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Vegan Banana & Walnut Bread

jamie-author-bio
Modified: · Published: by · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments
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This vegan banana and walnut bread is everything you want in a homemade bake - moist, naturally sweet, and full of warm vanilla and toasted walnut flavour. It's an easy, no-fuss recipe that turns overripe bananas into something golden and comforting, with a soft crumb and a gorgeous bakery-style top. Whether you enjoy it warm from the oven or toasted the next day, this loaf delivers pure, feel-good simplicity.

banana-bread-fresh-from-the-oven

Home Baking Memories

There's nothing quite like the smell of banana bread drifting through the kitchen. It's one of those simple pleasures that never gets old. For me, it brings back memories of my Mum's home baking - apple pies, carrot cakes, Irish soda bread… and that warm comfort of sharing a slice with the family.

This vegan banana and walnut bread brings that same nostalgia but with a modern, wellness-friendly twist. No margarine, no refined white sugar - just simple plant-based ingredients, ripe bananas for natural sweetness, real vanilla paste for depth, and crunchy toasted walnuts for texture. The result is a light, moist loaf that feels indulgent yet sits well.

If you want to elevate the experience, try a warm slice with Golden Turmeric Milk or a swipe of Tahini Chocolate Spread.

sliced-banana-bread-with-walnuts

Ingredients for Vegan Banana & Walnut Bread

  • All-purpose (self-raising) flour
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Cinnamon
  • Pink salt
  • Ripe bananas
  • Plant milk - use any you prefer.
  • Coconut sugar
  • Coconut oil
  • Cider vinegar
  • Vanilla paste
  • Walnuts: mixed in or on top

(See the recipe card below for exact weights.)

Equipment

No fancy gear needed:

  • Digital weighing scales
  • Mixing bowls
  • Fork
  • Strainer/sieve
  • Spatula
  • Bread tins
  • Greaseproof/parchment paper
  • Cooling rack
  • Oven set to 175-180°C / 350°F
vgean-banana-bread-sliced

Tips for the Best Vegan Banana & Walnut Bread

Use very ripe bananas: Spotted, soft bananas create the best sweetness and moisture. They also replace the need for eggs.

Vanilla makes a difference: Real vanilla paste gives a rich, warm flavour that lifts the whole loaf.

Toast your walnuts: A few minutes in a dry pan deepens their flavour and makes the bread taste bakery-level.

Don't overmix: Fold the wet and dry mixes together gently until the flour disappears. Overmixing leads to a dense loaf.

Add toppings for texture: A sliced banana or a handful of chopped nuts on top makes the loaf look gorgeous and gives the crust a little crunch.

healthy-banana-bread-out-from-the-oven

How to Make Vegan Banana & Walnut Bread

Making this recipe is wonderfully simple:

Wet Mix

ingredients-for-making-vegan-banana-bread
Assemble all ingredients and line the baking tins with parchment paper.
bananas-in-a-bowl
Put ripe bananas in a large bowl.
mashed-bananas-in-a-bowl
Mash the ripe bananas in a mixing bowl.
adding-coconut-sugar-and-cider-vinegar-to-bananas
Add plant milk, cider vinegar, and coconut sugar to another mixing bowl - whisk and let rest for 10 minutes.
mix-the-wet-mix
Add the cider vinegar, plant milk, and coconut sugar mix to the mashed banana. Pour in the Vanilla and whisk well.
adding-coconut-oil-to-the-banana-mix
Whisk the melted and cooled coconut oil into the banana mix until everything is smooth.

Dry Mix

sifting-flour
Put the bowl and sieve on the scales and press 'Tare'. Add all dry ingredients to a sieve.
sifted-flour
Sift the dry ingredients together.
add-the-dry-to-the-wet-mix
Add dry mix to the wet mix bowl.
incorporating-the-banana-cake-batter
Fold the dry mix into the wet mix gently.
banana-bread-mix-ready-to-bake
Stop when just combined.
batter-in-the-tins-ready-to-bake
Pour mix into lined loaf tins.
adding-banana-to-banana-bread
Cut a banana in half lengthwise. Add two halves of a banana per tin.
vegan-banana-bread-with-walnuts
Add a few pinches of cinnamon on top and a scattering of walnuts.
two-banana-breads-out-of-the-oven
Bake for 45-55 minutes, checking with a clean knife.
vgean-banana-bread-sliced
Cool fully before slicing for the cleanest, softest crumb.

