Q: What’s black and yellow and soft all over?
A: The bananas on our kitchen counter when we got home from the beach on Sunday.
Of course, when we left on Thursday, the bananas were firm and yellow, even a little green. I’d meant to take them with me, but in the rush of packing I forgot. By the time we got home, our bananas were so overripe that I could actually smell them as we entered the door.
But you know the old saying: When life gives you mushy bananas, make banana bread! Well, I may have just made that “old saying” up. Nevertheless, it’s true that the riper the bananas, the better the banana bread, so finding several overripe bananas on my kitchen counter was not a hardship at all but an opportunity to make a treat for the family. And since it’s blueberry season here, I saw it as a double opportunity and filled my banana bread with some of the plumpest, sweetest blueberries I’ve ever tasted. The result was incredible: The bananas make the bread extremely moist and lightly sweet, and the blueberries add a fruity surprise to every other bite. If you like bananas and blueberries, I think you’ll love them together.
Before I hit you with the recipe, I want to let you know that the Tried & Tasted roundup has been posted over at Holy Cow. I mentioned before that people would be making recipes from this blog and then sharing them on their own blogs. Well, I’m just overwhelmed at the response: I counted 39 different entries, some of them of recipes I’d forgotten I made. It’s going to take me a while to go through them all, but I will! Please visit some of them yourself–and tell them I sent you.
Blueberry-Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 large over-ripe bananas
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) vanilla soymilk (or apple sauce)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) agave nectar
- 2 cups (240 g) white whole wheat flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray or wipe a 9×5-inch loaf pan with oil (I used a silicon loaf pan).
- Mix the soymilk with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and let stand until it curdles. (If using apple sauce, skip this step and add the lemon juice to the bananas.)
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas and add the remaining lemon juice, soymilk, and agave nectar. Stir well to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, and stir just until the mixture is well-combined. Fold in the blueberries.
- Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting and serving.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 50 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 12
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/12 of a recipe (3 ounces). Calories: 145, Fat: .61g, Sodium: 210mg, Total Carbohydrates: 34g, Fiber: 4.19, Sugar: 15.23, Protein: 3.34.
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{ 175 comments… read them below or add one }
I made this last night with maple syrup in place of the agave nectar and some walnuts, but without the blueberries because I just didn’t have any. I love the bread, it’s perfect and I don’t miss the oil at all! Baked perfectly and didn’t come out too dense like most of my vegan attempts at banana bread. Thanks so much for the recipe, this is surely a keeper!!!
8:29 AM, June 10, 2009
I made this recipe just yesterday because I had some bananas in need of lovin’, and I’ve got to say: THIS RECIPE ROCKS!!!
I followed it using the applesauce, replacing blueberries with strawberries (because that’s what I had on hand), and changing the 1/2 c. agave to 1/4 c. maple syrup. Since I reduced the sugary liquid that way, I had to add just a drizzle of almond milk to make the batter moist enough. I also made 12 muffins instead of 12 slices. (350* for 20 min)
The bread is beautiful; the fruits look like jewels. Everyone go try this!! Even my carnivorous family & boyfriend loved it! (Can you tell I’m excited?)
7:47 AM, June 11, 2009
I just tried this recipe with the following changes. I used cherries instead of blueberries and I didn’t have any agave nectar. So instead, I used 1/3 hazelnut milk AND 1/2 cup apple sauce. Oh, and also, I used rice flour to make it gluten-free. It was fantastic!! Both the bananas and cherries were very ripe so it didn’t need any additional sweetener. I made 6 jumbo muffins so the baking time was reduced…about 40-45 minutes. Thanks so much for the amazing recipe! My husband will be in for a big surprise when he gets home!
Hi,
I ran out of whole wheat flour and used oats. Also, sugar instead of agave and increased the soymilk to 1/2cup. The bread came out really chewy, could this be due to the oats?
Thanks,
AZ
Hi Susan,
I made a successful gluten free version of this using a rather elaborate mix of the flours and starches I had on hand (millet, buckwheat, quinoa, brown rice, tapioca, potatoe and arrowroot starch, a little xanthum gum) (plus I looked at two other gluten free recipes for ideas and comparisons–two of Karina’s and one from a blog called gluten free gobsmacked). I also used a combination of agave, pear sauce and brown sugar (the sugar gives structure to gluten free recipes). For the blueberries I substituted our Idaho huckleberries, which are similar to blueberries. It turned out really great. My son is here visiting and he confirms it is delicious. Oh, I used vanilla soy yogurt, and I added a little more vanilla and lessened the lemon juice by half I think. Anyway, thanks for the template. I am happy I came up with a fat free gluten free version that works with huckleberries!
xo
moonwatcher
Yum! Yum! Yum! I just made this bread, and it great! Some banana breads are dry and tasteless. Not this one. I can hardly believe there are no eggs or oil. I doubled the recipe and did half sugar and half agave nectar (adjusting the soy milk accordingly). Definitely will make again!
so sad! mine turned out to be complete liquid in the middle, to the point that it ran out when i sliced it. i baked it for an extra 20 minutes, which just resulted in a burnt outside with a runny middle. i’m usually a pretty successful vegan baker, so i’m not sure what happened. i was so looking forward to that delicious bread! it looks so good!
5:48 PM, June 17, 2009
I made this today and it turned out absolutely perfect and yummy.
