One Bowl Banana Bread (Gluten Free, Vegan)

An amazing one bowl banana bread that’s gluten free and yields perfectly moist banana bread with a tender crumb and satisfying flavor. The best ever vegan gluten free banana bread!

Introducing the only Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread Recipe you’ll ever need. That’s right I said it. It’s Saturday and I can do whatever I dang well please! 😉 Plus, we’re allowed to go a bit bold, a bit adventurous and more than a bit sassy come the weekend! Or else what’s the point of all that hard work we did during the week, right?

Now before I go off on another tangent totally not related to magical one bowl banana bread, let me steer this recipe/ship towards the right location. Today’s the day we revisit one of my most popular banana bread recipes—in fact, the most reader-loved gluten free banana bread I’ve ever shared.

We’re going to chat about how to make vegan gluten free banana bread, how to store it, and why you’d even think about making this one bowl banana bread. Are you game? Let’s bake this!

Banana Bread (gluten free) ingredients pre-measured in mis en place bowls on a kitchen counter

Vegan Gluten Free Ingredients for Beautiful Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread

“Delicious vegan gluten free banana bread isn’t possible,” they said. “There is no such thing as a vegan gluten free banana bread recipe that isn’t gummy, gross and straight up inedible,” they cried. “Secretly gluten free one bowl banana bread might as well be a dream!!”, they ranted. Let’s defy what they all think and make the best friggin’ vegan gf banana bread ever. Wanna see what beautiful vegan gluten free ingredient we’re using? Let’s do it.

  • Bananas: bananas are one of the most wonderful ingredients to work with, ain’t it? I love ripening my bananas as much as possible before mashing them up to make my vegan gluten free banana bread. Bonus? Bananas are naturally gluten free!
  • Coconut oil: we’re trading the dairy (think: butter), and subbing it with vegan-friendly coconut oil. If you don’t have coconut oil on hand, melted vegan butter would probably be the closest substitute.
  • Maple syrup: just the perfect amount to enhance the taste of bananas in the perfect vegan gluten free banana bread recipe! 
  • Gluten free oat flour and almond meal: If you’re new to vegan gluten free baking, these are two of my recommended ingredients to get for your pantry. GF oat flour creates a rich and cozy backdrop for nearly any flavor–the best being bananas, while almond meal pairs so beautifully with the sweet fruit. The nuttiness of almond meal truly brings out the flavor of bananas. Bonus? It’s naturally gluten free!
  • Flax egg: my favorite vegan egg substitute. If you’ve never made a flax egg before, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s super easy! You can learn how to make a flax egg here.
  • Add-ins: Try walnuts or whatever you’d like! I love vegan gluten free add-ins such as allergy-friendly chocolate chips, dried fruit, or seeds.
Front view of vegan gluten free banana bread loaf with slices falling forward

How to Make Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread

Preheat

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Mash & Whisk

Add peeled bananas to a large mixing bowl and mash until mostly smooth.

Two photos showing how to make Banana Bread Gluten Free – mashing bananas

Prepare the Wet Ingredients

Add the rest of the wet ingredients: coconut oil, maple syrup, flax egg and vanilla. Whisk all the ingredients together until it’s well mixed. 

Two photos showing how to make Banana Bread Gluten Free – whisking wet ingredients together

Combine to make Banana Bread Batter

Add all of the dry ingredients to the same bowl (1-bowl, woohoo!!): oat flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Now whisk it all together until no flour patches remain.

Two photos showing how to make Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread – adding dry ingredients to create batter

Now, for the fun part: choosing your favorite add-ins! I love using walnuts for a classic banana bread taste, but feel free to use chocolate chips and more!

Fold in chopped walnuts or your favorite add-ins.

Once the batter is well-mixed, but not over-mixed, it will look like this:

Close up of One Bowl Banana Bread batter in mixing bowl to show thick texture

Pour the Batter into a Loaf Pan

Pour your vegan gluten free banana bread batter into the loaf pan your prepared earlier. Smooth the batter out, then shape it to resemble a loaf—your loaf will bake up very much how it looks raw.

