GF Vegan Banana Bread Recipe (Free of Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Oil, Sugar...)

I’m briefly in a mountain town, where the weather has me craving a moist and tasty GF vegan banana bread recipe (free of gluten, dairy, egg, oil, sugar, and more).

When I first created this recipe, I wanted this bread to meet multiple dietary needs plus be very easy to make—especially if some ingredients or kitchen tools were temporarily unavailable.

So this is a minimalist gluten-free vegan banana bread recipe, which allows me to bake it nearly anywhere, in diverse conditions. I love this flexibility.

I still can’t believe this bread is moist, scrumptious, and…

  • gluten-free

  • egg-free

  • dairy-free

  • butter-free

  • lactose-free

  • milk-free

  • nut-free

  • tree nut-free

  • oil-free

  • salt-free

  • soy-free

  • sugar-free (refined)

  • wheat-free

  • organic whenever possible

This banana bread has been so simple and easy to make that it seems anyone could make it wherever one travels or lives. It’s baking well at nearly 6000’ above sea level.

This means I’m baffled that I’ve ever had to regularly purchase mass-produced bread, particularly since I’ve always disliked that bread is typically wrapped in plastic.

I have accepted plastic-wrapped bread as a necessary evil when I couldn’t find bread wrapped in paper (like at farmer’s markets or health food stores), but it’s not necessary.

And I always thought only those with professional baking skills could bake bread. But I was so very wrong. If I can make this bread, nearly anyone can make this bread.

The Ingredients

I use eight ingredients to make this gluten-free vegan banana bread—and two of these ingredients are optional, only included if desired…

  • 4 medium organic ripe bananas (or at least 1 and 1/2 cups smooshed + packed)

    • I add at least this quantity of banana to ensure this bread is moist and sweet

    • I choose ripe yellow bananas, super soft, with some brown spots (not translucent)

    • I add more banana for more moistness

  • 1 cup GF vegan plant milk

    • I’ve been using chilled gluten-free vegan organic almond milk made with only 2-3 ingredients

    • I like plant milk from glass or cardboard packaging

    • homemade or store-bought, I shake well before pouring

  • 1/2 cup GF vegan maple syrup

    • I buy organic maple syrup in a glass jar

    • I measure the maple syrup in the same cup that measured the plant milk, as the plant milk residue helps the maple syrup pour out of the measuring cup easier

    • but I sometimes only use 1/4 cup maple syrup if I add chocolate chips to this recipe so it’s not too sweet (edit to taste)

  • 1 to 2 tsp GF vegan vanilla extract (optional/if desired)

    • I buy organic vanilla extract in a glass bottle

    • if I can’t buy vanilla extract (due to high prices or delivery issues), I skip the vanilla, as this recipe still tastes delicious without it

    • even though most recipes call for 1 tsp of vanilla, I love 2 tsp (adjust to taste)

  • 1/2 cup GF vegan chocolate chips (optional/if desired)

    • I now almost always prefer this bread without chocolate chips, but if we want that extra sweetness…

    • I can currently buy Enjoy Life’s Mini Chips or their Mega Chunks (I hope to try Enjoy Life’s Dark Chocolate Morsels as I love dark chocolate, and they appear to contain the least amount of unrefined cane sugar)

    • 1/2 cup of chocolate chips is almost too sweet for me and I’m not supposed to have much chocolate, so I still go easy on this (adjust to taste)

The Kitchen Tools

I use these kitchen tools to make this gluten-free vegan banana bread, but I can still make this recipe if I don’t have most of these tools (I improvise)…

  • large bowl (or medium bowl)

  • medium bowl (or small bowl)

  • measuring cups (or use an 8 oz. or 16 oz. cup/can/jar, then eye it)

  • measuring spoons (or just a 1/4 tsp or 1/2 tsp)

  • small whisk (or a fork, or one’s hand)

  • parchment paper (or not; I don’t even bother greasing the pan—all is fine)

  • standard loaf baking pan (or nearly any oven-safe baking pan or crock)

  • oven (or crockpot, instant pot, or wood stove—Google shares how)

  • thin knife (or a fork, or toothpick)

The Instructions

I like easy instructions to help me focus without distraction. So these are the baking instructions I follow to make this banana bread…

  • in large bowl, gently whisk dry ingredients together, breaking down any lumps

  • in medium bowl, gently whisk wet ingredients together

  • combine wet + dry ingredients (mix just enough, not more)

  • add chocolate chips (if desired; mix them in, but just barely)

  • line baking pan with parchment (if desired)

  • pour batter into baking pan

  • make sure nothing is in oven

  • preheat oven to 350 F

  • bake 50-60 minutes (or until knife pulls out nearly clean—bananas and chocolate might be a little gooey on the knife, but batter should not be on the knife)

  • remove the bread from the oven and let it cool a bit (though it can be enjoyed warm)

  • refrigerate (I eat this warm and cold; I store it in the fridge)

I Love This GF Vegan Banana Bread Recipe

I’m not sure I can adequately convey how much I love banana bread. Even as a child, I thought banana bread was a miracle of a treat.

As a celiac and vegan, though, I can rarely find moist and delicious gf vegan banana bread anywhere in the world. Stockholm, yes! But rarely anywhere else.

And now that my autoimmune issues are allowing me to eat bananas again, I’m so happy. Even my boyfriend looks forward to his banana bread (and starts making it if it’s missing).

I’m incredibly grateful that it’s possible to make this bread with ingredients I can eat—ingredients that are healthier for me than what I consumed in the past.

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