Fluffy, tender, lightly sweetened banana bread studded with blueberries. Made healthier with whole grains and oil-free, but still addictingly delicious.
This banana bread is fluffy with a nice bite to it, completely oil-free, low in added sugars, and made with 100% whole grains!
Key Ingredients
So what’s in it? Actually very basic ingredients you probably already have in your pantry! (At least if you’ve done some vegan baking in your life.) (Please don’t be intimidated by the long list.)
- Bananas ⟶ Make sure they’re ripe and spotty; the riper they are, the softer they are (easier to mash), and the sweeter they are.
- Maple Syrup ⟶ You can add 1/3 cup for a sweeter banana bread, but I like mine just barely sweet.
- Almond Butter ⟶ Other nut/seed butters work as well, but may slightly affect flavor.
- Whole Wheat Flour ⟶ You can sub all purpose flour but start with less milk.
- Blueberries ⟶ Other berries would be delicious as well!
Tips & Tricks to Making Perfect Vegan Banana Bread
Baking is definitely a science and (despite my food/nutrition science background) I’ve had my fair share of failed experiments. But the good news is that banana bread is actually pretty easy to make (with a good recipe)! Just a few tips to keep in mind:
- Use ripe, spotty, or even brown bananas. The riper they are, the sweeter they are, and therefore the more delicious and banana-y your bread will be!
- To develop more banana flavor, mash the bananas and let them sit for a couple hours on the counter before making the loaf.
- If your bananas are still completely yellow (not green), but you are absolutely craving banana bread, you can quickly ripen them by either baking in a 300°F oven until the peels are shiny and black, or pop them in the microwave for 30 second intervals until soft (they will turn brown/black as they sit after taking them out of the microwave).
- Do not over-mix the batter! Over-mixing will develop more gluten than you want, resulting in a dense, rubbery loaf. You really want to mix just until all ingredients are incorporated and the batter is just moistened. Tempting as it may be to keep stirring, stop!
Want to make muffins instead?
Bake in a lined muffin pan at 375°F for 20-24 minutes. Makes 11 muffins.
More Sweet Breakfasts!
- Best Healthy Banana Bread
- Best Healthy Gluten-Free Banana Bread
- Whole Wheat Chocolate Banana Bread
- Snickerdoodle Banana Muffins
- Japanese Melon Pan (メロンパン)
If you do try out this blueberry banana bread, don’t forget to share, tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking, and leave a comment down below and let me know how you liked it! I love seeing all of your tasty recreations 🙂 Happy baking!
Blueberry Banana Bread (Vegan, Oil-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (360g) mashed banana, 3-4 medium bananas
- 3 tbsp maple syrup**
- ⅓ cup (85g) almond butter
- 2-4 tbsp soy milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 ½ cups + 1 tbsp (190g) whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- ¾ cup blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan or line with parchment paper and set aside.
- For a fuller banana flavor, mash bananas and let them sit out a couple hours before baking.
- In a large bowl, mix together bananas, maple syrup, almond butter, lemon juice, milk, and almond extract.
- Sift in whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold the batter together until just incorporated. Gently fold in blueberries.
- Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 1 hour if using a 9" pan, or 80-90 minutes for an 8" pan. Bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (or very few crumbs; the batter should not still be wet). Let the bread cool completely before cutting.
**Notes
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