Didn’t have any blueberries on hand so I used red currants which are in high season here. Their tartness added a nice zing and a refreshing contrast to the bread. I also only used two heaping Tsp sugar (instead of agave sirup) to suit the much less sweet German taste. It was perfect – moist, slightly sweet, tart berries, yummy
I made it today and I have to say this recipe was right on time because I had exactly three over-ripe bananas and I couldn’t waste much time on cooking because I have a lot of studing to do for a test,so otherwise I would probably throw them away!But this recipe was so easy and I had almost all the ingredients at home!I made the sugar version and I added cherries instead of blueberries(blueberries are not such a common fruit here).I also had plain white flour but I dicoverd a package of oat bran I had used to make a breakfast cereal recipe a while ago,so I used 1 2/3 cups flour and 1/3 cup bran to add some fibre.
The result was delicious,if I may say so myself!I could never believe thet something so healthy and fat free could be so delicious!And the natural sugars of the bananas make it so sweet that I think I’ll cut down on sugar next time!I’m not very experienced in cooking,even less in vegan cooking(vegan for 8 months) so I think it’ll be even better next time I do it-because I plan to do it again…and again!
I discovered your blog a few weeks ago and this is the first recipe I’m trying but I can honestly say that everytime I check it,every new recipe,makes me happier for the fact that I’m vegan!The nutritional value chart towards the end of the recipes is something I appreciated from the beginning.I plan to try more recipes during the summer!
I completely love this recipe and it is now my default breakfast food! Since I didn’t have any blueberries on hand when I made it, I tried using fresh cherries one time and fresh mango the next time and absolutely loved both! I also added some slivered almonds to add some crunch! Soooooooo good…I’m totally hooked!
I made this last night but in two smaller loaf pans…thus 50 minutes was perfect! My coworkers were raving that they couldnt tell the difference. So moist and perfectly delicious! Thanks again susan!
Thanks for another great recipe, Susan. I used wholemeal spelt flour(because that’s what I had) and subbed demerara sugar because I’d run out of agave, but it still turned out really well.
The only problem was the colour. I had to use frozen blueberries because it’s winter here in Australia and they turned the batter purple. Unfortunately, once cooked, it went sort of grey, so not the most attractive thing I’ve ever baked. It still tasted delicious though, and it just means I’m saving it all for myself! I can’t wait until I can try it with fresh blueberries.
This recipe is absolutely fantastic! I love that it’s totally healthy and low fat but you really can’t even tell. It just tastes like delicious banana bread! I doubled the recipe and I only had 3/4 cup of agave, so I added 1/4 cup of turbinado sugar. I used half milk and half applesauce for the wet ingredient.
I also curdled my milk with 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar because (and this never happens, but never say never I guess) I ran out of lemon juice. My bread is delicious, moist, and held together really well unlike some vegan breads that get crumbly. I’m amazed at how moist it is with no added oil! Plus, bananas in blueberry bred? That’s just brilliant!
And since people are asking you camera questions, I have one. How do you get your entire frame (or most of the frame) in focus when you’re using a wider aperture? I am thinking it’s becuase you do such long shutter speeds and use a tripod? Maybe I should get a tripod. Do you crop out parts of your photos, or do you use a macro lens a lot?
I have a 50mm lens and I usually hand hold…if you look on my food blog you can see that my DOF is always kinda narrow and sometimes the front of the frame is out of focus, which bugs me. I especially have this problem with bowls, I can never get my camera to focus where I want it too. I think I’m too used to people photography. I want to get better at still life though.
I’m so glad you liked the bread, t_f!
To answer you camera questions, yes I do use a tripod, pretty much always. I also use a remote shutter release so that I don’t shake the camera when I’m taking the photo. I try to focus on what I think is the most important element and then take some shots with other parts in focus because sometimes what I think is the most important turns out not to make the best shot. I keep my camera set on aperture-priority, so I pick the aperture and the camera figures the correct shutter speed, and I try to take lots of shots at different apertures. I don’t do a lot of cropping (that photo at the top of this post is an exception–I liked the isolation of one blueberry, so I cropped out the rest of the bread and berries).
I’m looking at your blog now, and your photos are really lovely. The cheesecake photo seems to have the entire side of the slice as well as the mint in focus–did you use a smaller aperture for that? I see what you mean about the front being out of focus in the bean salad and guacamole recipes, but that can be a good effect (I really like it on the guacamole shot).
I think that some lenses have a smaller depth of field than others, and that could be what’s happening with yours. (I’ve always felt that way about mine, too, so I was surprised at the question!) I do tend to focus on something in the front so that I don’t have so many shots with out-of-focus bowls. Also, I find that I use very few photos taken at maximum aperture and tend to like the ones at about 4.0 Though I just bought a 100mm macro lens, I’ve only used it for the samosas photos and will probably stick with 50mm for most food shots. I have a Tamron 17-50mm that lets me get pretty close to the food.
I hope this helps a little. Let me know if you have any more questions. I always like to talk photography!
Thank you for this! I think this is the tastiest thing I have ever baked.
So I made this today, and it was absolutely delish! I added dried cranberries and tangy lemonade instead of the agave nectar/lemon juice, and i added some extra blueberries. it was so good! thanks for the inspiration
Susan,
I made the blueberry-banana bread today (I had all the ingredients, even the 3 over ripe bananas). The bread is very tasty. Plan to freeze some of it for later. Thanks for the recipe.
