A rich and sweet vegan gluten free banana bread is flecked with chocolate and a hint of ginger. Made in one bowl!

This vegan and gluten free banana bread is an old favorite, made with plenty of ripe bananas and oat flour (sort of a vegan version of my banana nut bread with oat oat flour or gluten free banana bread muffins). It's such an easy, forgiving recipe; add chocolate chips or leave them out, throw in some nuts, play around with the spices—look at this as a base recipe that you can dress up or enjoy as it is. And the best part is that everyone can eat it!
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Why This Easy Banana Bread is Tops
My vegan gluten free banana bread is tender, not-too-sweet, and spiked with the warming spices I love in banana bread! A short and easy ingredients list is packed with familiar staples, and even better? You'll make it in just one bowl. Perfect for breakfast, lunchboxes, or to nibble on anytime. Like my gluten free chocolate chunk muffins, there's a nice amount of chocolate in every bite, but if you like, you can absolutely leave out the chocolate for a streamlined version (see some variation ideas lower down). But my favorite thing about this recipe is that anyone can eat it, whether you're gluten-free, vegan, or not!
Ingredients You'll Need
I bet you'll already have these ingredients at the ready! Here's a look at what you'll need. Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!
- Oat flour - Learn how to make oat flour, pick up a package, or substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend like my homemade gluten free flour blend.
- Leavening - A combination of baking powder and baking soda
- Spices - Ground ginger and cinnamon.
- Bananas - For the best depth of flavor, use really ripe bananas! You'll need about 3 bananas.
- Brown sugar - Light or dark brown sugar is fine.
- Maple syrup - You can also use honey or granulated sugar if needed.
- Olive oil - Any type of olive oil works, or try avocado or coconut oil.
- Chocolate chips - Optional, but I love a bit of semisweet chocolate in this loaf!
Variation Ideas
- Nuts - Add chopped walnuts or almonds for crunch.
- Coconut - Shredded or flaked unsweetened coconut is a nice touch!
- Fresh ginger - For a little kick of warmth, add 2 tablespoons of peeled and grated fresh ginger.
- Other chocolate - Chop up your favorite chocolate bar and stir it into the batter, or try milk chocolate chips.
- Berries - In addition to or instead of the chocolate, try blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries (a la banana blackberry muffins).
How to Make Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread
Like I mentioned, this is a recipe that's made in just one bowl, so you will be able to whip it up in just a couple of minutes. Here's how:
- Prep: Grease the bottom and sides of a standard-size loaf pan.
- Make batter: In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, brown sugar, maple syrup, and olive oil. Then mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
- Add to pan: Pour into the prepared pan. Rest the batter and heat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake: Place in the oven and bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, then cool.
Baking Tip: Use the Ripest Bananas
My main tip for the best, most flavorful banana bread is to use super-ripe bananas. This means the ones that are getting spotty and brown on your counter (you don't want mushy bananas, though, because they could be going bad). These ultra-ripe bananas will infuse your loaf with intense, sweet flavor.
Tips & Substitution Suggestions
- Rest the batter. Make sure to let the batter sit while the oven preheats so that the oat flour can properly hydrate, creating a fluffier crumb.
- Another flour. If you can't eat oat flour, substitute sorghum flour or brown rice flour by weight.
- Use all maple syrup. Swap maple syrup for the brown sugar if you prefer a naturally sweetened loaf. Alternatively, swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar.
- Go less sweet. Bananas are pretty sweet on their own, especially if you use very ripe bananas. Try reducing the amount of added sugar if you wish, and rely on the bananas to impart natural sweetness.
- Try other spices. In fall, swap the ground ginger and cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice! Or try a combo of ginger and cardamom. Add a pinch of nutmeg for a slightly different flavor note.
Proper Storage
- Counter – Wrap the bread in plastic or foil, or place it in a sealable bag, and keep it on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Fridge – Place the wrapped bread in the fridge or transfer it to an airtight container or sealable bag and store it for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. You can eat it straight from the fridge, let it warm to room temperature, or toast it in a toaster oven or oven.
- Freezer – Wrap individual slices of bread in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer-safe, sealable bag, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Or, wrap the whole loaf in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw the bread in the fridge before serving.
More Banana Recipes
Happy baking! If you make this, I’d love to know. Please leave a comment below, reach out with any questions, and tag me on Instagram @Cucina Nicolina ❤️
Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups oat flour (210 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup mashed bananas about 3 medium bananas
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup or granulated sugar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Grease the bottom and sides of a standard-size loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, brown sugar, maple syrup, and olive oil. Stir in the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips if using.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and rest the batter while the oven heats. Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Rest the batter. Make sure to let the batter sit while the oven preheats so that the oat flour can properly hydrate, which in turn will create a fluffier crumb.
- Another flour. If you can't eat oat flour, substitute sorghum flour or brown rice flour by weight.
- Use all maple syrup. If you prefer a naturally sweetened loaf, swap maple syrup for the brown sugar. Alternatively, swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar.
- Go less sweet. Bananas are pretty sweet on their own, especially if you use very ripe bananas. Try reducing the amount of added sugar if you wish, and rely on the bananas to impart natural sweetness.
- Try other spices. In fall, swap the ground ginger and cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice! Or try a combo of ginger and cardamom. Add a pinch of nutmeg for a slightly different flavor note.
Whitney says
I am also dealing with a nagging running injury. Its the pits! I'm so gald you made it out on the water though!