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    Home » Recipes » Baking & Desserts

    Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Walnut Bread

    Last updated - July 14, 2021; Published - July 13, 2018 By Rhian Williams 10 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Photo of a sliced loaf of banana bread against a brown background

    This Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Walnut Bread is seriously moist, toasty and fragrant and completely free from added sugar! It's perfect for dessert, an afternoon snack or even breakfast!

    Photo of a sliced loaf of banana bread topped with walnuts on a marble background

    Why you'll love this Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Walnut Bread:

    • tender and fluffy
    • it's perfectly sweet 
    • completely naturally sweetened
    • it's full of banana flavour
    • it's subtly spiced
    • it's topped with crunchy walnuts
    • it's super easy to make
    • it travels well
    • it's filling and satisfying!

    Photo of three slices of banana bread stacked on top of each other against a marble background

    Substitutions you can make to this recipe:

    • you can use any type of oil: coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable oil
    • you can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk etc
    • you can substitute the ground almonds (almond meal/almond flour) with ground walnuts
    • for a nut-free version: omit the walnuts (or substitute with sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or desiccated or flaked coconut) and substitute the ground almonds (almond meal/almond flour) with ground sunflower seeds or use 30g (¼ cup) coconut flour instead of 150g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds
    • you can use plain flour, wholemeal (whole wheat) flour or spelt flour instead of the gluten-free flour if you’re not gluten-free
    • you leave the recipe completely free from added sugar or if you prefer a sweeter banana bread, you can sweeten it with any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc

    Collage of process shots showing how to make banana bread

    Instead of adding chopped walnuts to the batter, I decided to sprinkle them on top of the banana bread before baking. This means that while the banana bread bakes, the nuts get toasted so they turn golden brown, sweet and crispy.

    If you’re not into walnuts, you can substitute them with any other type of nuts such as pecan nuts, almonds or pistachios, or even some flaked or desiccated coconut.

    Photo of a loaf of banana bread topped with walnuts on a marble background

    Tips for making this banana bread recipe:

    • Make sure to use the right amount of baking powder – 2 heaped teaspoons! This may seem like a lot, but you need to use this amount to ensure the bread turns out light and fluffy.
    • The apple cider vinegar is crucial as its acidity reacts with the alkali bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to create a bubbly batter and fluffy banana bread.
    • Make sure to use an all-purpose shop-bought gluten-free flour blend (or a homemade gluten-free flour blend), as opposed to just using any type of gluten-free flour you can find (such as almond flour, coconut flour, buckwheat flour etc).
    • If you’ve kept your banana bread in the oven for the right amount of time and it’s still not done in the centre and the top is becoming burnt, then I would recommend covering it with a piece of baking paper to prevent the outside from becoming burnt, and continuing to bake it until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
    • Make sure to leave the banana bread to cool down completely on a cooling rack before packing it away to store because otherwise the steam from the warm banana bread will get trapped and you’ll end up with soggy banana bread, which nobody wants!

    Equipment you'll need to make this Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Walnut Bread:

    • glass mixing bowl - to mix together the banana bread batter
    • measuring jug - to measure out the plant-based milk
    • one-pound loaf tin - to bake the banana bread
    • baking paper - to line the loaf tin to make sure the banana bread doesn't stick to it
    • cooling rack - to leave the banana bread to cool down on once out the oven

    Photo of a sliced loaf of banana bread against a brown background

    How long does this Banana Walnut Bread keep for?

    This banana bread keeps well covered in the fridge for up to a few days. It can also be frozen too - just slice it before freezing, then you can pop the slices straight in the toaster from the freezer.

    More vegan banana recipes:

    • Blueberry Banana Bread
    • Blueberry Banana Bread Muffins
    • Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
    • Banana Cake
    • Chocolate Banana Bread
    • Banana Oatmeal
    • Gluten-Free Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Bread

    If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

    Photo of a sliced loaf of banana bread against a brown background

    Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Walnut Bread

    This Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Walnut Bread is seriously moist, toasty and fragrant and completely free from added sugar!
    4.34 from 18 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: banana walnut bread, vegan banana bread, vegan gluten-free banana bread
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 10 slices
    Calories: 237kcal
    Author: Rhian Williams

    Ingredients

    • 3 medium-sized ripe bananas
    • 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
    • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar *(ensure gluten-free if necessary)
    • Pinch of salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
    • 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) **
    • 150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
    • 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
    • ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
    • 120 ml (½ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or sub any other plant-based milk)
    • 35 g (⅓ cup) walnuts , roughly chopped

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
    • Peel the bananas and place in a wide-bottomed bowl, then use a fork to mash until you get a smooth paste
    • Place the coconut oil in a separate large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)
    • Once melted, add the vinegar to the same bowl along with the salt (and cinnamon if using) and ground almonds
    • Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
    • Add the mashed bananas, and mix well, adding the milk a small amount at a time until you get a loose batter. You may not need to use it all depending on how liquidy your bananas are - you may also need to add a little more milk if your bananas are dry
    • Transfer the mixture into a loaf tin lined with greased baking paper - I used a one-pound loaf tin
    • Scatter over the chopped walnuts
    • Bake in the oven for around 45 minutes until risen and golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean
    • Once out the oven, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before cutting
    • Keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days - best reheated in the toaster!