Doris
Thanks for the great recipe! Just as good as the non-vegan recipe I used to make (and much healthier!). The loaf was finished in a flash! I used almond milk (curdled just fine) and turbinado sugar instead of the agave nectar (added extra liquid as you'd suggested) and it came out great. Thanks again!
-Sharon
This was great – very light and healthy-feeling. I didn't have blueberries on hand, but I had a serious overflow of peaches from my CSA, so I used chopped up peaches instead. It was a little wet in the middle (I assume from the extra wetness of the peaches, I probably should have added a little extra flour), but still delicious!
I made vegan banana bread the other day but it was with oil…can't wait to try this version. New to this site, looks great, thanks, Kim
I've made this twice now. It's simple and delicious.
I made this using just ripe bananas and it still turned out very moist and delicious – just make sure to mash them pretty well! Love this recipe!
This is a fantastic recipe – I made it with apple sauce and frozen blueberries, and everyone thinks it is better than original!
I love your blog and have made many of your recipes, but have never posted before. This time though, I just had to tell you how good this banana bread is. It is AMAZING! Thanks so much for all of your recipes. They have made becoming a vegan easy! – KC
I made this last night it came out perfect. Soooo moist. I used almond milk,applesauce,vegan sugar, and added some walnuts. My husband ate 3 huge slices for breakfast this morning:)Will be a must have in the kitchen for now on. Thanks sooo much!! I love your recipes. Im making the Calamondin pie using grapfruit and oranges today- I already have the crust made and waiting. You are a cooking Goddess!!!!
Hi Susan,
I have seen and admired this recipe before. But I have another immediate problem. DO you have any thoughts on whether this can be tried in a microwave?
I am also looking for a basic eggless bread recipe for the microwave. Once i find something that works, I can probably try with various ingredients – sweet or savoury.
Thanks..
kamalkitchen@gmail.com
I haven't ever cooked it in the microwave, but since there are microwave banana bread recipes, I think it could be done. I'd probably start with 5 minutes at high power and then check it every few minutes. And if your microwave doesn't have a turntable, then turn it after 5 minutes.
This looks soooo good!! I can't wait to try it.
Thanks for the recipe.
I made this today and it was lovely!
It's amazing how something so simple would turn out to be so delish. I now feel tempted to try it with other berries, esp. raspberries.
Thanks a lot!
I've made this bread before and I loved it. Can I use frozen blueberries and if so would I need to thaw them first?
Susan, can I use frozen blueberries, and if so, do I need to thaw them first?
You can use frozen berries. Just measure while they're still frozen and then let them thaw on the counter before you use them.
I was wondering, what could i use as a substitute for the agave nectar as ive never seen/heard of it, and therefore dont think its available where im from.
Sophy, just use sugar or any liquid sweetener (such as rice syrup).
Hi Susan, I love your blog. I have been a vegetarian since forever (im 17 now) and only recently I have thought about going more vegan and cutting out dairy and eggs ect. I love baking so much and I have found your recipes very helpful. I just made these last night and YUM!!! I put them in a muffin pan instead to make them muffins and had three of them this morning. =]
On your ingredients it says 2 cups of flour but in the brackets it just says 240g which is only 1 cup. I am a bit confused.
By weight, 1 cup of whole wheat flour is 120 grams, so 2 cups would be 240.
Hi Susan
Can I add a tablespoon of white vinegar instead of 2 tbsp of Lime Juice since as of now vinegar is already there in my pantry and I need to save money in every possible way!!!
Thanks
I'm not sure that vinegar will prevent the browning of the bananas like lemon juice will, but I think you can substitute one for the other. I would use the full 2 tablespoons, though (the acid helps in the rising, and vinegar is less acidic than lemon juice).
Why does every vegan banana bread I make always get done on the top but soggy at the bottom? Wondering if my oven since I always made vegan baked goods since moving into this house. I have cooked it longer but then the top gets too hard so I either eat half of the bread of take top off and cook bottom again!
Susan,
I just discovered you last week. Love your paella and mexican casserole! I would love to try your banana blueberry bread but my son is allergic to corn and gluten. Any ideas on if I could alter this recipe?
Thanks,
Jill
Hi Jill–If you look through the comments, Moonwatcher successfully made a gluten-free version of this recipe using a combination of flours along with a little zanthan gum. I haven't tried it myself, but I think her idea to look at other gluten-free banana breads is a good one.
Thanks for your feedback!
that bread looks so moist and flavourful! Have a bage of ver overripe bananas, so I'm on the look for different banana-recipes! And with such healthy ingredients this will be a nice breakfast!
Susan, I really want to make a couple of loaves of this for a charity vegan bake sale this weekend! Do you mind if I print out copies of the recipe to go along with the bread (with credit to you and http://www.fatfreevegan.com, of course!)?
Lauren, feel free to print out the recipe. I hope the bake sale goes well!
Yummmm!
so i used white, i only had 1/4c agave, and i added pumpkin spice.
I didn't have whole wheat flower
It was great!
Hi Susan,
I made this today! I thought it was so delicious!
Sadly, my husband didn't think it was sweet enough. It hurt my feelings, but that's probably because I have a bun in the oven and feeling more sensitive than usual.
Besides, I really made this for myself. I used apple sauce instead because I'm allergic to soy and used mostly organic ingredients.
