This vegan banana bread with applesauce is a delicious and soft, quick bread recipe you'll want to make over and over. It's tender, moist, and just as great cold as it is fresh from the oven!
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Having a recipe on hand that is egg-free and that doesn't require butter means that I can whip up a hot loaf of banana bread whenever I want and without a trip to the store.
This moist banana bread with applesauce is so delicious that it's easy to forget it's vegan, which is perfect for sharing with friends and family without hearing complaints.
My family would never notice a difference between this eggless banana bread with applesauce and one of my usual loaves like this Eggless Banana Bread.
Try Vegan Banana Bread with Applesauce today for an easy-to-make loaf of delicious warm banana bread.
For other banana bread recipes, check out our Pancake Mix Banana Bread, Red Velvet Banana Bread, and 3 Ingredient Banana Bread.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients. We use very simple and basic pantry staple ingredients to make this recipe. This keeps our costs low and our shopping minimal.
- It's easy to make. We prepare the batter in one bowl and it's easy enough to mix together with just a fork.
- It's moist. There's nothing worse than dry banana bread, especially when you expect a flavorful moist loaf of banana goodness. This loaf tastes perfect.
🛒 Ingredients
Applesauce. Adds moisture and helps bind the bread. Plain, flavored, or sweetened applesauce all work. This is also a great way to use up applesauce from WIC benefits if you have them. You can also use homemade applesauce like our Instant Pot Applesauce.
Vegan milk. Adds moisture to prevent the bread from turning out dry.
Leavening agents. Baking soda and baking powder help the bread rise as it bakes.
Ripe bananas. Very ripe bananas with brown spots or blackened skins give the best moisture and flavor.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Flavor add ins. Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, chopped walnuts, or dairy free chocolate chips to customize the loaf.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use spotty or frozen bananas: Overripe bananas are sweeter and often free if you freeze them before they go bad.
Applesauce swap: Applesauce replaces oil and eggs at a lower cost and keeps the bread moist.
Skip add-ins if needed: The base recipe is flavorful on its own. Extras are optional, not required.
🥄 Instructions for Vegan Banana Bread with Applesauce
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2: Grease and lightly flour your bread pan and then set it aside.
Step 3: Peel your bananas and add them to a large mixing bowl.
Step 4: Mash with a fork until no large clumps remain.
Step 5: Add in the applesauce, vanilla, and milk.
Step 6: Mix again to combine.
Step 7: Add in the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Step 8: Mix well to combine.
Step 9: Pour into your prepared bread loaf pan. If desired, top with sliced bananas (for appearances).
Step 10: Bake for 50 min-1 hour or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and comes out clean.
Step 11: Let the bread cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing and transferring to a wire cooling rack.
Slice and serve as desired.
Enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Batter mixing. Avoid over mixing to prevent a gummy texture. Stir just until the ingredients are combined.
- Resting period. Let the bread rest in the pan for about 10 minutes after baking so it can set. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely and prevent overcooking.
❄️ Storage
Storage: Homemade Vegan Banana Bread with Applesauce lasts about 3-5 days depending on how it's kept but it always tastes better when fresher. Keep your banana bread stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Enjoy Vegan Banana Bread with Applesauce for breakfast with peanut butter, almond butter, or dairy-free yogurt. For snacks, pair it with fresh fruit, applesauce, or a handful of nuts. Serve with a glass of dairy-free milk, or enjoy it dessert-style as a warm slice topped with dairy-free whipped topping or a chocolate drizzle.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Frozen bananas work great in this recipe! Just make sure to have them thaw completely before using them. Also, you'll notice that your frozen bananas will be sitting in several inches of liquid/juice- use it too! Just toss the bananas and the juice into the recipe and follow along as directed, and you'll be good!
While you could- you probably won't want to. Green bananas have a harder crunch and less sweet flavor to them. Ripe bananas are yellow and spotted, or even mostly black. Those are the ones so soft and sweet that they can make banana bread taste amazing.
You can use any kind that you prefer. Personally, I like the unsweetened and unflavored applesauce when I bake because I like to taste what I'm making and because keeping that applesauce on hand means that I can have more versatility with my cooking. If you still have applesauce leftover, make sure to try it in our Applesauce Fritters.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Eggless Banana BreadRecipe $1.73 / Serving $0.17
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- 5 Ingredient White Bread RecipeRecipe $0.96
🐝 If you tried this Vegan Banana Bread with Applesauce, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Banana Bread with Applesauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup mashed ripe bananas, about 2 to 3 bananas - ($0.75)
- ⅓ cup applesauce - ($0.19)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - ($0.03)
- ¼ cup dairy-free milk - ($0.08)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar - ($0.12)
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour - ($0.23)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder - ($0.10)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda - ($0.01)
- ¼ teaspoon salt - ($0.01)
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour a loaf pan. Set aside.
- Mash Bananas: Add the peeled bananas to a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork until mostly smooth with no large clumps.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Stir in the applesauce, vanilla extract, and dairy free milk until combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until combined, avoiding overmixing.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. If desired, top with sliced bananas. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool & Serve: Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Mixing Tip: Mix just until combined to avoid a dense or gummy texture.
- Banana Choice: Very ripe bananas with brown spots provide the best sweetness and flavor. Frozen bananas may be used, including any liquid released during thawing.
- Ingredient Tips: Use unflavored and unsweetened applesauce for best results.
- Flavor Add Ins: Cinnamon, chopped walnuts, or dairy free chocolate chips make great additions.
- Storage & Freezing: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutritional Information
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Stacy says
Hi Nicole,
Thank you for the recipe! What I really appreciate about it is the less-than-usual amount of sugar that other banana bread recipes ask for. I really enjoyed it. Thank you again! 🙂
george j grossi says
Can anything be substituted to reduce the sugar? thanks
Nicole Durham says
You can try using monk fruit or coconut sugar at a 1:1 ratio or follow the conversion guide on a pack of Stevia. Otherwise my option would be to omit the sugar completely and just use really ripe bananas for natural sweetness. The texture and end result may vary slightly.
Claudia Harbourt says
Can I substitute additional applesauce or blueberry jam for the vegan milk?
Nicole says
I believe you could, but i have not personally tried, so I'm not 100% sure
Jane says
i made this today and it was fantastic! i added a splash of soy milk because my mixture was a bit dry, but otherwise delicious!
NicoleDurham says
I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing!