Vegan banana bread with walnuts
Moist, fragrant vegan banana bread studded with walnuts and dark chocolate — an easy, egg‑free loaf that keeps and freezes brilliantly.
This is the go-to vegan banana bread: unfussy, reliably moist and perfect for breakfast, a snack or a cheeky pudding. Ripe bananas and light muscovado give deep caramel notes while optional walnuts and vegan chocolate add texture and indulgence.
It’s forgiving — no special kit, just a bowl and a loaf tin — and it freezes brilliantly. Make it when your bananas are too spotty for breakfast but too good to waste.
Ingredients
- 300 g plain flour
- 150 g light muscovado sugar
- 10 ml baking powder
- 5 ml bicarbonate of soda
- 5 ml ground cinnamon
- 5 ml fine salt
- 4 ripe bananas — about 400g peeled and mashed
- 85 ml vegetable oil — 80ml for the batter, a little extra for greasing
- 60 ml unsweetened soya milk
- 10 ml vanilla extract
- 75 g walnuts — optional, roughly chopped
- 50 g vegan dark chocolate chips — optional
Equipment
- loaf tin (23 x 13 cm)
- wire rack
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C conventional. Line a 23 x 13 cm loaf tin with baking paper and oil the paper lightly (use the small amount of vegetable oil from the ingredient note).
In a large bowl sift (or whisk) together the plain flour, light muscovado sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ground cinnamon and fine salt so there are no lumps.
In a separate bowl mash the ripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth. Stir in the vegetable oil, unsweetened soya milk and vanilla extract until combined.
Pour the wet banana mixture into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula or large spoon until just combined — a few streaks of flour are fine. If using, fold in the walnuts and vegan dark chocolate chips at the end.
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, level the top and scatter a few extra walnut halves if you like. Bake in the centre of the oven for 55 minutes. Start checking for doneness at 50 minutes.
Remove the tin from the oven and leave the loaf to cool in the tin for 15 minutes.
Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack and cool for a further 30 minutes before slicing — the crumb firms as it cools, making neater slices.
Slice and serve. Keeps well wrapped at room temperature for 2–3 days or freezes in slices for up to 3 months.
Tips
- Use very ripe bananas (lots of brown speckles) for maximum sweetness and moisture — they mash more easily too.
- Measure the plain flour by spooning it into the scales rather than packing; too much flour dries the loaf.
- Fold the batter gently. Overmixing breaks gluten and makes a dense loaf.
- If the top browns quickly, tent with foil from about 35 minutes to prevent burning while the centre finishes.
- Make-ahead: bake, cool completely, then freeze sliced. Defrost slices in a toaster for perfect texture.
Substitutions
plain flour → Use 200g plain flour + 100g wholemeal flour
Noticeably differentvegetable oil → Replace with 85ml melted coconut oil (use refined if you don’t want coconut flavour)
Stays closeunsweetened soya milk → Use oat or almond milk in the same quantity
Stays closelight muscovado sugar → Replace with 150g caster sugar for a lighter caramel flavour
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 300
- Calories
- 4 g
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 18 g
- Sugar
- 100 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
How do I know the loaf is cooked through?
Insert a skewer into the centre — it should come out with a few moist crumbs but no raw batter. The loaf will also pull slightly away from the tin edges.
Can I make this nut‑free?
Yes. Omit the walnuts and replace with an equal weight of sunflower seeds or extra chocolate chips.
Can I reduce the sugar?
You can reduce the sugar by up to 25% with only a modest change to texture; the bananas add natural sweetness so you may find it sweet enough.
How should I store and freeze the loaf?
Store at room temperature, wrapped, for 2–3 days. For longer, slice and freeze in a single layer in a resealable bag for up to 3 months; toast or defrost slices before serving.
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