Healthy banana bread | vegan

I am a huge fan of banana bread. In fact I’m such a big fan that I already have five banana bread recipes published here - as well as two on my other site, Cook Veggielicious.

However, it’s only now that I have managed to make a healthy banana bread recipe that I’m really happy with.

This low sugar version is sweetened with dates and bananas. If you want to keep the sugar really low you can add an extra banana and leave out the date purée altogether.

How difficult is this recipe to make?

It’s not difficult at all. You will need to soak your dates in hot water (unless you’re using medjool dates) and then drain and pulse in a food processor into a paste.

Apart from that it’s very much just a case of measuring out the ingredients and stirring them together before baking in the oven.

What should you serve with this healthy banana bread?

This recipe is pretty amazing on its own.

However, I am rather partial to toasting it lightly under the grill (it doesn’t hold together too well in the toaster) and spreading it with vegan butter or (my favourite) peanut butter.

Can you freeze banana bread?

Yes. I have frozen the whole banana bread before and it turned out perfectly.

You can also slice your banana bread and wrap them individually or place a sheet of baking paper in between each one before freezing. This is handy for quick snacks or lunch box fillers.

More vegan banana bread recipes

If you like this healthy banana bread you might also like: 

• Sweet potato banana bread
• Christmas-spiced banana bread
• No butter banana bread
• Banana and strawberry bread
• Healthier chocolate chip banana muffins

Do you need any special equipment to make banana bread?

You will need:

• food processor*
• mixing bowl*
• whisk* or sieve*
• wooden spoon*
• loaf tin*
• non-stick baking paper*

What ingredients do you need?

For full recipe, ingredients and quantities go to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

• 2-3 large ripe bananas, mashed
• 150g date purée
• 50ml sunflower oil or melted coconut oil
• 100ml milk (I use oat milk)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar or lemon juice)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 225g plain flour ideally wholemeal or spelt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice or cinnamon
• 100g raisins, optional 

1. Soak 150g dates in hot water for 20 minutes then drain and place in a food processor. Pulse until you have a smooth puree.

2. Mash 2-3 large ripe bananas and set aside.

3. Place 100ml milk and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar into a measuring jug and stir.

4. Measure out 50 ml sunflower oil.

5. Measure out 220g plain flour and add 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, 1 teaspoon mixed spice (or ground cinnamon) and 1 teaspoon ground ginger. Mix well.

6. Pour in the oil and the milk and vinegar mixture and mix well. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

7. Add the mashed bananas and date pureé and mix again.

8. Add 100g raisins (if using) and stir in.

9. Transfer to the lined loaf tin and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until brown on top and a knife or skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.