    Notes

    *The acidity of the vinegar reacts with the alkali bicarbonate of soda to make the bread fluffy. If you can't get hold of vinegar, substitute it with lemon juice.
    **You can alternatively use almond flour

    TIPS FOR MAKING THIS BANANA BREAD RECIPE:

    • Make sure to use an all-purpose shop-bought gluten-free flour blend (or a homemade gluten-free flour blend), as opposed to just using any type of gluten-free flour you can find (such as almond flour, coconut flour, buckwheat flour etc).
    • If you’ve kept your banana bread in the oven for the right amount of time and it’s still not done in the centre and the top is becoming burnt, then I would recommend covering it with a piece of baking paper to prevent the outside from becoming burnt, and continuing to bake it until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
    • Make sure to leave the banana bread to cool down completely on a cooling rack before packing it away to store because otherwise the steam from the warm banana bread will get trapped and you’ll end up with soggy banana bread, which nobody wants!
    This banana bread keeps well covered in the fridge for up to a few days. It can also be frozen too – just slice it before freezing, then you can pop the slices straight in the toaster from the freezer.
    Nutrition Facts
    Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Walnut Bread
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 237 Calories from Fat 144
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 16g25%
    Saturated Fat 5g25%
    Sodium 43mg2%
    Potassium 162mg5%
    Carbohydrates 21g7%
    Fiber 4g16%
    Sugar 5g6%
    Protein 5g10%
    Vitamin A 25IU1%
    Vitamin C 3.1mg4%
    Calcium 69mg7%
    Iron 1.2mg7%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!

    Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Crystal

      July 14, 2018 at 7:00 pm

      5 stars
      Bread turned out very nice and moist

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        July 14, 2018 at 7:41 pm

        Amazing, thank you so much!

    2. Rozina

      July 23, 2018 at 6:14 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Thanks a lot for the amazing recipe. Sugar free made it even better. I used millet flours in place of the readymade gluten free blend.
      However I tried the quinoa bread and wasn’t quite successful . I used the pre washed quinoa to grind it to flour. Do you think that must be the reason.?

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        July 23, 2018 at 6:42 pm

        Hi, thank you so much. Really glad you liked this recipe! I don't have a quinoa bread recipe on my site, which one are you referring to? Thank you!

    3. Reena Hunter

      August 08, 2018 at 7:58 pm

      In your blog you say to use 4 heaped teaspoons of baking powder but in the recipe it says 2 heaped teaspoons.

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        August 08, 2018 at 8:32 pm

        Hi! Thank you so much for letting me know. I'm sorry I made a mistake in the blog - the recipe is right. It's 2 heaped teaspoons. Sorry for the confusion!

    4. Lorraine Reynolds

      April 21, 2020 at 8:10 pm

      Can you make muffins out of this recipe?

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        April 21, 2020 at 8:20 pm

        Yes! You can use the instructions for this banana muffins recipe as a guide for cooking time etc! https://www.rhiansrecipes.com/gluten-free-vegan-blueberry-banana-bread-muffins/

    5. Dal

      April 25, 2021 at 1:38 pm

      Heyyy Hi Rhian
      Great receipe, Thank You much appreciated.
      Mine didn't turn out as light and airy, nice and most just a little dense.
      Only I substituted was Apple cider vinegar yo 2 tsp of fresh lemon juice.
      So not sure, could be the batter maybe either too thick but didn't look too thin or thick to me, just eye balled it, not sure really as what the batter should be like as 1st Time baking any bread. Lool
      Also my oven is a fan oven and I baked at 170c for 48 mins, as usually I have to reduce by 10c when baking anything as it being a fan.

      Any ideas or thoughts would be much appreciated too.

      Kind Regards
      Dal

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        April 25, 2021 at 6:23 pm

        Hi Dal, thank you for sharing your feedback. What type of gluten-free flour did you use?

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    Photo of Rhian Williams from Rhian's Recipes

    Hi, I'm Rhian! I make easy, undetectably vegan + gluten-free recipes, including healthy comfort food and naturally sweetened desserts using plant-based ingredients.

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