Thanks again!
i just made this with oat milk and it came out fantastic. next time i'll try it with apple sauce
This bread looks delicious and I'm really excited about trying it out! I do have one question … about how many cups of banana would 3 make? I ask because my bananas are pretty small and I'm not sure if I should add a banana or not – I don't want to make it too moist!
I used large bananas, so I think if your bananas are small, you should probably add an extra one.
My Friend made a comment about this website on her facebook page so thought i'd have a look. This is the first recipe i've tried and it was AMAZING! I didn't have enough agave nectar so used half what was needed and the other half maple syrup. Absolutely delicious!!!
Hi,
I really enjoyed this recipe (as I do all your others). Next time I make it I’m going to add cinnamon and vanilla. I think a teaspoon of each would give it a little more flavor. Also, I’m going to add about 1/2 cup of walnuts. I just have to finish the loaf I have now first.
Thanks.
This looks amazing can’t wait to try it!!
Can i substitute the whole wheat flour for gluten free flour?
I’m trying to stay gluten free
Rachyl, a couple of people have made gluten-free versions. If you look up in the earlier comments, Moonwatcher made one with a blend of gluten-free flours. Try it and let me know how it comes out!
Those pictures looked A-mazing! I was super excited to whip up some b bread this afternoon. However, I was sorely disappointed with the outcome. I followed the recipe to the T and the result was practically inedible. It was overly dense, dry & simultaneously undercooked, and tasted NOTHING like bananas. No bueno.
LOVED IT! I substituted Carob Chips for blueberries and added a teaspoon of vanilla and it come out beautiful. I did have to cook it for an additional ten minutes, because after the first 50 it was still fairly runny in the middle. This is now my go to bread
Made this last night and it is so yummy!
I didn’t have any agave nectar so I used demerara sugar with some applesauce to make it more liquid-y.
I’m not sure if someone has already asked this, but I was wondering if I put the batter in a muffin pan (12 dozen) how long will it take to bake?
Made the version with apple sauce and maple syrup. Note to fellow muffiners: I don’t recommend paper liners, without the oil in the recipe too much deliciousness gets wasted stuck to the paper. Bummer. But the cut time to 20 mins at 350 was perfect.
This bread is delicious. I used applesauce instead of the soy milk. It is so moist and satisfying! Thanks for your continuous supply of marvelous recipes!
This recipe turned out amazing! It was such a hit in my house and no one stopped to ask if it was vegan or not … it didn’t matter. It was easy and delish!
I baked this this afternoon, I was so looking forward to it but it was a disaster! The top was completely done (maybe even a little too done) but the inside of the loaf was still wet batter even with extra cooking time! What could have gone wrong? It’s only the second time I have baked anything vegan so I wonder if there is a ‘skill’ to it that I’ve not yet got
Made this last night with the intent of it being breakfast this morning. Well, it smelled and looked so good we ended up having a slice for dessert! It is wonderful, full of flavor and very moist. I used applesauce instead of the soy milk.
We did end up having a slice for breakfast as well — coffee in one hand, banana bread in the other as we strolled over to the farmer’s market. Saturday mornings do not come better. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe.
This is delicious! I tweeked the recipe a bit, but it still came out yummy. Thanks for sharing. ^_^
First of all i’d like to say What a great recipe! I’m definitely writing this one down!
I am a vegetarian, not not vegan, but I love baking vegan recipes because I don’t like using eggs in baking (i’m paranoid about food poisoning lol).
I also love incorporating agave nectar into my baking because of its low glycemic properties.
However, I do have a sweet tooth and needed a chocolate fix today
so here’s how i made it:
I used whole wheat flour and apple sauce, and increased the baking soda and baking powder to 1 teaspoon each because for some reason whenever I bake ANYTHING it never rises enough (maybe my baking powder is too old?).
I did not have that problem this time. It rose perfectly and evenly.
Instead of blueberries i used 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (I know, I’m horrible!)
and I accidentally forgot to add the salt, but it seems fine without it anyways.
I think next time I may use fewer chocolate chips because it was almost too chocolatey, and i may add some raspberries for some extra “zing”.
Thanks again for the awesome recipe!
I just made this last night and it came out wondeful!! Sooo delicious and moist. I didn’t have any blueberries on hand so I substituted strawberries. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks for such a great recipe; keep em’ coming
Mine was a total disaster and it came out like a ton of bricks. What a waste of good ingredients. Maybe I should have added eggs to make it more cake like? Im going to try slicing and using it as french toast. My only option.
Hi Susan,
first of all, thank you very much for your great site! It’s been a huge inspiration for me in times when I want to cook something special and when I don’t know what to cook
For my banana bread I used 4 bananas (I would say medium sized) and frozen blueberries. It turned out to be very moist inside – too moist, it doesn’t have that cake-y structure the bread on your photo has. With other ingridient I stuck to the recipe. Do you have any idea whhy it went wrong? It’s still very tasty but I know it can be much better. I would appreciate any help
I’m not sure, Sasha. It’s a pretty moist bread, and it could be that your bananas were closer to my large ones than you thought. That little extra banana could have pushed it over the edge to make it too moist. Also, did you allow your blueberries to thaw and then measured them or did you measure them frozen? Too much blueberry juice could also increase the moisture.
Either way, I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. The problem with baking is that sometimes even the moisture in the air can throw a recipe off.
Thank you for your response Susan! My blueberries were still a little bit frozen as I put them into the batter. I Think that’s it. And an additional banana … Next time I’ll do it right! But nevertheless it’s an extremely tasty bread and so simple to make!