Flour Substitutions

This recipe uses all-purpose self-raising flour. If you try a gluten-free version, drop a comment - we would love to hear how it turns out. You can also use:

Variations & Add-Ins

This is a brilliant base recipe. Have fun with it - banana bread is incredibly forgiving! Try adding:

  • Extra vanilla paste
  • Dark chocolate chips
  • Pecans or macadamias
  • A swirl of almond butter or tahini
  • Espresso
  • Cacao, turmeric or matcha powder

Using Frozen Bananas

Frozen bananas work perfectly: If you don't have time to use up those overripe bananas, peel and pop them in the freezer.

  1. Thaw them completely in a bowl.
  2. Drain off the extra liquid (important!).
  3. Continue with the recipe as normal.

Storage Advice

  • Room temperature: 3 days
  • Fridge: 1 week
  • Freezer: up to 2 months

If freezing, slice the loaf first so you can pop individual pieces straight into the toaster. Serve with Blueberry Chia Jam for a perfect afternoon pick-me-up.

vegan-banana-and-walnut-bread-sliced

F&Q

Can I make banana bread gluten-free?

Yes indeed, you can make banana bread gluten-free by using any gluten-free flour blend or buckwheat flour, replacing 1 - 1 the amount of flour called for.

Why did my banana bread not rise?

Generally, old baking soda is the culprit. Test yours by sprinkling it in some vinegar. It should fizz. If not, replace it.

Can I make this recipe oil-free?

Yes, I have made banana bread oil-free by replacing the oil with applesauce, and it was just as good and even healthier. The loaf turns out slightly denser, but the flavor is still great.

Is it ok to freeze banana bread?

Absolutely, you can safely store banana bread in the freezer; it will stay fresh for up to 2 months if stored in a freezer-safe container or bag. Simply let it thaw in the refrigerator before eating. Banana bread can also be stored and covered on the counter for up to 3 days. Or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Can I make muffins instead?

Yes indeed, and they are so good. Spoon this batter into muffin cases and off you go!

More Sweet Treat Recipes

Love bananas as much as we do? Check out our Top 5 Banana Recipe Post here

Let's Get Baking

We hope you enjoy this delicious recipe. If you give it a try, let us know in the comments below - we love hearing your feedback and seeing your recreations.

📋 Recipe

banana-bread-fresh-from-the-oven
Jamie Raftery

Vegan Banana & Walnut Bread

5 from 2 votes
A light, fluffy vegan banana & walnut bread with a naturally sweet crumb and golden, bakery-style finish.
Start Cooking Print Recipe Pin Recipe Add to Collection
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Resting time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 14 Slices (2 Loaves)
Course: Bakery, Cake
Cuisine: American
Calories: 232
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
 
 

Dry Mix
  • 250 g Self-raising flour or a gluten-free blend
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 2 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
  • 1 teaspoon Pink salt
Wet Mix
  • 300 g Banana nice and ripe
  • 200 ml Plant milk
  • 10 ml Cider vinegar
  • 100 g Coconut sugar reduce the sugar quantity if preferred
  • 10 ml REAL Vanilla Paste
  • 120 ml Coconut oil
To bake
  • 100 g Banana
  • 100 g Walnuts
  • 2 pinch Cinnamon powder

Equipment

  • 2 Baking tin - 8 x 4 inch
  • 1 Weighing scales
  • 3 Mixing bowl
  • 1 Strainer
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 Spatula
  • 1 Fork
  • Parchment paper
  • Oven
  • Cooling rack

