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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
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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!
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!
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)!
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.
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!
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 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😋 !
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?
Can I use tapioca flour instead of arrow root!?
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.
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