Two photos showing how to make One Bowl Banana Bread – spreading batter into lined loaf pan

For fun, grab a butter knife and cut a slit slightly off center down the loaf. Once done, give the knife a wiggle back and forth in the slit to widen it. Go ahead and sprinkle your vegan gf banana bread with walnuts or your favorite topping.

Two photos showing how to make One Bowl Banana Bread Gluten Free – pressing topping into the top of the loaf

Bake, Cool and Enjoy

Bake for about 65 minutes, cool and enjoy the best vegan gluten free banana bread! 

Banana Recipes You’ll Love >> Gluten Free Banana Oat Muffins (Vegan) // Vegan Banana Cookies with Peanut Butter (GF)

Overhead image of stacks of banana bread slices with unsliced loaf above them

How do I know when my bananas are ripened just-right for the best banana bread?

Good question! We’ve all been in the banana boat (couldn’t help it) where we’re trying to use green bananas to make banana bread. Unfortunately, that’s not gonna cut it. Green bananas have what some might call a vegetable-y taste. It’s not what’s intended for today’s perfect vegan gf banana bread. Here are some tips on when to know if a banana is the perfect ripeness for making banana bread:

  • brown spots: when those brown spots start coming in, that’s when you know you’re getting close to perfectly ripe bananas for banana bread. Just–ignore the brown spots if they’re a result of rough handling. Yep, bananas can bruise, too. The brown spots you’re looking for naturally blossom as the bananas ripen.
  • rich yellow color: still not sure, even with the brown spots? Look for a bold yellow color. Sometimes a banana can be green and have brown spots, so that’s not a good indicator. Look for a rich yellow color and brown spots.
  • soft to the touch: lastly, I recommend gently picking one of your bananas up. Is it soft to the touch, or firm? If it’s firm, with a thick skin that feels almost plasticky, it’s not ready. If the skin seems to be getting almost… thinner, press your finger gently into the side of the banana. If it’s soft, it’s ready!

Testimonials

Isabel says, “LOVED this recipe. I did have to make a few modifications due to some allergies, but it was AMAZING!!! This is the first time I’ve ever baked banana bread, but I’ve tried gluten free/vegan bakeries, and nothing has compared to how delicious this recipe is!! I ended up making this twice… My kid who hates bananas LOVED them… Thanks for getting me so excited to bake!”

Maria says, “Second time making this – love it! Bananas and walnuts are just the perfect combination. Thanks.”

Sylvie says, “This was amazing! I baked it in an 8×8 pan as my family has declared war on “loaf” breads…it baked in 45 minutes in case anyone was wondering! I then made a thin glaze with powdered sugar, almond milk and vanilla extract…Fabulous!! thanks so much for this amazing recipe!”

Amanda says, “Just made this and it’s so great! My 4 year old son loved it and ate two pieces! Thank you for creating such a great recipe. I’ll be making this again soon. I modified only by adding a little less than 1/4 cup maple syrup.”

Storing and Freezing One Bowl Banana Bread

Store it at Room Temperature

You can absolutely store your one bowl banana bread at room temperature—just make sure to keep it away from direct sunlight and heat sources which could spoil it. Store vegan gf banana bread in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Some readers like it best on day 1, others on day 3. 😉

Store it in the Freezer

Go ahead and make a double batch so you can conveniently freeze your gluten free banana bread and enjoy it whenever you please! Just throw (okay, fine, gently slide) your vegan gluten free banana bread into a freezer-friendly container and keep it for about 1-2 months.

Just give it about 15-30 minutes to thaw at room temp before enjoying, or heat the banana bread in 10-second increments in the microwave until just warm.

Also try >> Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe // Vegan Banana Brownies Recipe // Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Bars // Deliciously Healthy Orange Bread

The only vegan gluten free banana bread recipe you’ll ever need—1-bowl & easy, the best deliciously moist banana bread ever.