Method
 

Assemble & weigh all the ingredients.
  1. Pre-heat oven to 175c / 350 °F
  2. Line two baking tins with parchment paper.
DRY MIX
  1. Sift the 250 g Self-raising flour, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, 2 teaspoon Baking powder, 1 teaspoon Pink salt and 1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder together into a large mixing bowl.
    250 g Self-raising flour, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, 2 teaspoon Baking powder, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder, 1 teaspoon Pink salt
    sifting-flour
WET MIX
  1. Add the peeled ripe 300 g Banana to a large mixing bowl, mash with a fork.
    300 g Banana
    mashed-bananas-in-a-bowl
  2. Add the 200 ml Plant milk and 10 ml Cider vinegar to a bowl and whisk well. Leave aside for 10 minutes. Add the 100 g Coconut sugar and 10 ml REAL Vanilla Paste to the bowl - whisk until smooth.
    200 ml Plant milk, 100 g Coconut sugar, 10 ml REAL Vanilla Paste, 10 ml Cider vinegar
    adding-coconut-sugar-and-cider-vinegar-to-bananas
  3. Whisk in the mashed bananas.
    adding-plant-milk-to-banana
  4. Next add the melted (cool) 120 ml Coconut oil Whisk very well until smooth.
    120 ml Coconut oil
    adding-coconut-oil-to-the-banana-mix
TO COMBINE
  1. Gently fold the wet mix into the dry mix until nice and smooth and all ingredients are well incorporated. Be gentle here - do not knock the air out.
    add-the-dry-to-the-wet-mix
  2. Pour the mix into two baking tins. Each one will take approximately 450g of the mix.
    batter-in-the-tins-ready-to-bake
  3. Add 100 g Banana cut in half lengthways and press down until half covered with the mix. Sprinkle with 100 g Walnuts and 2 pinch Cinnamon powder.
    100 g Banana, 100 g Walnuts, 2 pinch Cinnamon powder
    vegan-banana-bread-with-walnuts
TO BAKE
  1. Bake the banana bread, uncovered, for 45 - 55 minutes until lightly golden and firm on top. The top of the loaf should slowly spring back when touched.
    two-banana-breads-out-of-the-oven
  2. To test if banana bread is fully cook, insert the tip of a clean knife into the center. Pull out slowly and if the knife comes out clean - the banana bread is cooked.
    healthy-banana-bread-out-from-the-oven
  3. Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then, turn the loaf out and gently remove it from the pan, placing it directly onto the cooling rack until completely cooled.
    cool-banana-bread
  4. Slice and serve!
    slice-and-serve-banana-bread

Nutrition

Serving: 80gCalories: 232kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 4gFat: 13gSodium: 279mgPotassium: 211mgFiber: 2gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 21IUVitamin B1: 0.05mgVitamin B2: 0.04mgVitamin B3: 0.5mgVitamin B5: 0.2mgVitamin B6: 0.1mgVitamin C: 3mgVitamin E: 0.2mgVitamin K: 0.5µgCalcium: 56mgCopper: 0.2mgFolate: 19µgIron: 1mgManganese: 0.5mgMagnesium: 24mgPhosphorus: 88mgSelenium: 8µgZinc: 0.4mg

Notes

1. Ripeness Matters

Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for maximum sweetness and moisture. Underripe bananas will make the loaf drier and less flavorful.

2. Don't Overmix

Once the dry and wet mixes meet, fold gently until just combined. Overmixing activates gluten and makes the loaf dense instead of soft and airy.

3. Check Oven Hotspots

Banana bread can brown quickly. If your oven runs hot, tent with parchment in the last 10–15 minutes to prevent over-browning while the center cooks through.

4. Rest for Better Slices

Allow the loaf to cool fully before slicing. Warm banana bread crumbles easily — patience gives you clean, bakery-style slices.

5. For Extra Moisture

Add a tablespoon of plant yogurt or an extra 20 g of mashed banana if you prefer a richer, softer crumb. Works especially well if your bananas aren’t ultra ripe.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

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Comments

  1. BREDA says

    5 stars
    Super delicious. So thoroughly explained. Thank you🍌🍌🍌🍒

    Reply

    • Jamie Raftery says

      Thank you Breda, let me know if you make this recipe! It's really nice 🙂

      Reply

  2. Erik R says

    5 stars
    Well done, a fine banana bread recipe!

    Reply

    • Jamie Raftery says

      Thank you Erik, it's a fine recipe. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
5 from 2 votes

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