This dairy free banana bread is soft and moist with natural banana flavor - perfect as a sweet treat with a side of dairy free butter, applesauce, nut butter, and jam!
The mashed bananas, oil, and eggs provide the ideal amount of moisture required to keep this dairy-free banana bread from becoming dry and crumbly.
The choice of brown sugar in this sweet bread adds depth of flavor, sweetness, and a lovely caramelization to the top of the banana bread loaf.
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We have a delicious growing collection of banana recipes, try our Banana Oatmeal Cookies, nutty Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies, and Banana Raisin Bread.
If you are looking for more savory breakfast options, check out our delicious Hashbrown Casserole or Ham & Potato Casserole recipes.
Ingredients
- Bananas - You’ll need about 4 medium ripe and mashed bananas. I medium banana is about ½ cup (mashed). Don't use large bananas otherwise, the ratio of ingredients will be different.
- Sugar - Brown sugar adds sweetness and moisture to this banana bread.
- Oil - I’ve used canola oil, but you can also use vegetable oil, sunflower oil, or coconut oil.
- Eggs - Room temperature is best for mixing the egg into the flour, creating a smooth textured bread batter.
- Vanilla extract - I use good-quality vanilla extract in most dessert bread and other baked treats. It does make a difference.
- Flour - All-purpose flour is a sturdy option for this banana bread recipe. You could use gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum, such as King Arthur 1:1 or plant-based flour such as almond flour like I did with my Healthy Almond Flour Banana Bread. Sift the flour to prevent lumps in the batter.
- Baking soda - Check the baking soda's expiry date on the packaging so that it produces a good rise in the bread. You can take the extra step of sifting the baking soda to prevent lumps in the batter.
- Ground cinnamon - Ground nutmeg can also be added to make delicious banana bread.
For the full list of ingredients, please scroll down to where you'll find the recipe card.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 4.5" x 8.5" loaf pan with butter, or oil or use parchment paper instead. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir in the brown sugar and canola oil. Mix until combined.
Add the eggs and vanilla. Stir together until fluffy and smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Now using a sifter add these dry ingredients to the banana mixture in two batches. Mix with a spatula until everything is combined.
Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes. At the 40-minute mark check the bread for doneness. I use a simple toothpick for this.
If the top of the bread gets too browned, add a sheet of aluminum foil on top. All the ovens are different and this can happen.
Once baked, let the bread rest in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve with dairy-free butter, apple butter, peanut butter or almond butter, and jams. Enjoy!
Tips
- Most ovens differ, so checking on your banana bread at 50 minutes of baking is important. If the bread requires further baking, but the top is getting too brown, cover the bread with aluminum foil for the rest of the baking.
- For the best taste and texture, eat this dessert bread within 2 days of baking.
- Make dairy-free chocolate chip banana bread by adding dairy-free chocolate chips to the banana mixture.
- Ripe bananas are usually slightly soft with some brown spots. Don’t use bright yellow bananas, as they contain a higher level of starch with much less flavor. Overripe bananas may be overly sweet for this banana bread recipe.
- An easy way to get your baked banana bread out of the bread pan is to add parchment paper to the pan with overhangs of parchment paper on either side. This will make lifting the baked bread out of the pan much easier.
- You can dust powdered sugar or a simple vanilla and cinnamon glaze over the cooled sweet bread.
Freezing and Storing Instructions
Allow your banana bread to cool completely and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days.
You can keep it longer, for about 4-5 days as well but the texture may not be the same and moist anymore. Still edible though. You can warm it up briefly in the oven (sprinkle some water on it and cover it with foil) or microwave it.
Freeze in an airtight container, preferably wrapped individually in parchment paper, for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Regular banana bread contains dairy in the form of butter, milk, and sometimes sour cream. I’ve used oil instead of butter in this dairy-free banana bread and haven’t included any milk since there’s sufficient moisture from the eggs and mashed banana.
I’ve used oil as a good substitute for butter in this dairy-free banana bread, but you could also use applesauce or pumpkin puree.
The mashed bananas also assist in replacing butter, adding moisture and texture, and acting as a binding agent.
When making banana bread, there’s no such thing as a banana that is too ripe. The only thing to consider is the sweetness desired in the bread since bananas will release more sugar as they become more and more over-ripe.
To keep your banana bread moist for longer, wrap it tightly in plastic cling wrap and aluminum foil. Place the wrapped bread in a Ziploc bag or an airtight container and store it either at room temperature or in the fridge.
If the banana bread comes out of the oven dry and crumbly, this is a result of the ingredients not being accurately measured when making the batter.
The ratio of flour to mashed banana is important - too much flour and the bread will be dry and crumbly. Always use a food scale or measuring cup for the ingredients listed in banana bread recipes.
If you make this scrumptious dairy free banana bread, let me know! Please feel free to comment with any questions you may have! I love reading your feedback.
Rita
Easy Banana Bread Recipes
I consider myself quite a banana bread aficionado.
Over the last months I've shared my holiday season everyone's favorite chocolatey Banana Bread With Cranberries and sweet Cinnamon Banana Bread With Raisins, ultra moist Pumpkin Banana Bread With Chocolate Chips.
A must try when strawberries are in season my ultimate Strawberry Banana Bread.
And more baking recipes for any occasion:
Take a look at our Baking archives to find even more tasty treats.
Did you make this recipe? Please be sure to leave a rating and a comment below. Thank you!
📖Recipe
Dairy Free Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 4 ripe medium bananas
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup canola oil or sunflower
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 4.5" x 8.5" loaf pan with butter, or oil or use parchment paper instead. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir in the brown sugar and canola oil. Mix until combined.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Stir together until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Now using a sifter add these dry ingredients to the banana mixture in two batches. Mix with a spatula until everything is combined.
- Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes. At the 40-minute mark check the bread for doneness. I use a simple toothpick for this.
- If the top of the bread gets too browned, add a sheet of aluminum foil on top. All the ovens are different and this can happen.
- Once baked, let the bread rest in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve with dairy-free butter, apple butter, peanut butter, or almond butter, and jams. Enjoy!
Notes
For the best taste and texture, eat this dessert bread within 2 days of baking.
Ripe bananas are usually slightly soft with some brown spots. Don’t use bright yellow bananas, as they contain a higher level of starch with much less flavor. Overripe bananas may be overly sweet for this banana bread recipe.
An easy way to get your baked banana bread out of the bread pan is to add parchment paper to the pan with overhangs of parchment paper on either side. This will make lifting the baked bread out of the pan much easier.
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This recipe is inspired by Kitchen Treaty.
Me
This is phenomenal, found this recipe because I had a cousin in town who was allergic to dairy and it is hands down the best banana bread. Currently making another one.