Name: Moist Banana Loaf (Vegan & No Fuss)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 1 loaf
Cuisine: Canadian, American
Ingredients: 1/3 cup vegan butter, room temp; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup white sugar; 3 ripe bananas, mashed; 1 tsp vanilla; 1/2 cup unsweetened plain vegan yogurt; 2/3 cup unsweetened plant milk; 2 cups All Purpose flour (sometimes I use whole wheat, or a blend); 1/2 tsp flaked kosher salt; 1.5 tsp baking soda; 1.5 tsp baking powder; 1 tbsp ground flax meal; 2 tbsp water

Best Vegan Banana Bread

3/26/2026

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Vegan Banana Bread Recipe Notes

Everyone needs a go-to banana bread recipe, one that’s easy, delicious, and truly no fuss. Especially if you’re like me and only decide to make banana bread at the last minute, when those difficult-to-ignore overripe bananas are sitting in the fruit bowl.

My banana bread is exactly what it should be: moist, banana-forward, and completely customizable. Add whatever you love, whether that’s nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit. (Walnut and dried cranberry is a personal favourite.)

Banana bread is something my mum made often when I was growing up. When I set out to veganize recipes from my childhood, it’s never just about making something that tastes good. It’s about recreating that sense of nostalgia, those familiar flavours that feel like they’ve always been part of you and instantly transport you to another time and place.

History of Banana Bread

Banana bread as we know it today likely came into popularity in the 1930s, and there are two main theories behind its origin. From what I’ve read, it’s probably a combination of both.

One idea is that banana bread was a byproduct of the Great Depression. Home bakers, not wanting to waste anything, found a way to use overripe bananas by turning them into a simple quick bread. It’s practical, resourceful, and makes perfect sense.

The other theory points to the rise of commercial baking ingredients. As baking powder and baking soda became more widely available, companies began promoting recipes like banana bread to encourage their use. In that way, it was both a household solution and a product of marketing.

Either way, it’s interesting to think about how something so simple became such a lasting staple. For many of us, banana bread is tied to memory. I can still picture my mum making it when I was growing up.

That’s part of what mattered to me when developing this recipe. It needed to taste like the banana bread I remember. Even though this version is vegan, it has that same familiar flavour and texture. And to me, that feels like a win.

Banana Loaf Ingredients and FAQ

Vegan Butter
I have made this with various brands of plant based butter. I typically have salted on hand so that is what I use most often. I have also made this before with Solid Coconut Oil, but I gravitate towards the butter for flavour.

Sugar
I use a combination of brown and white sugar in this recipe. The brown gives the loaf those desirable caramel notes plus extra moisture. The white sugar—adds sweetness, while helping to prevent an overly dense loaf.

Yogurt
I use Silk Greek Style plain protein yogurt in this recipe, but I think you could use any brand you like best. I used to use Silk Almond Yogurt in all of my recipes, but it was discontinued, so I am in the process of testing this new product in all of my recipes where I would have used their almond yogurt.

Plant Milk
I typically have unsweetened soy or oat milk on hand, but whatever plant milk you have I am sure would work fine. I even accidentally left the plant milk out once, and the loaf still turned out.

Can I freeze this loaf?
Yes, I often freeze this for up to 3 months.

Can this Banana Loaf be made gluten free?
I haven't tried making this gluten free, but if I were to attempt I would simply swap out the flour for a gluten free 1-1 baking blend (the 1-1 contains xanthan gum, if you try a blend without xanthan gum you'd have to add it yourself, it's what helps bind and give structure to gluten free flour in baked goods.)