I have always had a massive thing for banana bread. In fact, I would take a slice of good banana bread over many things in life. My staple recipe before going plant-based was Foodess’ Banana Bread. This recipe is an adapted version of hers, with an added walnut crunch.
This banana bread ticks off all the boxes on my “banana bread must-have” list. It’s:
Sweet
Moist
Dense
Speckled with a walnut crunch
And BURSTING with banana flavour
B and I actually started our dinner off the other night with a massive slice of this loaf. Ohh, the perks of being an adult.
This banana bread has just over one tablespoon of sugar per slice, which means that out of all the treats in the world, it is far from the worst for your teeth and bod! You can even dial back the sugar to ½ cup instead of ¾ cup, so long as your bananas are extra-ripe.
I prefer my banana bread with walnuts for a soft crunch here and there. Feel free to sub pecans if you prefer, or remove the nuts all-together. If you’re a chocolate lover, you can also add between ½-1 cup of vegan chocolate chips to make the ultimate chocolate banana bread.
The best part about this loaf, is that as long as you store it in an air-tight container or reusable wax wrap, it gets moister and moister as time goes by. By the fourth day, this baby was pretty much melting in our mouths. Hoooo mama… *drools onto self*
I love slathering this banana bread with copious amounts of vegan butter, but it is also divine as is. No matter how you serve it, this recipe is hands-down the best banana bread I have ever had.
So let’s get to it!
Best Ever Banana Bread
This banana bread is sweet, moist, speckled with a walnut crunch, and absolutely bursting with banana flavour!
Ingredients
- 2 cups very ripe frozen bananas thawed and mashed (about 4 large bananas)
- 1 flax egg 1 flax egg = 3 tbsp warm water mixed in a small bowl with 1 tbsp ground flax, and left to sit for 10 minutes
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- ½ cup cane sugar
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cashew or other nut milk I use homemade unstrained cashew milk with a ratio of 1 cup cashews for 3 cups water – this makes the richest, creamiest milk
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C)
- Remove the bananas from the freezer and allow to thaw. You can place them in a sealed ziploc bag and put them in a bowl of hot water to speed thawing.
- Prepare your flax egg and leave to congeal for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil in a small pot over low heat.
- Add the sugars and melted coconut oil into a mixing bowl, and whisk thoroughly to combine.
- Whisk in the flax egg and vanilla.
Once the bananas are at room temperature (you don’t want them cold because they will harden the coconut oil), mash them in a separate bowl, then whisk them into the mixture.
- Whisk in the cashew milk.
Add the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and stir gently to combine. Stop as soon as all the flour has been incorporated.
Gently mix in the walnuts.
Pour the batter into a 6” x 9 1/2” (15cm x 24cm) loaf pan either lined with parchment or greased with coconut oil.
Add optional slices of banana cut length-wise on top for a pretty aesthetic.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the loaf comes out clean.
Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from pan and slicing.
Loaf keeps for up to one week, stored on the counter in an air-tight container or reusable wax wrap. Keeps for up to 2 months in the freezer.
Recipe Notes
As always, nutritional information is a rough estimate. For a full explanation of nutritional analysis, please read our Disclaimer.
If you made this recipe, I would be so honoured if you could rate it, share it, and leave a comment. Also, don’t forget to take a photo, tag @thedeliciousmanifest on Instagram, and hashtag it #thedeliciousmanifest. Thank you so much!
Looking for more delicious sweets? Check out my No-Bake Coconut Pecan Bliss Bars, Crunchy Peanut Butter Millet Balls, and 5-Minute Chocolate Almond Pudding. All are loaded with healthy fats and protein, and guaranteed to make your mouth water!