Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

A common theme on my blog is that I post extremely infrequently, and in order to discover the exact reasons why, I’m going to need more money for more therapy 😉 But in all seriousness, one of the reasons is that I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to what content I want to put out to you, my five readers.

Recently, I had the desire to bake something, but I am trying to limit my sugar and oil intake, so I wanted something that was as healthy as possible for what amounts to a dessert (even though we call them quick breads). I researched various recipes and modified them to suit my needs. This recipe for vegan chocolate chip banana bread is one that I enjoyed, and I think you will too, so up it goes!

What Is Quick Bread?

You may have heard this term before and wondered what, exactly is a quick bread. Is it something that is quick to make? Well, yes and no, or jein if you speak German.

Technically, quick bread is any bread that is made without yeast. Because there is no yeast in the recipe, you have to add leavening agents, such as baking soda and baking powder to get the bread to rise. In this way, I think of quick breads as a love child between cake and bread. In my opinion, because there is no yeast, these types of bread are quicker to make.

Not all quick breads are sweet, like this vegan chocolate chip banana bread, so they’re not all desserts either. Some examples of savory quick breads include Irish Soda Bread (yum!) or cornbread (also yum!).

For more information on quick breads, check out this page. If you’re looking for a delicious yeasted bread recipe, check out my Buttery & Fluffy Vegan Brioche. It may seem intimidating, but it’s a breeze to make.

3 Reasons To Make This Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

• First and foremost, we both know you have some bananas that are so dark, that they are only good for one thing. Baking.

• Secondly, because I said so.

• Finally, it’s a delicious, yet simple recipe that will take you no time to whip up. What are you waiting for?!?

What You’ll Need

To make vegan chocolate chip banana bread, you will need a few simple ingredients.

• Flour – I used all-purpose flour for this recipe, but spelt flour (used as a direct 1:1 substitute) or a good quality gluten-free 1:1 flour should work well. Some options for gluten-free flour include King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill brands.
  • I haven’t tried this recipe with a gluten-free substitute yet, so drop a note in the comments if you try it.

• Sugar – I used coconut sugar but I am sure that granulated sugar would work beautifully here too.
  • If you like your bread sweeter, you should increase the amount of sugar in the recipe a bit.

• Baking powder AND baking soda – using both will provide good lift and help with browning.

• Salt – even in sweeter foods, salt helps balance the flavors, so don’t skip it.

• Neutral oil – I prefer avocado oil or unrefined coconut oil melted and then slightly cooled. You can also substitute applesauce for an oil-free option. If you use only applesauce, the loaf will be a little denser than if you used oil, but the taste was still great and does not taste like apples.

• Vanilla extract

• Bananas – these must be extremely ripe.

• Soy milk – I prefer Silk Unsweetened Soy Milk.

• Vegan chocolate chips – I used the Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips.

How To Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

• Mash the bananas in a medium-sized mixing bowl. I like to ensure there are no large chunks of banana because they will not bake evenly and can leave pockets of soggy banana and bread.

• To the mashed banana, add all of the wet ingredients and mix well.

• Then add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated — do not overmix at this point.

• Pour the batter into your loaf pan — I used a 9-inch x 5-inch (22 cm x 13 cm). You can use any size loaf pan, but you will need to adjust the baking time depending on the size.

• Bake for 50-55 minutes at 350 F (175 C), or until a cake tester comes out clean.

• Let cool in the pan for ~15 minutes, then remove and finish cooling on a cooling rack.

• This banana bread will keep covered, on the counter for 3-4 days. You can also freeze this bread. I like to portion it in smaller sizes before freezing (one-quarter of the loaf for example) so that I can take out small quantities at a time.

Ingredients

• 210 grams (1 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 75 grams (1/3) coconut sugar (see link above for more information).
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Generous pinch of kosher salt
• 338 – 410 grams of overripe bananas (this was about 3 to 4 bananas, depending on their size)
• 82 grams (1/3 cup) unsweetened applesauce OR 72 grams (1/3 cup) avocado oil
  • Remember that using only applesauce will result in a bread that is more dense.
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 61 grams (1/4 cup) soy milk (you may need a bit more if the batter is too dry or less if it is very wet)
• 120 grams (1/2 cup) of vegan mini chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C) and grease the loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
3. In another medium bowl, mash the bananas until well-mixed. Then add in the oil (or applesauce), vanilla, and soy milk and mix well.
4. Fold in the flour mixture until some flour is still remaining and then fold in the chocolate chips. Remember not to overmix!
5. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a cake test comes out clean. I like to check in a few places in case I hit a pocket of banana, which can make the bread appear undercooked when in reality it is appropriately cooked.
6. Let cool on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes, then remove from the pan. You can slice at this point, but I like to slice it once the bread is still warm, but only slightly.

Final Thoughts

This recipe is adapted from The Simple Veganista.

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