Vegan Banana Bread Recipe Without Butter

This Vegan Banana Bread is the easiest and best banana bread recipe without butter ever! Made in just 1 bowl, with only 10 minutes of prep time, there is nothing better than this moist, flavorful, and fluffy plant-based banana bread!

I’m a sucker for baked goods. Especially for things that sound healthy but aren’t: pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, muffins, scones … so, so yummy, I dream of that freshly baked smell when I’m craving something indulgent for breakfast.

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Of course, I rarely sit down and enjoy an entire piece of banana bread, because just one piece can run you up to 450-500 calories and 35-40g sugar (that’s more sugar and double the calories than a regular sized Milky Way Bar!)

When I bake banana bread at home, I prefer to lighten things with a lower sugar option up so I can enjoy a generous slice. You won’t believe that this low calorie, healthy, vegan banana bread recipe without butter is delicious, super easy, and so moist! It tastes just like the full-fat sugary version we all know and love, and will become a family favorite the first time you try it!

Since this version is mostly based on healthier ingredients like overripe bananas, applesauce, and flax eggs, it also packs a nutritious punch.

It’s the perfect addition to a cup of coffee as a breakfast, your afternoon tea, or just for a healthy snack or end-of-the-day treat!

That’s not to mention that this vegan banana bread is a great snack for kids. Since it’s got all the flavor and decadent texture of regular banana bread but is much healthier!

How to Make A Vegan Banana Bread Recipe Without Butter

Tools and Equipment You’ll Need

• Bread Pan or Cake Pan
• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring Cups & Spoons
• Electric Hand Mixer or Food Processor

Recipe Ingredients and Notes

This delicious banana bread can be made with just a few simple ingredients you likely already have on hand. 

• Bananas: The key here is overripe large bananas – with lots of dark brown spots! You want as much natural sweetness and deep banana flavor from that bunch of bananas.
• Unsweetened Applesauce: Unsweetened means there is no sugar added. Applesauce is one of my favorite healthy substitutions for butter in baking, because you can replace up to 1/2 of the amount of butter in a recipe with applesauce while still retaining all of the moistness of the original recipe.
• Flour: I used a mix of all purpose flour and oat flour here, but for an even healthier bread you can use 100% oat flour, or you can use whole wheat pastry flour + oat flour (or try just whole wheat flour, or even light spelt flour!) instead of all purpose.
• Flax Eggs: Super easy to make, and essential for keeping this recipe vegan. Learn how to make a flax egg here.
• Coconut Oil: A vegan friendly substitute for melted butter in this recipe! You can also use vegan butter, canola oil, or vegetable oil.
• Brown Sugar: For a little bit of sweetness and a richer feel than white sugar. Coconut sugar or maple syrup would work just as well.
• Vanilla Extract: To enhance the banana flavor and sweet taste of this easy banana bread recipe!
• Baking Soda: Necessary as a leavening agent to help this healthier banana bred rise.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat oven temperature to 350°. Grease two 8×5 inch loaf pans (or 1 9×9 baking pan) with olive oil spray. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flours, baking soda and salt) with a wire whisk. Set aside.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl or in a stand mixer, cream the wet ingredients together. Start with the coconut oil (or vegan butter) and sugar (you can also use a food processor for this). Then, mash bananas, and add flax eggs, bananas, apple sauce and vanilla to the mixer, and beat at medium speed until the batter thickens slightly. Scrape down sides of the bowl (or the food processor container).

Step 3: Add flour mixture and walnuts, then blend at low speed until combined. (You can also do this in a large bowl). Do not over mix or the texture of the finished bread will be too dense.

Step 4: Pour the banana bread batter into the greased loaf pan(s) and bake on the center rack for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (By this time, the amazing smell of banana bread will be wafting through your kitchen!)

Step 5: Let the bread cool at least 20 minutes, it should be room temperature before you cut it into individual slices. If you use one 9×9 pan, this banana bread recipe without butter will give you 16 huge slices, or 32 normal sized slices. If you use the loaf pans, this recipe will yield 26 slices.

What Makes This A Healthier Banana Bread?

• Low Calorie: You can enjoy a warm slice of this vegan banana bread, and it’s only 102 calories. Where can you find homemade bread for that few calories? This is a perfect treat to enjoy without feeling guilty! Since this is a banana bread recipe without butter, it’s low in saturated fat as well.
• Naturally Sweet, Low in Added Sugar: While we do add a little bit of brown sugar to the batter, most of the sweetness comes from the bananas. They are naturally sweet, and so that’s how you can get away without loading the bread with refined sugar. Each slice of this bread has only 2 grams of added sugar, much less than a classic banana bread recipe. If you want an even healthier version of this recipe, or less sugar, you can reduce the amount of sugar or omit it entirely.
• Vitamins and Minerals: You may be surprised to know that the bananas, walnuts, and applesauce all have a fantastic amount of vitamin B6. In addition, bananas are high in Vitamin B12, Potassium, and Magnesium. The addition of the flax eggs adds healthy omega 3 fats.

Will Kids Enjoy This Homemade Vegan Banana Bread?

No one (kids included) can resist the incredible flavor and texture of this simple banana bread recipe. It’s naturally sweet, and the walnuts give it a lovely crunch that even the pickiest eaters are happy to indulge in.

The best part is that the kids won’t have a clue that this bread is actually providing them with much-needed nutrients. They’ll just want another slice! I guarantee this will become their favorite banana bread recipe!

