5 ingredient vegan banana bread (gluten free)

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

This 5-ingredient vegan banana bread is the perfect way to use overripe bananas! In addition, this banana bread promises you a healthy 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 vegan 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 vegan banana bread is a healthy recipe that you can eat for breakfast, an afternoon snack or dessert. I usually bake this 5-ingredient vegan banana bread on sundays, so we have it available all week to snack on.

This guilt free 5-ingredient vegan 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.

5 ways to top your 5-ingredient vegan banana bread

Peanut butter and jelly banana bread

Toast each slice and top with peanut butter and jelly before serving

Chocolate chip 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 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!

Ingredients & Substitutes

Peanut butter

This 5-ingredient vegan banana bread calls for peanut butter but you can sub any type of granola butter, tahini, chickpea butter, peanut butter or other nut butter. Anything with the consistency of peanut butter can be subbed.

For this 5-ingredient vegan banana bread recipe I always buy organic peanut butter that is just ground peanuts and salt. I specifically look for peanut butter that does not contain oil, although sometimes if i can’t find that I use natural Jif.

Applesauce

This 5-ingredient vegan banana bread recipe calls for apple sauce. You can choose either unsweetened or sweetened apple sauce based on how sweet you want the banana bread to be. Store bought is fine and if you do not have it you can make your own applesauce at home. The idea is to add moisture to the recipe. If you do not have apples you can use mashed bananas or pumpkin puree instead. This recipe is vegan so make sure to use a vegan substitute.

This vegan bananana bread use applesauce instead of oil! That’s right! This is a zero oil recipe!! Its the perfect way to cut back on fat and make this bread light, airy and cake-like. Applesauce is fat free. You can also get sugar free applesauce to reduce the amount of sugar in this banana bread. Store bought is fine and if you do not have it you can make your own applesauce at home. The idea is to add moisture to the recipe.

Gluten free flour

For this 5-ingredient vegan banana bread recipe I used a 1:1 gluten free flour blend. Cup 4 cup and bob’s red mill both offer 1:1 substitutes that you can use in place of wheat flour without changing the amount. You can use wheat flour if you prefer but to keep it gluten free the 1:1 flour blend is the best bet! I have not tried this recipe with oat flour, coconut flour, almond flour or any other nut flour.

TASTE & TEXTURE

This 5-ingredient vegan banana bread is moist in the middle and best served warm with some vegan butter. This banana bread is a healthy option because it uses applesauce so you can eat as many slices as you want.

HOW TO MAKE

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1

Mix wet ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Set Aside. Mix dry ingredients in a separate medium sized bowl. Slowly add wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mixing as you go. Mix until fully combined. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and add batter into lined loaf pan.

STEP 2

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

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.

How to make these nut-free?

If peanut butter isnt your thing or you’re allergic, try almond butter, tahini, granola butter, or chocolate hummus!

what kind of applesauce should i buy?

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!

HOW TO SERVE & STORE

You can store this 5-ingredient vegan banana bread in the fridge for up to 3 days in an air tight container. Do not store on counter. Must refrigerate.

You can freeze this vegan banana in freezer in an air tight container for up to 3 months. To reheat, microwave for 30-60 seconds before eating.