Hi Susan,
Just wondering if you have any ideas on what cooking time I should use if I want to make muffins with this recipe?
I have made this recipe quite a few times and it’s definitely a keeper in my home!
I would start checking them with a toothpick at 15 minutes and then every 5 minutes after that. I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe! Good luck with the muffins!
Hi, I don’t really cook but this recipe was delicious, simple and healthy! I added toasted walnuts on my 1st try and that was tasty. My second attempt just came out of the oven. I was out of nuts but this time I added a 1/2 cup of coconut flakes. I have not tried it although, the batter was yummy and it smells great. Thanks for the recipe!!!
I just made this recipe as muffins, and they were excellent! Even the minimum 50 minutes was too long though, probably due to the increased surface area. 40 probably would have been enough. I replaced they agave with maple syrup, but otherwise everything stayed the same. Thanks so much! Clearly you put a lot of work into each recipe!
I just made this and it looks so beautiful and it smells good. BUT…. all I had was brown rice flour. it has a bit of a grainy texture to it. makes me feel like its not cooked but like I said it looks pretty. nice and toasty. any more in the oven and its going to burn and get hard. why do you think this is?
Hello, I thought this recipe looked nice to try, so instead of taking the laptop in the kitchen (WHERE IT COULD GET RUINED) I tried to print said recipe, and walked away for a moment. I was shocked when I next looked at the printer. There are so many wasted sheets of paper hocking your book or website subscriptions or something, I’m not really sure, I now understand that this recipe is copyrighted. I assumed it was creative commons, since its on the internet for use. I was not trying to distribute it, just try it. If you had not tried to be so “clever” i may have tried this recipe, liked it, and bought your book or whatever your selling!
There is a link to the printer-friendly version of the recipe prominently displayed that you can click and then print the text of the recipe on one page, no ads or photos. You might try that before leaving a nasty comment the next time you visit a blog.
I just made this today and my whole famliy LOVES it (even my 5 year old son). Most times I’ve try a vegan bread it comes out dry and sticks to the pan. This recipe is fantastic. Although I could have added more blueberries!!!
Hey Susan!
I’ve been following your recipes for months now and thought I would finally comment before baking this recipe tomorrow…
I tried your upside down peach cake once, and unfortunately, only the peaches were edible as the cake was hard and dense, soft and mushy, and just terrible. Last time I tried to make a pumpkin bread it turned out similar and I am quite nervous to try this banana bread recipe now… if I only have white flour will that suffice? And what about adding some oats or wheat germ?
thanks Susan!
I’m sorry your previous attempts turned out badly. I don’t recommend that you substitute flours or add ingredients to the baked goods because they haven’t been tested and can have bad results, as you may have already found out.
I just made this yesterday, and it turned out delicious! I used white flour (all I had and luckily no gluten issues in our house!) and three VERY ripe bananas, which basically gooified when I used them. It turned out super moist and probably the prettiest banana bread I have ever made. I really don’t know how so many people messed it up, because it really was super easy! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Loved this recipe!!! Will use it again & again & again! I came here in search of dairy free options & have had my whole world opened up to so many wonderful dishes. This was my first to actually bake & it turned out wonderful. I made an extra loaf & gave it to my friend, who also loved it. Thank you for all that you do!!!
To be honest, I wasn’t crazy about this recipe. Maybe it’s because I used the applesauce instead of the milk.
This recipe was great, my bread came out perfect and tasty and it was really simple. I used applesauce instead of soy milk and that’s the only change I made! But delicious when heated up with some vegan butter and Cinnamon. Mmm check out my photo on flickr! http://www.flickr.com/photos/dropbeatsnotbabies/5405681571/
I tried this twice both times with great results. I’m veg, and my boyfriend is an omnivore, but we come back to this site time and time again because it has such great recipes regardless of what type of diet you subscribe to. That’s for such an easy recipe. We used cherries once and blueberries + chocolate chips the other time. nom nom nom nom
I just made this, followed recipe exactly, using apple sauce, added a cup of pecans and did use 1 egg (we are not vegan). It was so good, the 3 y/o’s, 15 y/o, and a junk food friend all loved it! Thanks for a great recipe
Many thanks SusanV! This recipe helped convince me I could make it as a vegan. By happy accident, I made this first with spelt flour and 1/3 c. almond milk — it was fantastic. Since then, I’ve made it nearly a dozen times in just the last few months. I tried the applesauce version and have varied the fruit and type of flour. The spelt flour and almond milk version, to which I’ve added a 4oz package of diced peaches in light syrup, is my favorite. Thanks again for sharing your talents and knowledge. Your recipe box is big boost to this new vegan.
Thanks for keep posting, Susan! I’ve got 2 questions:
*I don’t have vanilla soy milk (can I add vanilla extract to soy milk?)
**I couldn’t find apple sauce (!?) in my local supermarket (other sauces ok but not apple!!) Can I substitute it for other fruit sauce or make it at home?
Thank you, always!
Yes, to both questions, Helena. If you want to make apple sauce yourself, just chop up an apple, put it in a saucepan with a little water, and cook it until soft. Mash it with a fork or puree it in a blender or food processor. Other fruit sauces should work just fine, too.
Thank you for the super fast answer, Susan! Off to the kitchen now
I have tried this twice and I have to extend the cooking time significantly. Next time will try to make muffins or something smaller. Good recipe though
Just made this today and I love them! I had a container of blueberries that were going bad fast and this recipe looked so easy and good that I had to try it. And it definitely lived up to my expectations!
