Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread (Printable Version)

Soft, tender and naturally vegan and gluten free banana bread made with simple mixed flours and ripe bananas.

# Ingredients:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 420 g pureed ripe banana (approximately 1 3/4 cups)
02 - 60 ml refined avocado oil
03 - 60 ml unsweetened almond milk
04 - 100 g light brown sugar or coconut sugar
05 - 1 tablespoon (7 g) ground flax seeds
06 - 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

08 - 100 g almond flour
09 - 200 g oat flour
10 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
11 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
12 - 0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt
13 - 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
14 - 120 g vegan chocolate chips, plus extra for topping

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 175°C. Line a standard 21 x 11 cm loaf pan with parchment paper.
02 - Combine ground flax seeds with 2.5 tablespoons (37 ml) water and set aside until thickened.
03 - Place peeled bananas in a blender and puree until smooth. Measure to ensure you have 420 g of puree.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the banana puree, avocado oil, almond milk, sugar, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, and thickened flaxseed mixture until fully blended.
05 - Add the almond flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (if using) to the wet ingredients. Blend using a rubber spatula until incorporated.
06 - Gently fold vegan chocolate chips into the batter without overmixing.
07 - Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and level the surface. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips and a light dusting of coconut sugar on top if desired.
08 - Bake for 55–66 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Tent loosely with foil after 50 minutes if browning quickly.
09 - Allow bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely, ideally for 2 hours, before slicing to ensure clean cuts and optimal texture.

# Notes:

01 - Use fully ripe bananas with brown speckling for maximum sweetness and moisture.
02 - Resist slicing the loaf while warm, as it will crumble more easily and the structure sets as it cools.
03 - Store covered at room temperature for up to 3–5 days; this maintains the crust’s softness and prevents drying.
04 - Pureeing bananas yields a lighter, more even crumb compared to mashing.
05 - Refined avocado oil can be substituted with other neutral vegetable oils or melted coconut oil as needed.