This recipe is for lovers of healthy banana bread.😊 If you’re not a fan of it yet, you must try this tasty creation. It is one of my favorite sweet and healthy treats. Therefore, I created this version together with my friend Gian from giansnutrition. He also has a blog with tasty vegan recipes. So feel free to check it out.
Our goal was to develop a wholesome, sugar-free, vegan banana bread that tastes super delicious at the same time. In our opinion, it turned out perfectly. That’s why I wanted to share it also with you here. In it, you can use overripe bananas. So if bananas have been sitting around in your kitchen a bit longer, don’t throw them away.
I’m a big fan of banana bread myself. You can probably tell because I’ve already published several variations. In my new cookbook, of course, it could not be missing. The cake got the name: World’s Best and Healthiest Banana Bread on it. However, I think the following recipe, comes very close to the one in my book. Maybe it even tastes almost as good. No matter which version you recreate, you certainly won’t be disappointed with either of them.
The great thing about banana bread is that you can eat it at any time of day. It spices up your breakfast or strengthens you in the afternoon. Furthermore, it’s also delicious as a dessert with your favorite spread or a little nut puree.
Vegan banana bread is super easy & fast!
You need about 7 minutes of preparation time and hardly any dirty dishes at the end. Because the entire batter is mixed in either one or two bowls. Then bake the banana bread in the oven for about 55 minutes. After that, you just have to let it cool. If you prepare the recipe in the morning, for example, it will be ready to eat in the afternoon.
By the way, this delicious bread can be baked in advance and then frozen in the freezer. Simply wrap it in baking paper and place it in a bread box or a sealable freezer bag. Once you get a craving for banana bread, all you have to do is let it thaw. To make it taste fresh again, toast it briefly or bake it in the oven.
Wholemeal flour instead of white flour
Gian and I used wholegrain spelt flour for the bread. Because from a nutritional point of view, whole grains are very valuable because of their nutrient content. They provide not only proteins but also carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and lots of fiber. In comparison, white flour is poor in micronutrients and fiber. This is because important parts of the grain are removed during processing.
Dietary fiber, which is a component of this banana bread, provides a long-lasting feeling of satiety. Moreover, they stimulate intestinal activity. Furthermore, they help your body to keep its blood sugar level relatively constant. A diet rich in fiber overall can prevent type II diabetes and cravings, for example.
In addition, the previously mentioned vitamins and minerals are part of a healthy diet. There is among others vitamin B and iron in the banana bread. Your body needs B vitamins for its metabolism and blood formation, among other things. They are important for your immune system and your nerves. The trace element iron is needed for the formation of red blood cells and the red blood pigment hemoglobin. Additionally, it supports the normal transport of oxygen.
Taste & Color
Whole wheat flour has a more intense flavor compared to white flour. At the same time, it gives banana bread a pleasant nutty aroma and tastes healthier. It also takes on a darker color. There was a funny situation at a birthday party. Some guests have mistaken the banana bread for a bread garnish to dip into the soul food curry. Hence, you better tell your visitors before they dip the dessert in the sauce. Or, label a note and put it on the buffet table. 😀
Healthy & juicy!
For a nice moist and not too dry banana bread, it is necessary to add nuts as a vegetable fat source. It’s significant for adding liquid. They contain numerous nutrients. Nuts have many positive health effects. They fill you up in a short time. Despite their relatively high content of good fats, they do not cause obesity. In fact, they protect you from it. That is why it is very advisable to consume them. The recommended daily amount of various unsalted nuts is one serving, up to 50g.
Banana bread – With only natural sweetness from fruit!
Most people probably prefer yellow bananas. However, for this recipe, the darker, the better. 🙂
When you don’t have ripe brown bananas, it is still possible to make this banana bread. There is a trick with which you can speed up the ripening process. Put the bananas in the oven at 150 °C for 15-20 minutes. The baking oven has to preheat for the bread, so you directly use the electricity. Please make sure that your bananas do not burn. In the end, they should be soft and sweet.
Another option is to use the microwave instead of the oven. For this, you heat the bananas at low power in 30-second intervals. This method allows for easier control of the ripeness.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Preparation
- Prepare all ingredients and utensils.