Recipe FAQs

How To Store and Keep

To Store in the Fridge: After the vegan banana bread has cooled completely, place it inside of an airtight food storage container. The bread will keep for 3-4 days on the counter, or up to 1 week in the fridge. It’s important to make sure this bread is as airtight as possible to keep it moist. Since most of the moisture in this vegan banana bread comes from fruits, like the bananas and applesauce, it can dry out more easily than regular breads. 

To Freeze: Wrap each piece in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Then put the pieces inside of a ziptop freezer bag or airtight container. It will last up to 2 months in the freezer. Let the bread thaw in the fridge before eating and warm in the microwave or toaster oven. The bread may shrink slightly while it thaws, that’s normal.

Top Tips For Making The Best Vegan Banana Bread

• Be sure to grease the pans before baking the loaves. Otherwise, the bread will stick to the pans and won’t come out without falling apart. To further ensure the bread comes out without sticking, you can line the pans with parchment paper.
• You will need a food processor or an electric hand mixer to make the batter for the banana bread. 
• For the best eggless banana bread, it’s important not to overmix the batter. Overmixing will cause the bread to be dense and dried out. Mix until you don’t see any dry flour in the batter anymore and then stop. A spatula can help you scrape the sides of your bowl to combine the ingredients faster.
• For a moist banana bread recipe without butter, do not overbake the bread – that will dry it out! Keep an eye on the time and check it with a toothpick. 
• If your bread doesn’t rise, usually the reason is that your baking soda is old. You can test baking soda by sprinkling it in a glass of vinegar. If it fizzes, it’s good to go. If not, throw it out and buy new baking soda!
• To make this recipe gluten free, you can use gluten free oat flour (made by grinding up gluten free oats), buckwheat flour, or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Flour.
• You can make this banana nut bread oil free by substituting the coconut oil for applesauce, but it will make the bread denser and not as fluffy.
• When measuring your flour, make sure you “spoon and level” it (spoon it into the measuring cup and level it with the back of a knife) versus scooping the flour out with a measuring cup. That will ensure you don’t add too much flour to the recipe.
• Feel free to change up your add-ins! Try dark chocolate chips, pecans or hazelnuts instead of walnuts, chopped dates, or pumpkin seeds. You can even top this vegan recipe with vegan cream cheese frosting for added decadence!

Check Out These Crave-Worthy Bread and Breakfast Recipes!

• Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
• Sourdough Croissants
• Chocolate Banana Muffin Recipe
• Low Calorie Cinnamon Rolls
• Healthy Banana Bread
• Gluten Free Bread Recipe
• 21 Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes

If you have tried this Vegan Banana Bread or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!

🎥 Watch How to Make It

https://youtu.be/uQkK5VxjNn0

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5 from 11 votes

Vegan Banana Bread Recipe

This Vegan Banana Bread is the best and easiest recipes ever! Made in just 1 bowl, with only 10 minutes of prep time, there is nothing better than this moist, flavorful, and fluffy banana bread!  

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time50 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Baking, Bread, Brunch

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Servings: 32 slices

Calories: 102kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

• ▢ 7 ripe medium bananas mashed
• ▢ 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• ▢ 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or oat flour
• ▢ 1.5 tsp baking soda
• ▢ 1/2 tsp salt
• ▢ 4 tbsp coconut oil or vegan butter
• ▢ 1/2 cup brown sugar unpacked
• ▢ 2 flax eggs
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• ▢ 1 pinch nutmeg
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• ▢ Olive oil spray

Instructions

• ▢
  Preheat oven to 350°. Grease two 8×5 inch loaf pans (or 1 9×9 baking pan) with olive oil spray. In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.
• ▢
  In a large bowl cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer (you can also use a food processor for this). Add egg whites, bananas, apple sauce and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl (or the food processor container)
• ▢
  Add flour mixture and walnuts, then blend at low speed until combined. (You can also do this in a large bowl). Do not over mix.
• ▢
  Pour batter into pan(s) and bake on the center rack for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• ▢
  Let the banana bread cool at least 20 minutes, bread should be room temperature before slicing.

Notes

Top Tips For Making The Best Vegan Banana Bread

• Be sure to grease the pans before baking the loaves. Otherwise, the bread will stick to the pans and not come out very well without falling apart. 
• You will need a food processor or an electric hand mixer to make the batter for the banana bread. 
• It’s important not to overmix the batter. Overmixing will cause the bread to be dense and dried out. Mix until you don’t see any dry flour in the batter anymore.
• Do not overbake the bread – that will also dry it out! Keep an eye on the time and check it with a toothpick. 
• If your bread doesn’t rise, usually the reason is that your baking soda is old. You can test baking soda by sprinkling it in a glass of vinegar. If it fizzes, it’s good to go. If not, throw it out and buy new baking soda!
• To make this recipe gluten free, you can use gluten free oat flour (made by grinding up gluten free oats), buckwheat flour, or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Flour.
• You can make this recipe oil free by substituting the coconut oil for applesauce, but it will make the bread denser and not as fluffy.
• If you don’t have brown sugar, you can use coconut sugar.
• When measuring your flour, make sure you “spoon and level” it (spoon it into the measuring cup and level it with the back of a knife) versus scooping the flour out with a measuring cup. That will ensure you don’t add too much flour to the recipe.
• Feel free to change up your add-ins! Try dark chocolate chips, pecans or hazelnuts instead of walnuts, chopped dates, or pumpkin seeds.

Note: If you use one 9×9 pan, this recipe will give you 16 huge slices, or 32 normal sized slices. If you use the loaf pans, this recipe will yield 26 slices. Nutritional info per slice based on the recipe being made in a 9×9 pan.  

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.2g | Protein: 2.2g | Fat: 3.5g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Sodium: 45.5mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 8g