ramyaramesh3007Banana Bread was the star of lockdown in 2019 and now…we’re bringing it back! This healthy, vegan chocolate chip banana bread recipe is a must-bake for any dessert lover.
I always tried to master the basics of banana bread before trying any other desserts because…I’m a savory queen. So here’s my final vegan rendition of this popular bake – it’s best paired with vegan vanilla ice cream and the duo truly hits the spot!
I also find that banana bread is one of the easiest desserts to make that is also pantry friendly. You will need baking staples like flour, baking powder, sugar, vanilla extract and for the main ingredients, ripe bananas and dark chocolate. Walnuts also work great in this recipe.
This recipe is not gluten free – none of my gluten free recipes worked (I tried chickpea flour, buckwheat flour was alright and oat flour) so I stuck to self-raising flour while making sure other ingredients were as organic and natural as possible! Hence, this recipe is also REFINED SUGAR FREE and healthy!
How do I Make a Healthy Banana Bread?
Got ripe bananas in your kitchen that are about to go bad? Mash them and add them to this recipe is get the bread without adding too much sugar. It’s important to use ripe bananas to get the maximum sweetness.
I also use coconut sugar to keep this recipe refined sugar free. The dark chocolate chips also do not contain any refined sugar (the ones you find in grocery stores probably contain them so remember to check the ingredient labels!).
However, for a healthier option, you can substitute self-raising flour for wholemeal flour. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the dry ingredients in this case.
I used ripened bananas, refined coconut oil from Nature’s Glory Singapore and coconut flower sugar from NAKED. Here’s what the consistency and texture of the batter looked like:
Other Substitutions
You also have to make sure to use REFINED coconut oil! It removes the strong coconut smell and gives you a nice smelling banana bread. However, you can still use regular coconut oil if you are okay with the hint of coconut once the bread is baked.
You can also substitute oat milk for any other plant milk. I find that both soy and cashew milks work great. If the mixture seems too dry, add in an additional splash of milk to get the consistency shown above.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Equipment
- Baking Oven
Ingredients
- 1.75 cups self-raising flour
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1.5 cups mashed bananas
- 1/3 cup refined coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup oat milk
Toppings
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup walnuts optional
- 1 banana optional
Instructions
- Preheat baking oven at 180C.
- Sift flour and sugar together. Combine other dry ingredients: baking powder and salt.
- Mash bananas in a separate, bigger bowl and add coconut oil, vanilla extract.
- Mix the flour mixture and fold in (do not overmix!). If the mixture is too thick, add more milk until you get a less thick but gummy, stretchy consistency.
- Pour into loaf pan and top with walnuts, bananas or dark chocolate chips. Bake for about 50 minutes – 1 hour and let cool for 20 minutes.
Notes
- There is not gluten free option for this recipe so far. However, for a healthier option, you can sub self-raising flour for wholemeal flour. Add 1 tsp baking soda to the dry ingredients in this case.
- You can use most plant milks as a substitute for oat milk.
- Make sure to use REFINED coconut oil! It removes the strong coconut smell and gives you a nice smelling banana bread.