the need to go grain free. Then we stumbled upon this. We made it with tapioca flour as opposed to the arrowroot and it turned out PERFECT. I doubled and made two loaves and cooked for about 10 minutes longer than suggested. This bread is the FIRST bread to 1. Have a discernible BANANA flavor (especially difficult to detect in recipes calling for almond butter) and 2. Have the texture of BANANA BREAD!!!! (which is difficult to achieve in recipes calling for coconut flour).
AMAZING!!!!!
My go to! So simple and yummy
Best banana bread EVER!!
OH. MY. GOODNESS!!! I honestly think this is one of the top 3 things I have ever made! This banana bread has completely blown me away. I don’t know how it turned out so moist and flavorful and with an actual banana bread texture?!!?!? I was really just looking for a Paleo recipe, so I was a little skeptical about the lack of eggs in this recipe, but this recipe is perfect as is!! I recommend everyone give this recipe a try, vegan or not. I added 1/4 C walnuts and 1/4 C dairy-free chocolate chips and it was just divine! This will be my go-to recipe from now on. I could go on and on some more about how amazing this bread tastes, but I’ll just end my review here haha 🙂
I wanted to know. If there is a substitute for vinegar in the recipe because I have a sensitivity to this ingredient. I omitted the vinegar from the almond cookies and they came out great
Do you think I can use lemon juice instead of vinegar to activate the baking soda?
I don’t have batter, I have dry powder. Huh? What’s the wet ingredient?
The mashed banana is the wet ingredient. You should have a little over 1 cup of mashed banana for this recipe from the 3 bananas, and they act as the binder. This isn’t super-runny like traditional cake batter, but it is moist and thick.
Oh my goodness! This banana bread is amazing! It is so hard to find vegan and grain free recipes. Thank you so much!
I was able to half the sugar and it still be delicious! Do you think I could use dates in place of the sugar? If so, how much? I would probably have to alter the amount of liquid, correct?
I haven’t tried this with dates yet, but maybe my date paste post will be helpful? I’ve tested that as a substitute for maple syrup and coconut sugar before, and noted how to do that at the bottom of the post: https://detoxinista.com/make-date-paste-healthy-sugar-substitute/
Hello , what can I use in place of coconut sugar ? May I use honey or maple syrup?
Also, I don’t have arrowroot .. May I use corn starch ? or what else would you suggest?
The coconut sugar is a dry ingredient that helps prevent this bread from getting too soggy in the center, so I’m not sure how it would work if you replace that with a wet sweetener instead. Let me know if you try it! Corn starch should be a fine alternative to arrowroot starch.
Do you have an app for detoxinista that I can download
No, not yet. It would take a lot of time and money, so I haven’t invested in making one yet. Maybe next year!
Wow, this was so good!!! I used erythritol in place of coconut sugar. Delicious!
Thank you for this great recipe! It was really tasty.
We made just 2 subs, replacing arrowroot starch with 2 eggs, and replacing 1/2 cup coconut sugar with 1/4 cup brown sugar + 1/8 cup raisins, and it turned out great for us.
Cheers!
Hi-daughter is going through a dairy free diet and I can’t find this rest this ingredient-arrowroot starch. Is there something that I might be able to substitute or can I take it out all together thanks?
Tapioca starch or corn starch would be the most similar substitute to the arrowroot starch.
This was absolutely amazing! I used honey (not a vegan) and added walnuts.I really couldn’t believe how great the texture and flavor were. I’m definitely going to try other recipes from this site.
Thanks for letting me know, Adria! Hope you’ll enjoy more recipes here, too. 🙂
Amazing! I just made it. Thank u!
I have tried and loved all of your banana bread recipes. This is my, and my husbands favorite! Easy and YUMM!! Holy moly, thank you for all the delicious recipes!!
Oh I used date sugar instead of coconut because I’m nursing. I assume there wouldn’t be much difference but just fyi…
An amazing recipe. My husband (not a vegan) and I LOVE this bread! I am making another loaf today to freeze.
I don’t have arrowroot starch – is there something else I can substitute?
Corn starch or tapioca starch would be the most similar swaps!
I’m sorry but this is a terrible recipe. It wasn’t batter like at all. Super dry and turned out horrible.
I followed the recipe to a T and didn’t find this problem. You might try it again and make sure your bananas are overly ripe, too
The best cleanest banana bread recipe! I doubled it and made two loaves of bread; one with chocolate chips and one plain. Thank you for continuing to be my favorite Recipe creator!
Aw thanks, Hayley! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, and thank you so much for coming back to leave a review! I really appreciate it.
Can I use tapioca flour instead of arrow root!?
I haven’t got arrowroot but wanted to keep it vegan after reading that eggs don’t add much to this; would flaxseed (gel) be a good alternative as a binding ingredient?
I added 1/4 c creamy peanut organic peanut butter & like 1/4 c vegan mini semi-sweet choc chips & it came out amazingly! Thanks for this recipe, one of my daughter’s is a Type 1 diabetic & I’m always looking for lower carb recipes that are delicious😋 !
