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! It’s perfect for dessert, an afternoon snack or even breakfast!

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!

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 (1/4 cup) coconut flour instead of 150g (1 1/4 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

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.

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

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

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.

4.6 from 5 votes

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Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Walnut Bread

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

This Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Walnut Bread is seriously moist, toasty and fragrant and completely free from added sugar!

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana walnut bread, vegan banana bread, vegan gluten-free banana bread

Servings: 8

Calories: 296 kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients (click 'US Customary' for US measurements)

• 3 medium-sized ripe bananas
• 60 g coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar *(ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• 150 g ground almonds (almond meal) **
• 150 g gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
• 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 120 ml unsweetened almond milk (or sub any other plant-based milk)
• 35 g walnuts , roughly chopped

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
2. Peel the bananas and place in a wide-bottomed bowl, then use a fork to mash until you get a smooth paste
3. 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)
4. Once melted, add the vinegar to the same bowl along with the salt (and cinnamon if using) and ground almonds
5. Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda

6. Add the mashed bananas and mix well, adding the milk a small amount at a time as 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

7. Transfer the mixture into a loaf tin lined with greased baking paper - I used a one-pound loaf tin
8. Scatter over the chopped walnuts
9. Bake in the oven for around 45 minutes until risen and golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean

10. Once out the oven, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before cutting

11. Keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days - best reheated in the toaster!

Recipe 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 296 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 20g 31%

Saturated Fat 7g 35%

Sodium 54mg 2%

Potassium 202mg 6%

Total Carbohydrates 26g 9%

Dietary Fiber 5g 20%

Sugars 6g

Protein 6g 12%

Vitamin A 0.6%

Vitamin C 4.7%

Calcium 8.6%

Iron 8.6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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