I didn’t have any over-ripe bananas so I just cut the semi-green ones I had into a bowl and microwaved them so they’d be easier to mash. I used maple syrup instead of agave nectar and only had 1/4C left so I added in 1/4C + a little more of white sugar. I only had plain soy milk so I added in two teaspoons of vanilla and also a teaspoon of cinnamon per another reader’s suggestion. I made 12 muffins that baked for about 20mins.
They were very moist and healthy tasting; great texture and you don’t feel guilty about eating them at all. They were a little on the bland side for me but I believe it was because the bananas were not very ripe. So I drizzled honey on top. My whole family loved it as well and they actually thought it had just the right amount of sweetness. I think it’s going to be great for breakfast; I’m going to heat it and add some jam with it =) Great recipe!
I made the banana bread today with whole wheat pastry flour, applesauce, agave and walnuts….. I used 4 small bananas ….. turned out perfect…… I think it would be difficult to distinguish this loaf from one with oil and eggs…. This was the first time for me on this site…. I just googled fat-free banana bread…. Thank you for such a great recipe.
Thanks for the great recipe! Just made this as a dessert for my in-laws tonight and everyone loved it! I am nursing my son, who has tons of allergies, so I was so excited to find a dessert we could all enjoy. I used applesauce and ended up using 4 smaller bananas. Also, I used honey in place of the agave (didn’t have any) and it worked great. Thanks so much for the recipe!!
I just made this and it was FABULOUS! I am pregnant and wanted some banana bread, but no sugar and healthy…this turned out so delicious! Thank you so much!
I used agave in place of sugar. AMAZING
I made these for Mother’s Day, but in muffin format instead if loaf, and used bananas and blueberries from the freezer (thawed of course). Baked for about 20 minutes, and they’re just perfect! Thanks for the great recipe!!!
My husband loves desserts and cannot, due to medical reasons, have any flour except Almond or Coconut flour. He cannot have any sugar, no agave. He can only have Stevia. He can have unsweetend chocolate/cocoa. No additives…He can have EVOO, Coconut and Palm Oil, Butter, Cream
I grill fruit with homemade whip cream/stevia…Raw milk fruit shakes with stevia
Any other suggestions, thoughts, recipes???
Thanks!
Delicious except a tad soggy in the middle and my blueberries bled so it looked a lot bluer compared to your picture think I stuffed it up cos I only had 2 bananas and I mixed the berries in too early but I’ll know for next time
next recipe on my list is your date slice 
I just made this recipe and was very happy with the results! I reduced the agave by over half, so to compensate I added a little extra almond milk. I probably added a tad too much, since the loaf is a very moist, but it is still great! I also added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, a good shake of cinnamon and some vanilla.
Thanks for this awesome recipe!
can i use honey instead of Agve Nectar? If so how much?
You should use the same amount of honey as agave nectar.
I just made a traditional banana bread, but stumbled across your blog by looking for vegan banana cookies. (I have A LOT of very ripe bananas!). I was so excited to see this recipe with the Agave. We use that because it lowers your glycemic index, and I cut out all sugar from my diet. I can’t wait to make this!!
I only have two bananas, do you think I could substitute applesauce for the
one I am missing? I will be using the vanilla soy milk…
iv cooked many banana cakes but never one with blueberries. this looks delish,cant wait to try this one
Best banana bread I’ve ever made! I swapped out blueberries for diced strawberries, used 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour + 1/4 cup golden milled flaxseed, and poured the batter into a muffin tin. These are SO GOOD. Thank you for the recipe. I’ve never had such a successful baking endeavor!
I’m a 21 yr old vegan with an insatiable hunger for sweets. I ran into your blog a while back but just now had the time to try this recipe. I made it last night and boy oh boy – it was delish! I bake it for 40 min, and I don’t think it came out as moist as yours in the picture, but still yummy nonetheless. I plan to make two loaves next week as a gift to my high school teacher, and hoping that she’ll like it. Thanks for this recipe, looking forward to trying your other recipes in the near future!
I made this yesterday, and it was very good, but unfortunately a little mushy in the middle. I am at a high altitude, so perhaps I need to make some adjustments. I’ll certainly cook it for longer next time.
Love it! Thank you!
I am a newbie vegan and leaning in to fat-free.
Your website is of great help. If all will taste as good as this blueberry-banana bread I will be in quilt-free heaven.
Thanks again,
Nicolette
The Netherlands
I made this last weekend and substituted the blueberries and agave nectar for cherries and maple syrup. This is an excellent recipe. Even my husband really enjoyed it and kept going back for more. I think I may try it with sugar next time because I am sweet freak and I felt it should be a tiny bit sweeter. Yum.
This is my first post on your website but I wanted to let you know how much I’ve enjoyed sifting through your recipes with all of those mouthwatering photographs. I’ve been living with gallstones and have had to switch to a very low-fat (mostly vegan) diet to prevent further painful attacks.
Your amazing recipes have been a godsend to me! I realized that low-fat food doesn’t have to be boring. I made the blueberry banana bread last night for my husband’s birthday and he loved it! Couldn’t even tell it was vegan. Keep up the great work – my whole family appreciates it ; )
I made this again last Sunday. I used a few more cherries this time, apple sauce instead of soy milk, and I only had half the maple syrup so for the other half I used good old fashioned white sugar. This turned out even better than the first attempt, which was great. This weekend I may try it with blueberries I got the from the farmer’s market today. This is an excellent recipe!
