This moist 5 ingredient banana bread recipe will change the way you think of vegan desserts!
The sponge of this loaf is soft and sweet, ideal for a snack or breakfast, and it is prepared with only five ingredients (plus optional flavorings!)... perfect to enjoy with a hot cup of tea or coffee, or on the go.
Banana bread was a very popular cake my mother would bake while I was growing up, sometimes with walnuts, others with chocolate chips, and the taste of this brings back so many memories!
This recipe is different because it is the best banana bread recipe you will try, ever. Not only it is vegan, it uses up your spotty overripe bananas, and it is moist, but it also requires very little washing up... as it is prepared in a bowl with a fork, then baked in a loaf pan, and that's all the equipment needed.
Ingredients Banana Bread Recipe
- Bananas: Spotty, overripe bananas are what you need for this recipe. Ensure they do not have any green or underripe parts, as they wouldn't work for baking.
- Sugar: For added depth, brown sugar is the best choice.
- Oil and Water: For bonding and moisture.
- Self-Rising Flour: I use white self-rising flour for this recipe. Should you want gluten-free banana bread, then you can use self-rising oat flour instead.
- OPTIONAL FLAVORINGS: Any syrup you like, such as maple or golden, but also vanilla extract, chocolate chips, chopped walnuts... all work well should you wish to add some and make the recipe your own.
How to make 5 ingredient banana bread?
- Preheat the oven to 400* F, Fan 180* Celsius, Conventional 200* Celsius, or Gas mark 6.
- Mash the overripe bananas with a fork to the preferred consistency (leave some chunkier bits of banana if liked), before adding the vinegar, sugar, and oil (and any flavoring syrup if desired), then mix well.
- Next, add the self-rising flour in stages; add a few tablespoons at a time and mix well before adding more. Do so until the whole flour has been added.
- Cover the loaf pan with some baking paper and add the vegan banana bread batter to it; bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of it clean.
- Allow the banana bread to cool down before slicing and enjoy this glorious dessert!
Yes, you can and I do! I recommend leaving the cake to completely cool down on a rack, then cutting it into slices and freezing it in individual portions, or freezing it as a complete loaf.
You can make your own by sifting baking powder and all-purpose plain flour together until thoroughly distributed. For any 150g (or 1 cup or 6oz) of plain flour just add two teaspoons of baking powder; as for this recipe, you will need 350g (or 2.5 cups or 12.5oz) of flour and 4 ½ teaspoons of baking powder. This recipe does not require the use of baking soda.
Yes, absolutely! But as the thickness of the batter will be less, I would recommend keeping a close eye on it while baking as you will probably require less time.
Should you wish to turn this into a gluten-free loaf, then using self-rising oat flour is a great option, as the flavors work well together. Almond flour on the other hand wouldn't work, as the consistency wouldn't be right in this case.
You can store this 5 ingredient banana bread in an air-tight container for 2 days on the counter and up to 4 in the fridge. This cake can also be frozen for up to a month; fully defrost before serving.
A few notes:
- Ripe bananas: use the ripest bananas you have for this banana bread recipe; overripe bananas are sweeter and will make this the best banana bread ever!
- Flavor up: add to the cake flavors you like! Think syrups like maple or golden, but also cinnamon, pecans, cashews, chocolate chips, toffee chips... all work very well.
- Cooldown: if you are not serving the whole cake straight away, allow it to cool down before slicing. This will allow the moisture to be locked in, rather than escape, keeping your banana bread soft for longer.
- Do not over mix: the batter doesn't need over mixing; as soon as all of the ingredients are well mixed, bake it. Overmixing may result in a banana bread that is too dense.
- Other sugar: if you'd like to use non-refined sugars, coconut sugar will work top-notch in this recipe.
- Frozen bananas: allow the bananas to fully thaw, then drain any liquid and use as directed in the recipe.
- Oil: For a change, you could use coconut oil instead of sunflower oil, but keep in mind this adds flavor and sweetness. Refined coconut oil is mostly flavorless.
- Use parchment paper: using parchment paper makes removing the banana loaf from the loaf pan so much easier, it really is worth it.
Have a go at this easy banana bread recipe: it is tasty, quick, and moist plus… you will make good use of those bananas you have on the counter (or is that only me?)
Have a look at these other delicious cakes and bakes:
- Banana Pancakes Without Milk
- Banana Muffins
- Chocolate Orange Cake
- Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes without Baking Powder
Recipe
The Perfect 5 Ingredient Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 4 Ripe Medium Bananas
- 70 ml Sunflower Oil or Vegetable Oil
- 70 ml Water
- 220 g Brown Sugar I used demerara
- 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup optional
- 250 g Self-Rising Flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to FAN 180 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 6 or 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a bowl, peel and put the four ripe bananas and mash with a fork to the desired consistency; if liked, leave some pieces of banana un-mashed for a sweet bite, but if not, completely mashed will work perfectly too.
- Add the sunflower oil, water, sugar, and (optional) maple syrup to the mashed bananas and mix well until you achieve a uniform consistency.
- Now, slowly start adding the self-rising flour; add a couple of tablespoons at a time and mix well with the fork until completely mixed, ensuring no knots form. Continue doing so until all the flour is completely incorporated.
- Line a tin loaf with greaseproof baking paper and transfer the vegan banana bread batter into the tin.
- Place the tin on the middle shelf in the oven and cook for about 50 minutes; keep an eye on it, as some ovens may need a bit less or a bit more time. To ensure the cake’s batter is thoroughly baked, use a tooth pick in the middle of the loaf and if it comes out clean, it is ready.
- Once ready, remove the tin from the oven and allow it to cool down as much as possible before removing it from the tin. Allowing it to cool down before slicing it will ensure the cake remains as moist as possible, as you won’t allow the steam to escape. You can store the uneaten slices of cake in an airtight container for up to three days.
Corrie
I did this bread and it came out SO delicious! I was wondering while starting that you haven't used any milk, so it might not be moist. Usually, the banana bread recipes use milk. But, after trying it, it turned out perfectly moist. Highly recommended!!!
Elle
Thank you so much for your kind words, Corrie. Indeed, this vegan banana bread is very moist!
Sharon
Very impressed.
Elle
Thank you, Sharon! ?