Overhead image of vegan gluten free banana slices fanned forward on a cloth napkin

Grab just one bowl, a huge appetite, and get ready to bake it like it’s hot. Which it totally will be. Once the oven gets warm. It’s truly a pleasure to bake all the delicious vegan gf treats with you. And joke around, because life’s too short not to have a bunch of good laughs. I can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe. ‘Til the next baking adventure…

Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️

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Vegan gluten free banana bread pin image

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Banana Bread Recipes You’ll Love

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One Bowl Vegan Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread (V, GF, DF): an easy recipe for perfectly moist banana bread packed with walnuts and bursting with banana flavor! #Vegan #GlutenFree #OatFlour #DairyFree | BeamingBaker.com

Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread (GF)


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4.9 from 33 reviews

Description

Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread (GF): an amazing 1-bowl vegan gluten free banana bread recipe that yields perfectly moist banana bread bursting with banana flavor! Vegan, Gluten Free.


Ingredients

Units Scale

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons mashed, ripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon golden ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water, whisk together, set for 15 mins)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour – if using homemade oat flour, make sure it’s very finely ground (not coarse)*
  • 3/4 cup almond meal
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Add-ins

  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped or your favorite add-in (chocolate chips, chopped dried fruit, etc.)

Optional Topping

  • 1 tablespoon walnuts, chopped or favorite add-in

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or greased foil.  Set aside.
  2. Peel bananas and add to a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter (recommended) or sturdy whisk, mash bananas until smooth. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup, flax egg and vanilla. Whisk until well incorporated.
  3. Add oat flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together until just incorporated, making sure no flour patches remain. Fold in chopped walnuts.
  4. Pour batter evenly into prepared loaf pan. Using a rubber spatula, smooth batter into an even layer, with the shape of a rise down the center—just like a loaf. The loaf will bake up very similarly to how it looks raw—now is the time to shape it. Using a butter knife, cut a slit slightly off center down the loaf. Take the butter knife and go back into the slit, gently wiggling the knife back and forth to widen the slit/seam. Optionally, sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Lightly press walnuts into the top.
  5. Bake for 60-70 minutes. Mine took 65 minutes. Test for doneness by sticking a toothpick into the center of the loaf. The toothpick will come out clean when the loaf is done. Allow to cool on a cooling rack for 2 hours. Lift out, slice and enjoy!

Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread Recipes & More

Notes

A Note on Homemade Oat Flour: *If using homemade oat flour, make sure to blend the flour until very fine and sift the flour to remove coarse bits of oats that could create less than ideal results. Store until needed, then measure the amount required for the recipe.

Storing Instructions: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature.

Freezing Instructions: This loaf freezes well. Store in a freezer-friendly, airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow to thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes, or heat in the microwave in 10-second increments until just warm.

  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 65 minutes
  • Category: Snack, Breakfast
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

© beamingbaker.com. All content and images are protected by copyright. Please do not use my images or recipe without my permission. Please do not republish this recipe, instead, include a link to this post for the recipe.

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117 Comments

  1. Thankyou so much Demeter for the lovely recipe. I added homemade almond meal from almond milk from scratch.It tastes very yummy & satisfying as I am vegan & GF ..loved it . Shall try some more recipes of yours .






  2. Hi 😊. I always make this bread and I love it.
    But now my husband has sugar restrictions and I need to omit the maple syrup and use lakanto ) monk fruit with Erythritol in powder form ) I was thinking on adding full fat coconut milk in order to replace the liquid from the maple.
    But I would like to know your opinion about it. Thanks 😊

  3. I LOVE THIS RECIPE! It is my #1 favorite banana bread recipe.

    I just wanted to ask you, can I substitute the coconut oil for apple sauce or for olive or avocado oil?

    Thank you!






    1. Hi Victoria! I’m so happy to hear that you’re enjoying the bread so much! 😊 As for the oil subs, I can’t say for sure since I haven’t tried them myself, but I have had a few readers use olive and avocado oil in some of my other recipes before. If you do try one of them out, let me know how it goes!

  4. I added nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon to this recipe and omitted the salt and maple syrup, because we ran out of the latter. It still turned out great! Super buttery (despite the lack of butter) and still pretty sweet! Delicious.






