Vegan Banana Bread

This Vegan Banana Bread, can be baked with or without chocolate chips, and is adapted from old-fashioned and vintage banana bread recipes. This is a nice and soft banana bread yet it is firm enough to be toasted for a delicious breakfast or snack. It is packed with sweet banana flavours with a hint of warm cinnamon. As the banana bread bakes it releases amazing banana toffee aromas.

This vegan banana bread may be dairy-free and egg-free but it bakes into a wonderfully soft, moist, banana flavoured loaf cake that is firm enough to withstand toasting in a dry fry pan or skillet or under a grill [broiler]. If you add chocolate chips the banana bread can still be warmed up for the best toffee-chocolate-banana flavours. Alternatively, replace the chocolate with nuts, dried fruits, or seeds of your choice.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How To Prepare
• Recipe notes
• FAQ
• More vegan sweet breads and loaf cakes
• 📖 Recipe

History of banana bread

Banana bread, also known as banana loaf cake, is a type of yeast-free sweet bread. Banana bread is usually served in rectangular slices similar to tea breads or fruit breads but some recipes do bake it as a circular cake shape.

Banana bread is said to have originated in the United States during The Great Depression [1929-1939]. During The Great Depression bananas were easily accessible and housewives were looking for ways to use up over ripe bananas. Banana bread was the perfect solution, as it was a quick and easy way to make a delicious and wholesome naturally sweet bread that filled hungry tummies.

The first known recipe for banana bread appeared in a 1933 cookbook called "Balanced Recipes" by Pillsbury. This recipe called for mashed bananas, flour, sugar, eggs, butter, baking soda, and salt. Over time, other ingredients, such as cinnamon, vanilla, and nuts, were often added to the basic recipe.

By the mid-20th century, there was many banana bread recipes appearing in cookbooks and on the back of flour and baking powder packages. In the 1960s, banana bread was even used as a form of political campaigning: the wife of a presidential candidate famously published her recipe for banana bread as a way of reaching out to voters!

In the UK, the late Queen Elizabeth [1926-2022] the 2nd, was said to enjoy a slice of banana bread for Afternoon tea, and Buckingham Palace always had a banana bread stored in the palace refrigerator just incase they needed a sweet treat for unexpected guests.

The United States really like banana bread so there is a special day just for this tasty bake known as National Banana Bread Day which is celebrated each year on the 23rd February.

Modern banana bread

Today, there are many recipe variations on banana bread, for example chocolate chip banana bread, vegan and plant-based banana bread, whole-food fat and sugar free banana breads, as well as gluten-free banana bread recipes.

Modern banana breads are still a popular frugal bake, that makes good use of over ripe bananas saving them from the waste bin, and it is often served for breakfast, brunch, or for a pudding or dessert, and it is a favourite at potlucks, cake sales, and fund raisers.

Recently, banana bread has also became something of a global sensation, as due to recent lockdowns, many people turned to home baking with banana bread being spotlighted. Social media was flooded with photos of banana bread!

Another family favourite, originating from The Great Depression era, and one which also witnessed a comeback during lockdown was Peanut Butter Bread. We have a deliciously easy vegan adapted 1930s Great Depression Peanut Butter Bread recipe so do check that bake out as well as it is also very tasty.

If preferred you can omit the chocolate chips and substitute these with chopped nuts, dried fruit, seeds, chocolate or vegan yogurt covered raisins, cacao nibs, or even chop up your favourite trail mix. We have an easy guide on making trail mix over on our Easy Vegan Trail Mix recipe post.

Ingredients

The ingredients you will need are:

• light brown sugar (alternatively coconut sugar works fine for this recipe)
• margarine (or vegetable oil)
• plant-based milk (such as soya, oat, or almond or your usual milk)
• ripe bananas
• self-raising flour
• baking powder
• salt
• cinnamon (or your choice of powdered spice)
• Optional: dairy-free chocolate chips

How To Prepare

Banana bread is the perfect way to use up those ripe mushy bananas that are destined for the bin, or even a bunch of reduced price bargain bananas.

Step 1: Mix the brown sugar and margarine together either by hand with a mixing spoon or by using an electric hand whisk, until it's nice and creamy.

Step 2: Stir through the mashed bananas and pour in the plant-based milk, mix well.

Step 3: The mixture will look split but that is to be expected and will fix itself once the flour is added.

Step 4: Add the self-raising flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and stir until just combined.

Step 5: Stir through the chocolate chips.

Step 6: Scoop the mixture into a lined loaf pan and bake for 45-60 minutes.

A slice of banana bread is delicious for breakfast, or brunch, as well as for Afternoon tea, or anytime you fancy a tasty vegan bake. Spread a slice with vegan butter or margarine, marmalade, fruit jam, peanut butter, dairy-free chocolate spread or just enjoy as it is.

Recipe notes

Storage

Banana bread can be stored for up to 4-5 days within a cake or bread tin or other covered container. Wrap the banana bread in a layer of baking paper as this will help keep the bread fresher for longer. I like to also wrap in a layer of kitchen foil as well as the baking paper. Banana bread can also be stored wrapped and kept refrigerator which is recommend if you live in a warm region or your house is extra warm.

Banana bread can be frozen for up to 3 months, thaw to room temperature before eating. For ease of removing one or two slices of banana bread from the freezer, place a piece of baking paper between the slices so that they do not freeze together. Alternatively, freeze the entire banana bread or a smaller wedge.

FAQ

Banana bread flavours improves with keeping so if you can bear it leave your bread until the next day. On day three it will taste similar to those little individual Banana Soreen Malt Cakes you can purchase from the supermarket. Staler slices can be toasted or pan fried.

More vegan sweet breads and loaf cakes

We love old-fashioned, vintage, classic sweet breads, tea loafs, tea-breads, and fruit loaf cakes so we have a growing collection on our family recipe blog. Here are a few of our favourites this Vegan Depression Era Peanut Butter Bread, this Vegan Old-Fashioned Weetabix Loaf Cake, and this Sweet Cherry Loaf Bread, and this Tasty Teatime Malt Loaf.

Sweet breads and loaf cakes are ideal for quick snacks and suppertimes as they are not as sweet as cake yet are sweet enough to provide a sweet treat, and they can be topped with fresh fruit, fruit jam, peanut butter, vegan butter, or even slices of vegan cheese.

Our quick sweet breads are prepared with everyday pantry ingredients and are very versatile as any flavourings a particular recipe may utilise such as dried fruits, nuts, glace cherries, vanilla, warm spices such as cinnamon, etc., can be switched out with anything similar that you have to hand.

***please note: for US measurements click the 'US customary button' within the recipe and the measurements will switch to tablespoons, cups, and ounces.***

📖 Recipe

Prepared our delicious Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Bread? Do let us know how you got on with the recipe as we love hearing from you. Thanks so much, Jacq x