Vegan Banana Bread

By Genevieve Ko

Updated March 19, 2024

Vegan Banana Bread
Joseph De Leo for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
1¼ hours, plus cooling
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Rating
5(441)
Comments
Read comments

If you’ve never tried to bake anything before, this is a great place to start. (You don’t even need a cake pan!) And if you’re an expert in the kitchen, you’ll be delighted with this quick bread that’s as tender as cake. Overripe bananas not only deliver their deep sweetness, but also bind together the batter made from pantry ingredients. With neither dairy nor eggs, this treat tastes like the purest form of banana bread and also ends up being vegan. You can skip the crunchy topping or swap in your favorite nuts, or black or white sesame seeds. You also can stir a cup of mini chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate into the batter before baking to take this from breakfast treat to dessert.

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Ingredients

Yield:One 9- or 10-inch cake (8 to 12 servings)
  • Canola or vegetable oil, for greasing the pan
  • 1½cups/194 grams all-purpose flour
  • 1teaspoon baking powder
  • ½teaspoon baking soda
  • ½teaspoon fine salt
  • 1½cups/276 grams mashed very ripe bananas (from 3 to 4)
  • ½cup/100 grams sugar
  • ½cup/100 grams canola or vegetable oil
  • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1cup chopped pecans or roasted salted peanuts (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

319 calories; 19 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 195 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Rub oil inside a 9- or 10-inch ovenproof skillet.

  2. Step 2

    Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

  3. Step 3

    Whisk the bananas and sugar in a large bowl until the bananas have completely broken down. Whisk in the oil and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture and switch to a flexible spatula to stir until smooth.

  4. Step 4

    Scrape and spread the batter into the skillet. Sprinkle the top with nuts, if you’d like.

  5. Step 5

    Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool completely in the skillet on a rack. The banana bread will keep, wrapped well, for up to 3 days at room temperature and up to 3 months in the freezer.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
441 user ratings
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Comments

Alexandra Duane

What is the reason for using a skillet rather than using a round cake pan or pie plate? The skillet isn't heated over a burner, so what is the point? Is it only to make this accessible to people who don't have any baking equipment?

NMR

Post-2024 election stress baker here. 50 minutes in a loaf pan was perfect. I started with 30 minutes, then tested at 40 & 50 minutes.

Kitchen Witch

Made this with canned pumpkin. Beautiful delicate crumb, not too sweet. Added cloves and cinnamon. So easy.

Janet Torrence

Used an 8” square pan and baked for 30 min and it was perfect. So light and delicious! I made mine with unsalted roasted peanuts as that is what I had. Eh. I suppose salted would be better. Or pecans. Or chocolate! But loved the cake.

Jackie

Fantastic, shockingly easy recipe. I added vegan chocolate chips and toasted walnuts which was a wonderful combination. I see no point in using the skillet except for the convenience factor. This is a great recipe for a novice chef who might not have anything besides a frying pan.

MP

Adaptable and delicious! For the oil I used 1/4 c tahini and 1/4 c olive oil. In keeping with the tahini and not having peanuts or pecans, I topped the batter with sesame seeds and a little kosher salt. Also in keeping with the tahini, I oiled the pan with sesame oil. I reduced the sugar a bit, using brown instead of white. I added 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon and cardamom to the dry ingredients. Baking time with 4 bananas was 50 min and still plenty moist. Will make again as written or adapted.

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