In case anyone else is diabetic, (my dh is) I made this using Splenda instead of the agave nectar. So to make up for the liquid, I used 4 oz of applesauce in addition to the soymilk. It came out perfectly, but I did have to bake it 10 minutes more. So maybe next time I’ll use 1/4 cup soy milk and see if that works out better.
Susan, great flavor! What a wonderful aroma as it bakes. It’s a keeper!!!
I just tried this recipe and it turned out lovely. The inside is nice an moist and I as well used maple syrup instead of Agave. I couldn’t find any whole wheat white flour here, which is a shame, but the cake taste great nonetheless. Thank you for the wonderful recipes on your blog, I hope to try many more.
Made this today with blueberries, apple sauce instead of soy milk, 1/2 maple syrup. 1/2 sugar. It turned out nice, but the vote is in and adding cherries over blueberries win! A sweet old lady told me to try chocolate chips in banana bread. She said she won’t make it without them now. I believe I will use this recipe and give it a try next week!
This is a wonderful recipe. I use applesauce instead of the soy milk and the bread is moist and yummy. I have also made it into muffins which work out nicely for camping or sack lunching.
I am excited to try this recipe! We recently have gone gluten and vegan and this is perfect. (I found so many recipes with waaaaaay more ingredients than I would ever use)
how long does this bread last?
ps any tips to keep it from going stale/moldy?
I would put it in the refrigerator on the second day. It should keep there about a week. It’ll taste better if you toast it rather than eat it cold.
Made this!! It was amazing and really easy to make.
I made this on Satuday morning. Not only was it easy to make, but it was delicious. I didn’t have a full cup of blueberries so I added a few strawberries and I also used maple syrup as the sweetener. Thanks for the recipe!
Could lime juice be used in place of lemon juice?
Yes.
Hi Susan,
I made this bread last night and used frozen blueberries (did not thaw) and whole wheat flour, and liquid sugar in the raw (those are the variations). I baked it in a 9X5 for 1 hr and the middle still was mushy. Do think it was because I did not thaw out the blueberries?
PS- lovee your blog and I have used many of your recipes with great success!
Hi Eva–yes, I’ll bet that was the problem. As they defrost, frozen blueberries exude liquid. If you measure them, that them, and then drain them very well, you’ll probably have better results.
Thanks! I will try it again tonight!
This is a great recipe, I am going to try this out!
I am not sure, but do you think I’d be able to make this in a bread maker? If so, could I publish this recipe on my blog while mentioning your site?
Thank you so much!
I wouldn’t try making this in a bread maker because it needs to be stirred only a little, very gently. Bread makers actually knead the dough, which would make this a very tough bread.
I just made this bread and it was my first great baking experience!!! Instead of agave I used half sugar and half honey, and a bit of peach syrup. I read someone used 1/3 cup oats with the fluor. I used dried cranberries instead of blueberries. My boyfriend was amazed because the bread was tasty, and last time I tryed to make bread with no eggs it was rock hard.
I have just one question: the bread was a bit too dense, and not fluffy at all. I don’t know if I stirred too much, or maybe my bananas were a bit little, or if I shoud add more liquid as I was using oats too. Or may it be because of the dried fruit instead of fresh? Any idea?
Thanks for your amazing blog, I will try ALL of your banana breads.
With love from Mexico,
Adriana
Hi Adriana, I’m sorry the bread was a little dense. Since it’s a quick bread/dessert bread, it’s not meant to get fluffy like a yeast bread. But the oats could have caused it to be heavier. If you try it again, leave them out and see what you think.
Hi Susan! I just wanted to thank you for this post. Tonight was my first shot at making anything from your blog and this banana bread turned out perfectly. I made it GF by using a generic store-bought GF pre-mix flour and I’ve had no problems aside from wanting to eat the entire loaf in one go. So thanks very much! Naomi x
Hi Susan, it’s Adriana again.
I made the banana bread today (using walnuts instead of blueberries). I used a bit of amaranto instead of the oats and a whole teaspoon baking powder. The bread was perfect, no fluffy, but soft and again very very tasty. As I had no peach syrup this time, I used only sugar and honey. It was a bit too sweet for me, but my friends and my mom loved it. Thank you so much for the recipe and for your advise!!
would this work the same with frozen blueberries?
Yes. Measure them while they’re still frozen, and then let them thaw before using them in the recipe.
Just made this bread and it’s half gone already! I used frozen blueberries and let them almost thaw (got impatient). The bread was a little blue-ish, but was really pretty when it finished cooking. We’ll definitely use this again and I plan to try some of the variations in the comments from others. (Doesn’t anybody follow a recipe?)
Thanks for such a great website. I agree with the person who said you are making it easy to become a vegan. We’re probably about 98% there and a good percentage of our success is due to some of your recipes.
This bread has become such a breakfast/snack staple in our house over the last 8 months or so that I finally had to comment on it – thank you for the awesome recipe!
I just made this for my husband and it was a big hit. It turned out perfectly and he’s asked me to make it again – anytime!
Hi Susan,
Thanks for posting this on Facebook. I made it over the weekend, and it was absolutely delicious. Since I know you are also into photography, I thought you might like to see another photo of it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndushkin/7398277584/in/photostream
What a beautiful photo of it! Thanks for posting!