Made this bread and loved it! I used about 1/8th of a cup of maple syrup instead of coconut sugar and corn starch instead of arrowroot powder, added some walnuts and chocolate chips and it came out amazing! Nice and moist without any eggs oil or dairy. Will definitely make again 🙂
I love this recipe, as does my non vegan partner. I use golden monk fruit sweetener in place of coconut sugar, and depending on what I have in the pantry, will use a combination of coconut and almond flours (typically one cup coconut, one and a half almond). I also make this into muffins, and sprinkle with a mixture of monk fruit granules and cinnamon. This turns them into a nearly muffin/cupcake hybrid while still being pretty healthy. We love this recipe and it is absolutely in our monthly sweets rotation!
Hi!
Just tried the recipe ! Are you shire is 2 1/2 of almond flour ? Seems to be very thick !
Thanks !!!
Vegan batter is very thick. If it’s too runny it won’t ever firm up in the center.
the best! I’m horrible in the kitchen, and my husband and kids said it was the best banana bread I’ve ever made (gluten and not gluten free)!
This is my favorite banana bread recipe, and it’s also super healthy and quick and easy to make! I used date sugar instead of coconut sugar (same amount) to make it even more whole-foods based, as date sugar is simply just ground up dates.
I’ve made this twice now. The first time I made the recipe with only the date sugar substitution and the rest as the recipe calls for. It tasted amazing, but slightly more salty than I preferred. As someone who limits their sodium intake and is accustomed to less salt, I decided to omit the salt the second time I made it (with the only sodium content coming from the baking soda) to see what it would taste like. It still tasted great to me, although I think I’d prefer the taste of the bread with a bit of salt, probably about half the amount of salt that the recipe calls for, which I may try the next time I make this.
The almond flour makes this banana bread incredibly moist and delicious. As soon as I finish a piece I want to eat another one, and as soon as a batch is finished I want to make another batch. Thank you for this wonderful and healthy vegan and oil-free recipe!
Thank you thank you Megan for this recipe! I chose it as the one to try for my first time baking in over ten years, and it was perfect.
Having intolerances to wheat, dairy, processed sugar etc, I’d given up on baking until a few weeks. Well I’ve now made this banana bread 3 times in 3 weeks! (I keep begging the bananas to ripen faster)
Each time was a huge success. Slightly different depending on how over ripe or large the bananas are. And for my last batch made yesterday the bananas were super ripe (almost all black) and huge, so the bread was EVEN more moist, kind of like a bread pudding. Which I also love.
The second batch I felt the bananas were too small so randomly added some dried but moist figs. Different taste but still yummy.
The first batch was hands down the best. I couldn’t believe the smell and taste. Literally heaven. No exaggeration.
In my excitement and joy, I stupidly gave some to my neighbour and friends who all adored it as well. And I am now inundated with repeat orders!
I’m gonna have to fib and pretend I haven’t made this last batch so I can finally have it all to myself 😉
Forgot to mention that none of my friends are vegan or veggie and they all simply loved it.
Also if anyone is thinking of making any major changes or substitutes to the recipe.. please don’t bother, it’s perfect.
I simply sprinkle some dessicated coconut and a few walnuts on the top before baking, as I like the texture and taste for the crust. But for the bread itself, leave it alone! No need for eggs etc. Just wait until you have all the correct ingredients.
Megan hit a hole in one with this. No need to alter. 👍
Can coconut oil be used in this recipe since it is so dry?
Thank you so much for creating this! I was in search of a recipe that was vegan, healthy and delicious and this checked all boxes. The inky thing I did differently was substitute arrowroot starch for corn starch….well because I didn’t have any lol. But it came out so moist! Thanks again!
I made this and it’s nice. Good consistency. I did add some coconut flour as well as the ground almonds. I also added a little coconut milk and one egg. I used regular sugar and I only had 2 small bananas in the house. All in all it was gorgeous! I put some pecans on the top too!
Would recommend. Thanks!
I’m shocked at how good this is. My family ate the entire loaf in a day. Definitely doesn’t taste as healthy as it is
OK!! 😍😍 I made this for a friend who cannot have dairy, grains, carbs, gluten, and sugar. I used frozen bananas WITH all the liquid!!! 🙂 I also added pumpkin seeds (pepita’s), and used granulated allulose sweetner. (The brand I use is wholesome) finely ground up walnuts. I added a lot of each. I also quadrupled the amount of cinnamon and liberally sprinkled ground cloves on top before they went in the oven. I did not taste this as it was made for a friend. They were raving about it and asked me when I can make more. This was last night and I tripled the recipe. I highly recommend the pumpkin seeds and walnuts if you can do nuts. Apparently it was DELICIOUS!!!
Could I use a cake pan instead of loaf? I’ve made this recipe numerous times as is and it’s SO delicious. Was hoping to convert it to a cake form for my daughter’s birthday.
Made this today, it was perfect and delicious!!! Love it that it is vegan and GF!
This was great and will definitely make it again. I added walnuts on top, before baking, and it came out perfectly. Than you!
Sadly this recipe was awful! Did not cook through at all and was very mushy.
I usually love this website’s recipes – but it this one!