  5. This is the best GF vegan bread/cake I’ve ever made. It was sooo darned good. Veganizing a baking recipe often isn’t that difficult, but removing the flour is. This oat flour recipe was bang-on. Great consistency and just the right amount sweetness. The walnuts were the ‘icing on the cake’. Thanks — will definitely be making it again.






  6. Hello Demeter. I love you recipes and I try a few of them that results delicious. I tried your banana bread with chocolatr chips (veeeeeery yummy) and for this recipe that I’m looking forward to cook, I have the question about if I can use all-purpose flour (because my boyfriend doesn’t like oat, I love it jaja) with the same measures? It could affect the consistency? I hope your answer and thank you.

    Fanny Rdz






    1. Hi Fanny! Hmm… gluten free all purpose flour or regular all purpose would probably work— the same amount. 🙂 It might be a bit more moist, but I’m not 100% sure. Good luck! Let me know how it turns out. 🙂

  7. Hi I made this today it taste delicious but if look the same as your picture, I mean my don’t rise like your my stay very thin.






    1. Hi Millie! Hm, it’s hard to diagnose from afar, but did you make any ingredient substitutions? Also, if you used homemade oat flour, make sure it’s very finely ground. Coarse oat flour will greatly affect the consistency. Hope this helps!

  8. Well, once again The Beaming Baker has come up with a healthy recipe that tastes as good as my former ones! This banana nut bread tastes just like the ones I grew up with on a farm in the Midwest. Since I’m currently on a somewhat restricted diet, I’m so pleased we can obtain this level of tastiness with no eggs, gluten or white refined sugar. Thank you again, Demeter!
    Jackie now from the Northern Rockies






    1. Woohoo! I’m so happy to hear that this can stand toe to toe with those classic recipes Jackie! . Thank you for taking the time to try it, and for letting me know how it turned out!

    1. Wonderful! 🙂 Try: 1) using super, super ripe bananas, 2) adding in 1 more tablespoon of maple syrup, or 3) adding in chocolate chips or dried fruit like raisins. 🙂

  9. This is such a lovely bread. In fact, I have a loaf in the oven now, and will be making another loaf for my Daddy’s birthday! I make my own almond meal with the left over pulp from homemade almond milk (dehydrated in my oven), as well as my own oat flour.

    Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!!






    1. Thank you so much, Nichole! 🙂 Please wish your Dad a happy birthday for me. . Your homemade almond meal sounds amazing!

  10. I’m excited to try this out! Can I used the pulp left from making almond milk? Or will that be too dry…? And does the oat flour have to be super fine because I’m thinking of grinding some rolled oats. 😀 Thaaaanks!

    1. Hi Riz! What would you like to use the pulp for? To sub the almond meal? Yes, grind the oats to a fine flour—I know that some readers have issues when they only grind the oats to a coarse texture. 😉

  11. Hello Demeter,
    I was just wondering if you can use an egg instead of the flax egg?
    and
    what can I use instead of the oat flour? As I want to make them for my son and he can’t have oats atm.
    Also
    what are your thoughts about not putting the maple??

    Thank you,
    Maroula:)

    1. Hi Maroula! Yes, you can substitute the flax eggs for regular eggs. As for a different flour, I’d recommend a 1:1 GF all purpose blend. I haven’t tried it with this recipe, but I’ve had other readers use it with good results.

      As for the maple, you can swap it with another sweetener but I wouldn’t leave it out completely. Doing so will change the consistency. Let me know how the bread turns out!

  12. Hey there
    Can I use a real egg in place of a flax? And when should I add it? Amateur baker over here, thanks

  13. This was amazing! I baked it in an 8×8 pan as my family has declared war on “loaf” breads…it baked in 45minutes in case anyone was wondering! I then made a thin glaze with powdered sugar, almond milk and vanilla extract…Fabulous!! thanks so much for this amazing recipe!






    1. Hehe. We’ve had a few periods like that in our home (WAY too much quick bread testing lol). That glaze sounds sooo tasty! Thanks for reporting back. 🙂