Thanks for all your amazing recipes! It was easy to make this look good
I am new to the vegan lifestyle, just going into my second week. And I normally do not like to cook/bake. But I made this bread this weekend and it was easy and tasted great! We have raspberry bushes that are producing at a staggering rate, so I used rasperries instead. I can’t wait for my bananas to go brown to make it again lol.
I made this bread just as instructed, and I added a half-cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. The creaminess of the chocolate with the tartness of the blueberries and the sweetness of the banana made this moist bread absolutely amazing. My boyfriend and I ate the entire loaf in 2 days. Thanks for the great recipes!!
Susan, this was absolutely delicious!
I used to make a banana bread with white flour and vegan margarine, but I’m following a whole-food plant-based diet and I was trying to find a healthier recipe, this ones was just perfect.
The only two change I made to your recipe was to used 100% whole wheat flour instead of white whole wheat flour, and instead of agave nectar I used 1/2 cup of brow sugar + 2 tsp of maple syrup.
My husband love it, we ate the hole thing in 3 days!!!
Definitely I’m gonna try your other recipes. Thank you =)
I’ve already made this recipe several times following your instructions, but it just dawned on me that while most often the wet ingredients are added to the dry mixture, this time is the other way around. Why is this so? Just curious.
It’s just a matter of practicality. It’s easier to mash the bananas in a large bowl and to add the other ingredients to that big bowl.
Thanks, Susan. I’ll keep doing it that way, then.
Can I use almond milk instead of soy milk?
Yes, almond milk will be fine.
I am wanting to make this but I am gluten free, what other flour do you suggest for me to use?
I haven’t made it gluten-free but other people have. Look at Moonwatcher’s comment, one of the very first ones, for some ideas. Usually it’s best to use a blend of gluten-free flours because they all have different properties.
I forgot to add..I am on the ETL program. What do you suggest in place of the wheat flour and agave?
You can try date syrup instead of the agave. It’s Fuhrman approved, but it does have a stronger flavor than agave, so I don’t know how it will taste. Any kind of flour is not really right for Eat to Live, so I don’t know what to say about that.
Hi Susan, Thank you so much for this recipe, it turned out perfectly I used a chunky cut applesauce in place of the milk which resulted in lovely bits of apple in the bread as well !!! My Husbands loves it too, I gave him a slice and he begged for more!! I was wondering if it would be ok to freeze it? I Love this website, I have just been diagnosed with Heart Disease and have decided to stop eating all animal products, so your recipes are perfect for me. Thank you once again. Gina.
I think it should freeze just fine. I’m so glad you both liked it!
Soooo delicious I’ve made it three times in the last 24 hours!!! Really good with chocolate chips standing in for the berries too!
I made this tonight and it was fabulous! I halved the agave and replaced it with more applesauce. YUM!
Hello,
This recipe looks great, I’m curious can I use a muffin pan, to make servings? Would it still turn out good?
Thanks,
Brittany : )
Yes but you won’t need to cook it as long. Start with 15 minutes and add five minutes at a time until they’re done.
I tried this recipe today and it came out great!!! I added a lot of chopped walnuts that were already roasted, dried cranberries, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Sprinkled turbinado sugar on the top for some extra sweetness and crunch
! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I could have posted my ? here, but instead, it’s on your facebook page–sorry!
. . . about the blueberry/banana bread, gluten free version. Your comment on another page got cut off so need to know what you were sayin. thanks, Vicki
I’m sorry, but could you be more specific? I haven’t made a gluten-free version, but if you look at the earlier comments, Moonwatcher made one and there may be others in the comments.
Thanks for this great recipe! I used frozen blueberries and added some spices (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg) and substituted maple syrup as I was out of agave and the bread is absolutely delish! I love bread like this in the morning with my coffee and have been craving a good low fat quick bread. Thanks again for this and all your fab recipes.
This looks devine! I have problems consuming gluten, therefore I try my absolute hardes to avoid it. In order to make this recipe gluten-free, what flour should I use? I prefer using brown rice flour, would this work? I don’t mind if the texture is a little differe, as long as it is still somewhat “normal” : ) Thank you!!
Only good oil free vegan banana muffin in my opinion. Be careful not to overmix or overcook. I use chocolate chips but only use half a cup and eat them with earth balance. Best hot!
Can I use rice flour as a substitute instead of whole wheat flour.
I would like to make this gluten free.
Any advice or help.
Thanks!
Rice flour on its own is not usually a good replacement for wheat. Use one of the gluten-free baking blends for best results.
Susan, can I use oatmeal instead of flour?
Used all spelt flour and made 12 regular-sized muffins…baked at 350 for 30 minutes . . . and . . . They are YUMBO!!! Bill loves them!!! Thank you, Susan!
oh good idea will try muffins next time
just made this! and wow yes is GOOD!
pretty too
So I just made this again (for about the hundredth time) and I used peaches instead of blueberries, just because. It was really good this way too!
This was fabulous!! By far the best banana bread I’ve ever had and a huge hit with the family. Thanks!
Hi these look great! Just wondering- can I use whole wheat pastry flour instead of whole wheat flour? Thanks in advance!
Yes, whole wheat pastry flour will be fine. The blueberries can either be fresh or frozen. If using frozen, measure them first and then thaw before proceeding with the recipe.
Thank you!!!
Sorry, one more thing. Is the 1c of blue berries frozen or fresh?
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