Vegan Banana Bread

Nothing really beats a thick slice of banana bread with some tea or coffee. Whether it’s breakfast or snack time, banana bread always sounds like a great idea. I can eat all the cupcakes, pies and cakes with decadent frosting but then I always come back to the simple yet so delicious banana bread. You know what I’m talking about, right?

I love that you can just whip up banana bread within an hour on a Sunday afternoon like it’s no big deal because it’s that simple and you most likely have all the ingredients already in your cupboard. If you’re looking for a proofed and tested recipe that makes moist, rustic and wholesome banana bread, look no further.

This recipe is fully vegan and uses flax “eggs” which I find are the perfect sub and you won’t be able to tell the difference. Adding to our wet ingredients, I love using coconut oil for it’s taste and additional moisture. When it comes to bananas, you want them to be really nice and ripe for extra sweetness. Speaking of sweetness, I also add some coconut sugar and a touch of maple syrup for the perfect flavour.

As for the dry ingredients, I like the 1:1 ratio of oat flour and unbleached white flour (regular bleached flour is treated with chemical agents to speed up aging, while unbleached flour is bleached naturally as it ages. It has an off-white color and a more dense grain than bleached flour). I then take it a step further and sift the flours when adding to a mixing bowl. This will simply help to create a lighter bread texture.

Feel free to get creative when it comes to adding nuts and/or chocolate chips. I love using walnuts and sometimes chopped dark chocolate if I feel extra fancy:)

Total time: 65 minutes | Servings: 8 - 10 slices

Wet ingredients:
3 large ripe bananas
2 tbsp ground flax + 5 tbsp water
1/3 cup coconut oil melted
1/4 cup plant based milk
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Dry ingredients:
1 cup oat flour (oats ground very fine until flour like)
1 cup white unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Optional: handful of chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F, line your 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and prepare two mixing bowls.

2. Start by combing your ground flax with water. Set aside to thicken, about 5 minutes. In the meantime melt the coconut oil. Then mash the bananas in the mixing bowl, add the rest of the wet ingredients - flax “egg”, coconut sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup and milk - and mix well until all combined.

3. Into the other bowl sift the white and oat flour through a fine sieve. Then add the rest of the dry ingredients - baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir well.

4. Start slowly adding the dry mixture into the wet mixture and keep stirring until there are no flour patches at the bottom of the bowl. If adding nuts and/or chocolate chips, fold them gently into the mixture now.

5. Pour the mixture into your baking pan and spread evenly.

6. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes until golden brown on top. Use a toothpick or a knife to gently slide into the middle of the bread. You know your bread is done when it comes out clean.

7. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let sit for about 10 minutes. Then remove the bread from the pan and let cool completely before cutting or it will be too soft and will tend to crumble.

8. You can store the banana bread in the fridge for up to 4 days. I like to pop a slice or two in the toaster before eating - quick and easy way to warm it up.