I know what you're thinking...doesn't everyone think their recipe is the best?
Yes, yes they do.
And if they do, then what makes me think mine is the best?
Well, I've tried dozens of banana bread recipes, and nothing...NOTHING, compared to my mom's. So, I had her message me the recipe, and I veganized it. Easy and quite delicious.
This banana bread is so moist but has a crispy crust and it is so easy to personalize and make it exactly like you want it. You can add whatever add-ins you know and love and, of course, this is a great way to reduce food waste.
All of the ingredients are very common to find, except maybe flax seeds. BUT! Good news, you can substitute applesauce for the "egg" instead.
First, like most breads and cakes, you have to mix together the wet ingredients. Cream together the butter (or coconut oil) and sugar until smooth. Add the mashed bananas, milk, and vanilla and mix again. Then, mix in the eggs.
For the dry ingredients, in a separate bowl, whisk them together first. Then, fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in three batches. Make sure you mix well until all the dry ingredients are incorporated, but be sure not to over mix!
That's really it! At this point, you can fold in your add-ins (click here to see my favorite variations of this delicious banana bread) or leave it as is. Dump the batter into a well greased loaf pan (or even cupcake pan) and bake at 350F for about an hour. I will talk more about the baking time at the end of this recipe.
Be sure to let the bread cool for a few minutes before slicing into it. I know, it's hard to resist, but this leaves the bread at the best texture.
This bread keeps for about a week on the counter, but honestly it probably won't last that long. Daniel and I usually dig into a loaf and it disappears within a few days or I take it to a gathering (back when we could gather...) and it would be gone in a few minutes! I store is wrapped in a tea towel/thin towel in order to reduce the amount of tin foil I use, but foil works well too.
One last thing...I love some spicy banana bread. I use every spice I have basically: cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, clove, and ginger. These are not necessary. I'd say you should use at least one spice to give this banana bread it's signature flavor though. Omit what you are allergic too or what you don't have. But, if you have all the spices, I highly recommend using them all. That flavor combo is just phenomenal (this is my signature combo, sorry mom, your recipe just was lacking a spicy punch).
Vegan Banana Bread
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1.25 hours
Serves: one loaf, about 8-12 slices
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vegan butter OR coconut oil, softened/room temperature
- 2 large or 3 small VERY ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 tbsp plant milk*****
- 2 tbsp ground flax seeds + 6 tbsp water****
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg*
- 1/2 tsp all spice*
- 1/2 tsp ground clove*
- 1/2 tsp ginger*
Directions:
1. First, mix the ground flax seeds and water, let sit for about 5 minutes, mixing a few times.
2. While you wait, mash the bananas and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to mix the sugar and butter (or coconut oil). If you don't have a hand mixer, a stand mixer or even just a whisk will work, though the whisk requires a bit of elbow grease.
4. Add the bananas, vanilla, and milk. Whisk or mix again (continuing with the hand mixer) until well combined.
5. Once the "egg" has congealed, add that to the wet mixture and mix in.
6. In a smaller, separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, and whatever spices you chose to use (more on this in the notes below).
7. Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture in three batches. Add a little of the dry, fold in (doesn't have to be fully incorporated yet) and continue three times. At this point, make sure all the dry ingredients are incorporated, but don't over mix. (I often find that I need to add an additional splash of water or milk to keep the batter consistency, add 1 tbsp at a time until it looks like the above image if needed)
8. Dump the batter into a well greased loaf pan or cupcake tin**.
9. Bake at 350F/180C for an hour. At this point, it should be cooked mostly all the way through, but, turn the oven off and leave the loaf in there to make sure it's all the way done. Once the oven is mostly cool, test the bread with a tooth pick or something of that nature to make sure it's cooked through. Though, from my experience, it should be done by this point.
10. Remove from the oven and let cool for several minutes before slicing.
11. ENJOY!***
Recipe Notes:
* These spices are not all necessary. I'd say you should use at least one spice to give this banana bread it's signature flavor though. Omit what you are allergic too or what you don't have. But, if you have all the spices, I highly recommend using them all. That flavor combo is just phenomenal (this is my signature combo, sorry mom, your recipe just was lacking a spicy punch).
** For cupcakes/muffins, bake for half the amount of time and don't forget to test with a toothpick before removing from the oven completely.
*** Store with tin foil OR for a low waste option, wrap in a tea towel or thin towel. It will keep on the counter for about a week, but probably won't last that long ;)
**** If you don't have flax seeds, apple sauce works as a great egg replacer, though it makes the bread a little more dense, though it it still DELICIOUS! Use 6 tbsp applesauce in replace for the flax seed mixture. (6 tbsp pumpkin or avocado would suffice, too)
***** Any kind of plant milk works OR you can simply use water!
I hope you enjoy this banana bread and I also hope that you think it's the best. I grew up with this recipe and never quite found one like it. Part of me wanted to keep this recipe a family recipe, but at the same time, I thought it was just too good not to share! I truly believe it's the best banana bread recipe. If you think you have a competitor, let me know, I'd love to be the judge of that :)
Don't forget to check out my favorite variations for this recipe!
Emma :)
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