- Preheat oven to 338 °F (170 °C).
Step 2: Prepare bananas and apple
- Peel the three ripe bananas.
- Mash them with a fork in a large bowl to make a banana puree.
- Grate the apple into small pieces with a kitchen grater. Add the grated apple to the mashed bananas.
Step 3: Prepare dry ingredients
- In a second bowl, add: 200 g whole wheat flour, 60 g coarsely chopped walnuts, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground vanilla, and 1 tsp cinnamon.
- Combine everything well.
Step 4: Mix bother batters together
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the mashed bananas and grated apple. It is best to mix slowly and not all at once.
- Pour in 100 ml of oat milk and the juice of half a lemon.
- Gently mix all ingredients with a spatula until well combined. Please don’t stir too long so that you don’t get a solid batter.
Step 5: Bake
- Line the baking pan with baking paper thus the batter does not stick later.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth it out.
- Decorate the batter with sugar-free chocolate drops and walnuts.
Step 6: Baking time
- After that, place the loaf pan in the preheated oven.
- Bake the cake for about 55 minutes at 338 °F (170 °C). The baking time varies depending on the oven. Therefore, it is best to perform the toothpick test. Your banana bread is ready when no batter sticks to the toothpick when you prick the center of the cake.
Step 7: Cool & serve
- Next, take the banana bread out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Carefully remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Once the banana bread is no longer hot, you can slice and enjoy it.
Done! I wish you a lot of fun while baking and bon appétit!
You can find a video tutorial here.
Tips for more variety.
Dates & dried fruit
If you want your banana bread to be different, add more ingredients as you like. For example, Medjool dates taste like caramel cream.
Other dried fruits such as raisins, figs, apricots, plums, or cranberries also fit well. The fruit makes the banana bread sweeter. In addition, it gets a different texture than the usual uniform. So you have more variety when biting.
By the way, you could leave a few pieces of the banana whole when mashing. Besides, this creates a more interesting consistency.
Berries
Further, you can hide more nutrients and new flavors in the bread. For example, blueberries or raspberries are a good choice.
Here you can see other banana bread recipes:
The recipe
- Serves: 8
- Serving size: 1
- Calories: 162.41
- Fat: 6.19
- Carbohydrates: 25.63
- Sugar: 6.69
- Sodium: 45.57
- Fiber: 3.74
- Protein: 4.24
- 3 ripe bananas approx. 300 g
- 1 apple approx. 160 g
- 200 g spelt wholemeal flour
- 60 g walnuts*
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 100 ml oat milk
- Juice of half a lemon
Toppings: - 5 g sugar-free chocolate drops
- 5 g walnuts
- Preheat the oven to 338 °F (170 °C) top/bottom heat. Line a 10 x 20 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mash ripe bananas in a large bowl.
- Grate the apple into small pieces and add to the bananas.
- Then add oat milk and lemon juice and mix everything.
- Then add baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
- Stir in spelt whole wheat flour and finely chopped walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and smooth it out.
- Now garnish the banana bread batter with sugar-free chocolate drops and walnuts.
- Bake the bread for about 55 minutes at 338 °F (170 °C).
- Finally, let cool for a few minutes and serve.😊
- Packed in the refrigerator, the banana bread will keep for about 3-4 days and frozen for 4-6 weeks.
Feel free to write me in the comments about how you liked it. Moreover, tell me what special ingredient spices up your banana bread. Surely other readers and I will try your variation as well:)
Furthermore, it would be nice if you share your creation on Instagram. Please link me when you do it. Then I can also see your healthy vegan banana bread.😊 I’m looking forward to your result.
Your Annelina <3
I love that it’s vegan and sugar free and tried many times already and I follow the recipe but mine is not like a cake/bread after 55 min. But rather like a pudding. what do I do wrong? can you help me?
Hello Sonja, thank you so much. Oh, I’m not sure because it worked well for me and my friends. I think it depends on the juiciness of the apple and maybe the size of the banana. If it turns out more like pudding, you could try using a smaller or less juicy apple, as it sounds like there might have been too much liquid. Or you add a little less oat milk. I hope it works better next time!