This page contains some affiliate links. Please review my disclosure policy.
A recipe for Gluten-Free and Vegan Banana Bread that tastes equally as delicious as your traditional banana bread. No one will know it is gluten and dairy-free!
I often get asked why my recipes use certain flours/starches and why some are vegan while others are not. My recipes are almost always gluten-free because I eat gluten-free (most of the time), but as I’m sure you’ve discovered I am certainly not vegan or paleo or follow any real diet for that matter. Honestly, there is no rhyme or reason to it, my recipes come out the way they do entirely based on what I have on hand.
Sure I make the occasional grocery shop, but especially when it comes to baking there’s always different combinations that can yield the same result. I’m not about to go running out to the store to buy cornstarch and buckwheat if I already have tapioca flour and brown rice flour on hand. Same goes for eggs. If I’m out but have some flaxseed in the fridge, flax egg here we come. When there’s a will there’s a way!
Of course I’m also a sucker for a good science experiment. A while ago I read that mixing applesauce and baking powder can act as a binder instead of eggs. Obviously I forgot to write down where I read it or how to do it, but I gave it a shot and the baking gods must have been on my side because it actually worked out in this recipe.
I really had no intention of posting this recipe when I was baking it because I made it last-minute for C when I visited Montreal a few weeks ago. I sneakily made it gluten-free so I could eat it too. He was shocked at how good it was despite its “healthiness” (healthy food can taste good people!!!) that I knew I had to recreate and photograph it. I then made them into muffins when I catered and fooled everyone there too. I declare myself the banana bread queen because damnnnnn this.is.good.
The Best Ever Banana Bread {Gluten-Free & Vegan}
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 12-16 slices 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Bake
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Dry:
- 3/4 cup brown rice flour*
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp gluten-free oat flour (ground rolled oats)*
- 3/4 cup potato starch*
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch*
- 1 tsp xanthan gum**
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet:
- 1/2 cup applesauce, warmed up and then mixed with ½ tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 4 ripe bananas
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional: 1 cup chocolate chips or nuts (or a combination)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with coconut oil or non-stick spray (bread is big so don’t use a smaller sized pan)
- Combine all dry ingredients and set aside.
- In a separate bowl mash up bananas. Add in warm applesauce (premixed with baking powder), melted coconut oil, maple syrup, almond milk and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined.
- Add in chocolate chips or nuts if desired.
- Scoop batter into pan and bake for 55-60 mins.
- Remove from oven and let cool for at least 30 mins before removing from pan and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Will keep in a sealed container on counter for up to 5 days.
*Or replace brown rice flour, oat flour, tapioca flour and potato starch with 2 1/4 cups + 2 tbsp of regular all-purpose or whole wheat flour.
**If using regular all-purpose or whole wheat omit xanthan gum
***Can also be made into 12 large muffins (bake for 25-30 mins or until top is brown and springs back)
Like this recipe? Check out some of my other baked goods!
Oh banana bread how I love thee. I have made so many different versions and variations over the years! As long as it’s fluffy and has a nice banana flavor…that’s all I really care about! 🙂
I love experimenting with different flours too. I’m not vegan, but lots of my recipes are, mainly because vegan recipes tend to be healthier. I love your pictures and the addition of applesauce.
This looks so good!! Interesting about the applesauce and baking powder hmmhmmm may have to try! And yeah I’m still trying to convince Miguel that healthy food can taste good haha it’s a work in progress.
I’ve never seen the applesauce and powder trick! How cool is that? I’ve been craving a batch of banana bread, but I like to try a new version every time. I’ve never tried vegan, but this looks so darn good, I can’t resist. So thick and moist and dense – my trifecta of perfection in quick breads. Yes sir-ree, you are the queen of banana breads! Pinned!
hehe thanks Mary Frances 🙂
I love love love banana bread! Thanks for sharing the flour swap, too, since I usually just have regular flour on hand. My best ever recipe? That’s tough, since I don’t really consider myself to be a good cook. Riley would probably say my breakfast casseroles are really good!
My mouth is watering already, this looks amazing! Next time I have really ripe bananas I know what I need to make!!
I keep them in the freezer so I can make banana bread whenever I have a craving…which is daily btw 😉
You are my hero!!! I CAN EAT THIS!!! The only things I have to sub are the almond milk and the starches (don’t have that here). And maybe add some cacao nibs, lol. So EXCITING to finally see a recipe that I love and can eat at this sad time of eliminating.
You could live off of this! Or atleast I could lol
Looks fabulous! Now I am hungry! Hmmm what shall I eat for breakfast? Wanna ship me some of this? I wish I were your girlfriend so that I could get some of these treats made for me…
I’m definitely among those who experiment frequently. I’ve taken out a number of ingredients and foodstuffs from my eating regimen in recent years and life would be truly boring and depressing if I did not experiment.
I’ve been looking at GF bread recipes lately (I’ve missed bread and as a result have tasted a slice of a friend’s homemade bread which I’m pretty sure was not GF and probably had eggs) and this one looks right up my alley!
I’m so happy you like it! If you’re looking for regular sandwich bread I’m a big fan of Udi’s Whole Grain sandwich bread and a GF flour company called Cloud 9 bakery just came out with a bread flour. I love their regular flour so I’m sure it’s good!
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
I love how unafraid you are to just get in the kitchen and experiment! I’m always so scared something won’t work when I just wing it with baking. This loaf turned out beautifully!!