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Vegan Banana Recipes

by Marly

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We all love bananas, raw or baked in desserts and breads. That’s why this handy guide on buying bananas, storing bananas, freezing bananas, along with many easy vegan banana recipes, comes in so handy. You’ll love everything from Vegan Banana Bread to Banana Chia Pudding and everything in between!

A loaf of whole wheat banana bread has several slices cut out. There's a small bowl of walnuts behind it.

Looking to make some of your favorite banana recipes vegan? This post will show you how.

Table of Contents show

Banana Nutrition

There are a lot of health benefits when it comes to bananas. Here are a few of the highlights:

  • They’re a great source of potassium with over 9% of recommended daily requirements
  • You’ll find even more vitamins in bananas, such as B6 and C
  • Bananas contain many minerals such as magnesium and copper
  • Each banana contains around 3 grams of fiber
  • The most controversial part of bananas is their high carb content, upwards of 20 grams per banana.

Banana Fun Facts

I love these fun facts about bananas!

  • Bananas actually grow pointing up
  • The banana fruit develops from the flower of the plant which is referred to as the Banana Heart. Ahh, that’s so sweet!
  • You’re in good company if you love them, because bananas are one of the worlds most popular fruits.
  • There are numerous varieties of bananas cultivated across the planet, but we see mostly just one, the cavendish. Believe it or not, the cavendish is not the most flavorful banana, but it is easy to transport so that’s why it is so readily available at our local grocery store.

Cooking with Bananas

In addition to the health benefits, bananas are a great friend to vegan cooks. Here’s why:

  • Bananas can be mashed and use as an egg replacer (more on that below)
  • Their creamy texture makes them perfect for using in everything from Green Smoothies to Banana Shakes, to Banana Ice Cream
  • If you’re looking to make baked goods without refined sugar, bananas offer sweetness that can make baked goods naturally sweet and delicious.

Ingredient Spotlight

Bananas on a white counter top.

What Bananas are Best?

I recommend buying a mixture of bananas, some that are yellow or even those with some brown spots to use immediately. You can also buy some that are slightly green. Avoid overly green bananas as sometimes they don’t ripen adequately. Choose fruit that is plump and not overly bruised. Some bruising will happen and that fruit can be used for baking.

How to Store Bananas

What do you do with all those beautiful bananas once you get them home? Here are some great tips:

  • Slow Down Ripening — If you have some bananas you want to last for awhile, store them away from other fruit. You can also store bananas in the fridge to slow down their ripening. Be forewarned, the banana skins will turn black, but the fruit inside will taste fine.
  • Speed Up Ripening — If you want to make a banana cake and you need ripe bananas, that’s the time when you can only find green ones in the store. There are some ways to make bananas ripen more quickly. You can store them in a paper bag for a day or two. If you need them ripe and fast, consider baking them!
  • Freezing Bananas — This is our favorite tip for reserving the present state of banana flavor. However, it will change the texture of the fruit. I prefer to slice the bananas into equally-sized pieces and place those pieces on a sheet of waxed paper on a cookie sheet. Then freeze them for 30 minutes or so and transfer them to a freezer bag.

Dealing With Overly Ripe Bananas

A bunch of 3 very ripe bananas sit on a white counter.

Ripe bananas are ones that have a few or many dark brown spots. When the bananas start to get more brown spots than yellow, your bunch is headed toward the “overly ripe” category. If you find yourself with a bunch of bananas on the verge of going bad, you do have options. Here are my favorites:

  • Freeze overly ripe bananas for use in Green Smoothies or my favorite Vegan Chocolate Shake
  • Add bananas to baked goods like Whole Wheat Banana Bread. Then you can choose to eat that bread right away or freeze it for later.
  • Make dried banana chips that you can add to Peanut Butter Granola or serve as a snack. Dried banana chips are a great way of preserving some of the flavor of ripe bananas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some popular questions oftentimes asked about bananas.

What to do with lots of ripe bananas?

