Okay, maybe not ALL of you. But when I shared a glimpse of the Breakfast-Worthy Banana Bread from my book, Go Dairy Free, I was flooded with requests for the recipe. Because it is such a beloved breakfast bread, I decided to keep it in the 2nd edition of Go Dairy Free. The new version has 160 new and improved recipes, but I had to preserve some favorites, too. Of course, I couldn’t resist adding a new option to this favorite sugar-free, plant-based, and dairy-free banana bread recipe!
The Guilt-Free, Dairy-Free Banana Bread Recipe You’ve Been Waiting For
Go Dairy Free 2nd Edition is a GIANT resource. It has about 450 pages of information, tips, and over 250 recipes. The recipes include a plethora of homemade dairy alternatives, nutritious options for everyday eating, and those special indulgences for cravings and parties. This naturally vegan Breakfast-Worthy Banana Bread falls in the nutritious everyday category.
This healthy banana bread recipe is free of added sugars (though I have included a modestly sweetened option), and is perfect for toasting. It is only very lightly sweet from the bananas themselves, and loves to be slathered with your favorite spreads. On savory mornings I go with nut butter and cinnamon. On sweet mornings, honey or homemade chia jam (Fresh Strawberry & Rockin’ Raspberry chia jam recipes are in Go Dairy Free 2nd Edition) hit the spot.
This dairy-free banana bread recipe also doesn’t need any dairy, eggs, nuts, or soy. In fact, it’s naturally plant-based and vegan!
Here is a brief background on this healthy banana bread, which is now a part of the regular breakfast rotation in my household …
An important part of going strictly dairy-free for me was turning to home-baked bread. At the time, every last loaf at my local grocer contained milk in some form (milk powder, cheese, whey, caseinate, etc.). A couple specialty vegan brands eventually appeared, but they were still way too costly to warrant regular purchase.

I learned to enjoy pounding on dough for a good homemade yeast bread (excellent stress reliever), but I don’t always have time for the process. So I set out to create a quick bread that was nutritious enough to use for my morning toast.
With that in mind, this healthy bread is completely sugar-free, using just the bananas for a hint of sweetness. I find it perfect as a base for nut butter, jam, buttery spread, or honey, each of which adds their own dose of flavor. And when I am craving a little extra sweetness, I add a little unrefined sweetener to the recipe. I’ve included that as an option in the recipe below.
Nonetheless, if you want a loaf of sugar-loaded, dessert banana bread, I suggest you look elsewhere. If you want some marvelous bread for breakfast that will leave you feeling great, look no further.
Reader Raves for this Dairy-Free Banana Bread Recipe
I originally shared this healthy dairy-free banana bread recipe in the 1st edition of Go Dairy Free, but decided to post it online as a sample recipe. It was on my old recipe blog, and I’m finally updating and fully transitioning it to this main site. I’ve also taken new photos and cleaned up the recipe in Go Dairy Free 2nd Edition. But I didn’t want all those years of feedback to be lost. Here is what others have said about this healthy, guilt-free and breakfast-worthy banana bread and some of the modifications they tried.
Ricki H. said:
I absolutely loved this bread! It’s banana-y without being very sweet–the perfect base for a little sweet jam or spread (though I love it most with almond butter!). This has been picking me up in the mornings for several days now.
Ethel C. said:
Great bread. I added almond milk, almonds, applesauce, wheat germ and buckwheat, oat, and wheat flour.
Teresa S. said (made it gluten-free):
This is fabulous… And the flour mix that works great is a coconut blend! Love it! Thanks for a new “go to” recipe!
Anrita said:
I’m new to dairy-free baking… I substituted an egg for the flaxseed and added a few tablespoons of maple syrup – it was perfect! Just a touch of sweetness, and no one would guess there is no butter or cow’s milk! ?
Deidra said:
This dairy free banana bread is so delicious! I used rice milk for my wet liquid.
Audrey said (made it gluten-free):
This is fabulous! We try to eat gluten and dairy free and this recipe really fit the bill. I love that it doesn’t have added sugars either! I used rice milk and a gluten-free flour blend and it was terrific. Thank you!!!
Heather said:
Love that there’s no sugar in this banana bread — perfect when cooking for a two-year-old. Recipe worked well in all regards except for baking time. Pulled it after 40 minutes because we had to leave the house but was still not quite as done as I’d have liked it. Will bake it longer next time and suspect the loaf will be spot on. Thanks for the recipe.
Mary Lou said:
I made it yesterday and it’s gone today! You can’t ell that it’s made without sugar. Wonderful!
Mindy said:
I LOVE this dairy-free banana bread! I add about 4 tablespoons of agave or honey to sweeten it up a bit. I have 3 kids (7, 4, and 2) and they devour it! In fact, I now make double batches and put it in the freezer. I’m so glad I found this website. I’m looking forward to tying more recipies since my oldest has a dairy allergy. Keep up the great work!
Tessa said:
This is now my go to banana bread! I love it! It’s moist, flavorful, nutritious, and so simple to make. Thanks for the great recipe!
Holly said:
I just pulled this bread out of the oven and it is absolutely wonderful! I was short on banana so I added about 3/4 cup pumpkin and topped it with chopped walnuts.. delicious! Thank you!
Diana said:
I just made this last night and it’s great! I hope it passes my husband and son’s approval! ? I only used about 1.5 C banana, but wish I had more. And I substituted 1/2 C of oat flour for the w/w flour. Thanks for giving us a recipe that has no added sugar!
Anna said:
This is the best banana bread and tastiest in the whole world!!!! I have been searching day in and day out for a great sugar free banana bread and I have absolutely found what I have been in search of for the longest time. It is so moist and sweet from just the bananas! I absolutely love it! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Melodie said (made it gluten-free):
I made this today, gluten free by switching out the flour with my GF rice flour mix and 1/4 tsp xanthan gum. It turned out great. I’ve been craving a morning treat to toast and then spread with peanut butter. This is it! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
Special Diet Notes: Breakfast-Worthy Banana Bread
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, optionally nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian. See reader comments above for gluten-free successes.
- ½ cup unsweetened plain dairy-free milk beverage
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 2 cups spelt flour, whole wheat flour, or white whole wheat flour (see post above for gluten-free tips)
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda (reduce to 1 teaspoon above 3000 feet)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ to 2 cups mashed very ripe banana (3 to 4 large bananas; see Banana Note below)
- ¼ cup grapeseed, rice bran, or other neutral-tasting oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup nuts, dried fruit, or other add-ins (optional)
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan (you can alternately line it with parchment paper).
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk beverage and flaxseed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Add the bananas, oil, and vanilla to the flaxseed mixture. Beat with a hand mixer until relatively smooth, about 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Some small lumps are okay; you do not want to overmix. Fold in the nuts, fruit, or chocolate chips (if using).
- Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan and even it out.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top of the loaf is golden brown and resilient to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the bread and carefully remove it to the wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in plastic wrap or an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Leftover bread slices can be individually wrapped and frozen to enjoy later. They toast well from frozen.
MINI LOAVES VARIATION: Pour the batter into 4 greased and floured mini-loaf tins (6 × 3 inches) and bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean.
SWEETER VARIATION: Add ¼ to ½ cup honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, or your sweetener of choice with the wet ingredients in step 4 and increase the salt to ½ teaspoon. You might need to bake the loaf a little longer.
27 Comments
Hi!
I would love to try this. I don’t have an electric mixer. I do have a stick blender. Can I use this to purée the wet ingredients? There is also a balloon whisk attachment for my stick blender that I could use to whip the wet ingredients after blending. Is there any hope for me….?!
Yes, just mix until relatively smooth. you can technically make the recipe with just a whisk (and a fork for mashing the banana) if you don’t mind a little chunkiness from the banana.
Thank you so much! Chunky bits of banana sound lovely to me!
Always looking to used up overripe bananas and this was a really great banana bread. Nice texture, doesn’t crumble or fall apart, nice rise, and not dense/gummy like a lot of vegan breads. I doubled the recipe and did add 1/2 cup of coconut sugar for a double recipe and it was the perfect amount of sweetness for our family. I love this with crunchy sunflower seed butter spread for breakfast.
