This easy vegan banana bread with chocolate chips is completely oil-free but still moist and delicious. The recipe takes just minutes to prepare in one bowl with simple, everyday ingredients. Enjoy a thick slice, warm from the oven topped with vegan butter.

Stack of 3 slices of easy vegan banana bread on a white plate.

This banana bread is easy to make, perfectly moist and completely oil-free and refined sugar-free. Try it topped with apple butter, date paste or homemade cranberry sauce for a healthy and delicious treat.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Let’s go over how to make this banana bread step-by-step.

Before you start: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.

Step 1. Mash the Banana

The first step to making this banana bread is to mash up the banana in a bowl. You could also blitz it in a blender a couple times or use an immersion blender.

It doesn’t have to be completely smooth but close to it, a few small lumps are ok. I like using an immersion blender for this. A couple quickly blitzes is perfect.

Mashed banana in a bowl with an immersion blender.
Mashed banana in a glass mixing bowl.

Step 2. Mix in the Wet Ingredients

Once you’ve mashed the banana, add the nut butter, vanilla and maple syrup and stir or whisk until smooth.

You can use peanut butter, almond butter or any other nut butter in this recipe as long as it’s not too dry.

Mashed banana, nut butter and maple syrup in a glass mixing bowl.
The wet ingredients for banana bread mixed together in a glass bowl.

How ripe should the bananas be?

For wonderfully moist banana bread, the bananas should be ripe to the point that you wouldn’t want to eat one for a snack. They should be soft but not complete mush, with spotty brown peels. If the bananas are green or under ripe, the bread will be on the dry side.

Step 3. Mix in the Dry Ingredients

Next, add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. While the dry ingredients are sitting on top of the wet mixture, gently mix together to help distribute the baking powder.

Quick Tip: I highly suggest using a kitchen scale for accurate baking. For example, 2 cups of whole wheat flour weighs 240 grams but when just using a measuring up I’ve had 1 cup weigh over 200 grams before!

When mixing the dry ingredients into the wet, gently fold together until all the flour has been wetted. When there are no dry bits left, stop mixing. Finally, gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Flour, cinnamon, baking powder and chocolate chips in a glass mixing bowl.
The dry ingredients for banana bread being mixed into the wet ingredients in a glass mixing bowl.
Raw banana bread batter in a glass mixing bowl.

Do I have to add chocolate chips?

No, you don’t have to use chocolate chips but I think chocolate chips in banana bread are a must. I like Made Good, Enjoy Life or Camino dairy-free chocolate chips. You could also use chopped dark chocolate.

Step 4. Bake and enjoy!

Woohoo! We’re almost ready to bake! Scoop the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Once baked, let the banana bread sit in the loaf pan for a few minutes, then lift it out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper.

Let the banana bread cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Fresh baked banana bread in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
A loaf of fresh banana bread cooling on a cooling rack.

Do I have to use parchment paper to line the pan?

No, it’s not totally necessary but it does make it easy to pop the finished bread out of the pan. If you’re not using parchment paper, rub the pan with a small amount of vegan butter, olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil or give it a quick spritz of non-stick cooking spray.

A sliced loaf of fresh chocolate chip banana bread.
A sliced of chocolate chip banana bread slathered with butter.
Stack of 5 slices of easy vegan banana bread on a white plate.

More Vegan Baking Recipes

Here are some more delicious vegan baking recipes:

You might also like this date and pumpkin bread. For more banana treats you can try my banana bread mug cake, healthy banana split or peanut butter banana cups.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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Stack of 5 slices of easy vegan banana bread on a white plate.

Easy Vegan Banana Bread

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 55 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 12 slices
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Vegan
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Description

This easy vegan banana bread comes together in 1 hour with simple ingredients mixed in one bowl. Enjoy a thick slice, warm from the oven and topped with vegan butter for a delicious, healthy treat anytime of day.


Ingredients

  • 3 ripe bananas (350 g), 1.5 cups when smushed into a measuring cup 
  • 1/4 cup (60 g) almond butter (or any other nut or seed butter as long as it’s not too dry)
  • 1/2 cup (165 g) maple syrup
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract, optional
  • 2 cups (240 g) whole wheat flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup (75 g) dairy-free chocolate chips, mini or regular

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Add the banana to a mixing bowl and mash with a fork or immersion blender until it forms a thick paste. A few small lumps are okay but it should be almost completely smooth.
  3. Add the maple syrup, almond butter and vanilla and stir until completely combined.
  4. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. While the dry ingredients are sitting on top of the wet mixture, mix them together a bit so the baking powder is distributed then fold it all into the wet ingredients until no dry bits of flour remain. Do not over mix the batter.
  5. Add the chocolate chips and gently fold in to the batter.
  6. Line a loaf pan with a parchment paper. One strip placed across the pan is perfect so you can easily lift the finished bread out of the pan.
  7. Scoop the batter into the pan and spread evenly to create a flat surface.
  8. Bake for 50-55 minutes. You can test for doneness by inserting a knife into the middle, if it comes out clean (a little chocolate is ok), the bread is done.
  9. Remove from the oven, let sit in the pan for 5 minutes then lift out of the pan and let cool on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing into 12 even slices.
  10. Store the bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. 

Notes

The bananas should be ripe to the point that you wouldn’t want to eat one for a snack. They should be soft but not complete mush, with spotty brown peels. If the bananas are green or under ripe, the bread will be on the dry side.