Easy 5-Ingredient Banana Bread Recipe (Vegan, Gluten free)

I was diagnosed with celiac disease and lactose intolerance in my early 20s! As someone who is gluten free and allergic to almonds it is so important to me to provide easy gluten free recipes without tree nuts.

This 5-ingredient banana bread is the perfect easy quick bread! This 5-ingredient vegan banana bread is made with simple ingredients and less sugar than other banana breads! If this is your first time or you’re a seasoned baker, this easy banana bread recipe is the perfect way to use up any brown bananas you have!

This quick breakfast bread recipe is gluten free, dairy free, vegan and can be made nut free. It is perfect to toast up and serve with vegan butter or a little maple syrup, just like my gluten free beer bread! 

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

This 5-Ingredient Banana Bread is the perfect way to use overripe bananas! In addition, this banana bread promises you an easy dessert so you don’t have to save your calories up all day just to enjoy something sweet at night! This vegan banana bread is made using peanut butter, applesauce, gluten free flour and mashed bananas. There is no processed sugar in it! This vegan banana bread recipe has no eggs. There is no oil and no fats making this the perfect guilt free banana bread! 

This 5-Ingredient Banana Bread can be topped with any sprinkes, nuts or granola you want! You can serve it room temperature or heat it up in the microwave if you want a warm cozy treat. You can top each warm slice with peanut butter, nut butter, chocolate hummus or tahini. 

This 5-Ingredient Banana Bread is a great recipe that you can eat for breakfast, an afternoon snack or dessert. I usually bake this 5-Ingredient Banana Bread on sundays, so we have it available all week to snack on. 

This guilt free 5-Ingredient Banana Bread is sweetened by the apples and bananas in the recipe. There is zero added or processed sugar. 

This bread is also the perfect base to add any any extra ingredients or flavors! You can mix in vegan chocolate chips, sprinkles or even blueberries. Either way you can’t go wrong. 

Ingredients & Substitutes

Mashed bananas: Adds sweetness, moisture, and the main banana flavor. You can use any bananas from yellow to ones with brown spots. You can substitute with an equal amount of applesauce for a less banana-forward loaf. Optiont to add any extra banana slices to the top of the batter before baking for the best flavor. 

Peanut butter: Provides fat, protein, and that classic peanut butter taste plus acts as an added sweetener. Other nut butters (like almond butter) or sunflower seed butter will work too.

Applesauce: Gives moisture and a touch of sweetness and is an egg replacer. You can use any type of applesauce for this recipe. Feel free to use cinnamon flavored applesauce, plain applesauce, no sugar added applesauce, strawberry applesauce, strawberry banana applesauce or organic applesauce. All applesauces work the same way!
 You could try mashed sweet potato or pumpkin puree for a different flavor.

Gluten-free flour: The base of the bread. Any gluten-free flour blend should work, or try oat flour for a heartier texture or coconut flour for added coconut flavor. 

Baking soda: Helps the bread rise and is a leavening agent. Use baking powder if that’s what you have on hand.

How ripe should my bananas be?

The riper the better!! I like to use bananas when they’re turning brown, or once they’ve already turned fully brown. This way they are sweeter! If a banana has already turned partially or fully brown, but youre not ready to make this bread yet, you can throw them in the freezer and keep them for up to 2-3 months until you are ready to make this! Once you’re ready, let the bananas thaw by sitting out for 2-3 hours on a papertowel to absorb the moisture from defrosting, or else it will make a mess! Also, once the banana thaws it will be a mushy texture which is actually perfect for this recipe!

TASTE & TEXTURE

This easy vegan banana bread recipe is made with minimal ingredients and has a hearty texture thanks to the peanut butter and gluten-free flour. It’s less fluffy than traditional banana bread but still moist. The banana flavor is noticeable, but the peanut butter adds a nice savory balance. Overall, it’s a slightly denser, less sweet banana bread with a satisfying nutty flavor.

HOW TO MAKE

1. Mash the bananas in a medium bowl or large mixing bowl with a fork or potato masher. Add the peanut butter and applesauce to the mash bananas and stir until well combined. Set this wet mixture in the large bowl aside.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour and baking soda.
3. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring constantly until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the banana bread batter.
4. Line a loaf tin with a strip of parchment paper and pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
5. Bake the entire loaf at 350°F (175°C) for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

EXPERT TIPS & TRICKS

If your bananas are over ripe it is OK to freeze them and defrost for this recipe. Just leave them out until defrosted or microwave for 30 seconds or until soft. 

You can add any mix-ins you want to this 5 ingredient vegan banana bread recipe. Feel free to make it your own! You can add vegan chocolate chips, nuts, sprinkles, blueberries, etc. 

If you do not have parchment paper greese the edges with melted coconut oil.

5 ways to top your banana bread recipe: 

• Peanut butter and jelly banana bread:Toast each slice and top with peanut butter and jelly before serving
• Chocolate banana bread: Mix in 1 cup vegan chocoalte chips before baking.
• Chocolate and peanut butter banana bread: Mix in 1 cup vegan chocoalte chips before baking. Drizzle the loaf with melted peanut butter.
• Strawberry Raspberry banana bread: Mix in 1 cup diced strawberries before baking. Spread raspberry jelly on each toasted slice before serving. 
• Lemon blueberry banana bread: Mix in 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 cup blueberries before baking. 

HOW TO SERVE & STORE

To store your 5-Ingredient Banana Bread, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, a freezer bag or place it in an airtight container. It will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze the bread for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen bread in the refrigerator overnight.

To reheat, enjoy a slice of the 5-Ingredient Banana Bread at room temperature or warm it gently in the microwave or toaster oven. For meal prep, slice the bread and freeze individual portions in freezer-safe bags. Grab a slice when needed and thaw it in the fridge or reheat directly from frozen.

Easy 5-Ingredient Banana Bread Recipe (Vegan, Gluten free)

Kayla Cappiello

This 5-ingredient banana bread is the perfect easy quick bread! This 5-ingredient vegan banana bread is made with simple ingredients and less sugar than other banana breads! If this is your first time or you're a seasoned baker, this easy banana bread recipe is the perfect way to use up any brown bananas you have!

This quick breakfast bread recipe is gluten free, dairy free, vegan and can be made nut free. It is perfect to toast up and serve with vegan butter or a little maple syrup. 

5 from 5 votes

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Servings 6 slices

Ingredients

  

• 3 mashed bananas
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour
• 1 tsp baking soda

Instructions

 

• Mash the bananas in a medium bowl. Add the peanut butter and applesauce to the mashed bananas and stir until well combined. Set this wet mixture aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour and baking soda.
• Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring constantly until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
• Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.