So glad you enjoyed it Denise!
i can’t EVEN BELIEVE i finally found the recipe i’ve been searching for. i can’t even estimate the number of hours i’ve wasted searching for a vegan recipe without sugar and sugar ‘substitutes’! i am forever grateful. not to mention it’s an amazingly delicious bread! WOW!!!
Hi, can I use 2 eggs instead of the 2 tbsp flax seeds?
In the comments above the recipe from readers, one did do that and had success. They also added some maple syrup. This is my version of this recipe using eggs -> https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/banana-wheat-bread
Cant have flax….is there another alternative to the flax seed in this recipe?
You can substitute chia seed. In a pinch, you can omit it. The bread will be a little more moist, and maybe just a touch more crumbly. I recommend the chia seeds if you have them.
Hi there! It looks AMAZING, I would love to do it! Could you please add to your measurements the equivalence in grams? Because here in Spain we do not use cups at all haha I would thank you a lot! 🙂
Hi Maria, unfortunately, I’ve never done weight with this recipe and don’t know the conversions off the top of my head. But there is a great quick reference chart here for conversion -> https://bakingamoment.com/weight-conversions-for-baking/ – I hope you get the chance to enjoy it!
Who doesn’t love banana bread?!
I think we all have grandma’s recipe but I know I love trying other versions, especially when they’re healthier. I had wanted to make banana bread a couple days ago but the bananas were too ripe (crazy I know) so I picked up a few bunches and instead of turning quick like usual they’re taking their sweet time but when they’re ready I’m whipping up a batch!
Well I hope you get some perfectly ripe bananas Sarah 🙂
Banana bread never goes out of style! I tend to make mine pretty decadent and cake-like, but I’ll have to give your healthier version a try next time.
I think you would love this one for breakfast Hannah. It’s a delicious way to enjoy those amazing sweet spreads you make!
So the title of this post totally got me and…I’m hooked! I will not give up the chance to make guilt free banana bread – thanks for sharing your recipe!
The recipe does not address when to add the flaxseed/milk alternative mixture. I would assume it goes in with the bananas and oil. Please edit recipe to add this instruction.
It’s in there Christine! I broke the steps out so it is more clear now. See the “returning to the mixing bowl” – the flax mixture is made in the mixing bowl.
Hi, how long does this banana bread keep for and does it need to be stored in the fridge?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Suzanne, that totally depends on your climate. I can only confidently say 1 to 2 days before refrigerating or freezing. In more humid climates, it can spoil quickly, while in arid climates, it may keep easily for a few days on the counter. I usually chill it after 2 days.
My son is allergic to gluten and dairy. Can you provide a good GF flour recipe to replace the flour in the Guilt-Free Banana Bread Recipe. Thank you.
Hi James, I haven’t tested one on this recipe, and since it doesn’t use eggs, I don’t want to speculate on what would be best. BUT, I do have a DF/GF banana bread recipe that we enjoy: http://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/maple-chocolate-chip-banana-bread-gluten-free-vegan
Just made this with almond milk some pumpkin and allergy free chips.
I am allergic to gluten egg soy dairy and almond milk is honestly the best 🙂
Excited to taste it’s in the oven !
help! what are some options for the “milk alternative”? we’ve just discovered that our soon-to-be-one-year-old daughter is milk allergic, and I’m crushed as I want to make cupcakes / muffins for her birthday party. we have not yet tried soy or nut based products for her, so I’m hesitant to do that… any other suggestions? any help is appreciated!
Marcia, for soy-free and nut-free options you can use rice milk, flax milk, sunflower seed milk, coconut milk beverage (sold in a carton), orange juice, pineapple juice or even water! It is really more about the liquid. I think juice would add a nice twist to the flavor and a little extra sweet, too.
Please note that this particular banana bread is not sweet. I would use another sweet bread / cupcake recipe on this site, or add sweetener to this recipe if you are looking for a dessert-type recipe.
thank you so much! she’s never had sweets (yet) so even if it’s not a “sweet” per se, I think it will be fine. we know that she’s OK with rice, so we might try that one first, but I like the idea of pineapple juice + bananas… how very tropical! 🙂
thanks again from a new Mom just beginning to forage into this food-allergy world….