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Vegan Banana Bread (Oil Free) With Walnuts and Raisins

Today’s Vegan Banana Bread is an oil free plant-based take on the traditional banana bread recipe. This truly foolproof recipe is perfect for beginner vegan bakers. Make this healthy banana bread for a quick breakfast, or a yummy after-school treat for your kids.

Easy vegan banana bread recipe - oil free, plant based, healthy.

When I was growing up, my mom was the Queen on Baked Goods not just in our family, but for all of our friends and relatives. I myself didn’t discover the joys of baking until a couple years before I went vegan, and – that’s right – I never looked back.

I loved my new baking hobby so much that sometimes I’d bake a new item/batch/recipe as soon as the previous one was gone. I could operate in that mode for weeks…

When I switched to a vegan diet, I was at first concerned that I’d never get to bake anything again.

But after poking around on Pinterest, boy was I surprised! It turned out that there was this whole new world out there – the world of vegan baking!

As soon as I stocked up on some vegan pantry essentials, I started testing out the newly discovered recipes, and they turned out surprisingly delicious.

In fact, now I don’t understand why people bake the non-vegan stuff.

Trying to veganize your tried and true baking recipes from your pre-vegan days? Check out my tips on how to substitute butter and eggs in vegan baking!

Another bonus of the vegan baked stuff? You can have just one cookie/slice of pie/cake/banana bread to be completely satisfied! Your body will process all the nutrients (yep, this stuff has them!) and won’t send you to the kitchen for another serving.

Back when I first went vegan in 2013, I tried to stay away from oil and other sources of added fat to keep things as whole food, plant-based as possible. This recipe was created during those times.

I admit though that these days I do use a little bit of oil in my cooking and baking. However, my vegan banana bread stays as oil free as it was when I first shared this recipe.

If you’re interested in oil-free cooking, see my 8 useful tips on how to cook with no oil.

I’ve been looking for a good recipe for vegan banana bread – the kind that could make a nice anytime treat, or a quick breakfast without weighing you down or sending you in a sugar overload.

The nice thing about this banana bread is that it isn’t overly sweet. The more ripe your bananas are, the sweeter your banana bread will be. The addition of raisins balances the sweetness, so it tastes just right.

Vegan banana nut bread recipe oil-free

This oil-free vegan banana bread is moist, dense, and full of flavor. It’s not too sticky and doesn’t crumble all over the place – not like some commercial banana breads I tried before, although some people might prefer that texture.

I’ve also added walnuts, but you can omit them if you want or need to. That would obviously be best for people with nut allergies. Other common food allergies shouldn’t be an issue since this vegan banana bread is egg free, dairy free, and soy free.

Want even more flavor? Feel free to go beyond raisins and walnuts – any dried fruit and/or nuts should work well.

For a chocolatey twist, try my vegan chocolate chip banana bread that’s oh so scrumptious, yet it’s made with no oil, vegan butter, or vegan egg replacers.

Yield: 1 loaf

Vegan Banana Nut Bread with Raisins

Vegan banana bread recipe oil-free

This easy vegan banana bread is an oil free treat that's delicious yet healthy. Walnuts and raisins add an additional burst of flavor and texture. This vegan banana bread recipe is perfect for plant-based diet beginners.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

Wet ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3 overripe bananas
  • 3 Tbsp aquafaba
  • 1/2 cup raw sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Optional: 2 Tbsp maple syrup**

Mix-ins:

  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Slightly grease a loaf pan (I use this one).
  2. Whisk together almond milk and apple cider vinegar, set aside to curdle.
  3. Add all wet ingredients (including almond milk and vinegar mixture) into the bowl of a blender or a food processor. Blend or pulse until smooth. (Alternatively, mash the ingredients together with a fork or potato masher in a large bowl until no lumps are left.)
  4. Whisk all dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
  5. Pour the wet ingredient mixture out of the blender/food processor into a large bowl. Mix in chopped walnuts and raisins. Add about half of the dry mixture, stir with a spatula, then add the rest. Stir until just combined. Do not over-stir: the texture of the loaf may come out tough.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Make a dome out of aluminum foil and loosely cover the pan.
  7. Bake for 45 min, remove the foil dome, and bake for another 10-12 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean when the loaf is pierced.
  8. Let cool in the pan for 10 min before removing.

Notes

*Alternatively, use unbleached all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour.

**Optional - add if you want a sweeter banana bread.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1 slice

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 336Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 4mgCarbohydrates: 64gFiber: 7gSugar: 20gProtein: 9g

Please note that the provided nutritional information data is approximate.

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author avatar
Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats
Alina first made a switch to a vegan diet in 2013 to optimize her athletic performance as a marathon runner. Eventually she embraced veganism as a way to be kinder to fellow living beings and the environment. Alina hopes that this blog helps its readers on their path to becoming vegan and making this world a better place.

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