You can make some delicious baked goods with ripe bananas, such as Vegan Banana Bread, Banana Muffins, and more. Once you’ve found the best recipes for ripe bananas and used them to make a tasty dessert, you can eat the dessert right away or freeze it to eat later.

Where is the best place to store bananas?

Bananas will ripen quickly in warmer temperatures so be sure to store them in a cool location away from direct sun. Once you’re bananas are at the perfect level of ripeness, you can transfer them to the fridge where they will slow down ripening quite a bit.

Can I freeze bananas?

You can easily freeze bananas for later. To do this, peel the bananas and either freeze them whole or cut them into slices. Frozen bananas will keep up to 6 months in the freezer and they’re perfect to use in baked goods, smoothies, and more.

Banana Egg Replacer

A mashed banana makes an excellent egg replacement for many baked goods, particularly those that call for one or two eggs. That’s a handy trick for veganizing your favorite recipes. Bananas will leave a subtle or strong banana flavor to a recipe so be prepared.

To use bananas as an egg replacer, substitute ¼ cup of mashed banana for each egg. Please note, that recipes that call for multiple eggs may be trickier when it comes to substitutions.

Bananas on a white counter top.

Vegan Banana Recipes

Delivering the best recipes for bananas is a goal, which is why I’m excited about what comes next. If you’re curious about how to bake with bananas, these recipes will be a good start!

Healthy Banana Recipes

You’ve got a dilemma. What to do with overripe bananas. Use them to make some healthy sweets! You’ll find everything here from Banana Brownies, Vegan Banana Pudding, and even some Frozen Banana Bites.

Banana Smoothies & Shakes

Bananas add lots of creaminess to smoothies and shakes. Here are the recipes to provie it!

Vegan Banana Recipes for Breakfast

Making recipes from bananas for breakfast is a favorite. Here, you’ll find everything from pancakes to muffins, and even smoothies!

Vegan Banana Muffins

Take a bite out of these Vegan Banana Muffins with a crumb topping and even a simple drizzle over the top. Of course, muffins are great breakfast treats, but they can be served any time of the day.
Vegan Banana Muffins Recipe
A hand holds a banana muffin with a bite taken out. More muffins and bananas are behind it.

Gluten-Free Banana Bread Pancakes

Make these Gluten Free Banana Bread Pancakes over the weekend and enjoy them the rest of the week. These pancakes are easy to make and dairy free too!
Gluten-Free Banana Bread Pancakes Recipe
Sliced bananas are on top of a stack of pancakes. There are drizzles of syrup on the pancakes.

Banana Bread Recipes

Baking with bananas makes moist and delcious goodies, such as banana bread. Here are some favorites you’ll want to make over and over again!

Sweet Bananas Recipes

If love to cook with bananas, these dessert recipes will be your favorite! Everyone loves this a good banana cream pie, banana cake, or even some vegan banana cookies. Here are some of our favorite desserts infused with bananas!

Imagine serving these moist banana blondies with creamy peanut butter frosting for your next party or brunch. It’s a real crowd favorite!

Do you have a favorite banana recipe? Please share it in the comments below!

A loaf of whole wheat banana bread has several slices cut out. There's a small bowl of walnuts behind it.

Vegan Banana Recipes + Vegan Banana Bread

You love bananas and these vegan banana recipes are just what you're looking for! You'll find everything from banana pancakes to banana cake all in one convenient location! Plus, this vegan banana bread recipe simple to make and creates tender, sweet quick bread with a crispy crust.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 9
Calories: 323kcal
Author: Marly McMillen

Ingredients

  • 3 ripe bananas about 1⅓ cups, mashed
  • ½ cup vegan butter room temperature
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup plant-based milk
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup walnuts toasted*

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Spray a large loaf pan with vegetable spray.
  • In a food processor, add the bananas, vegan butter, sugar, vanilla, milk, flax, and cornstarch. Pulse in short bursts until combined, leaving some banana chunks. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
  • Fold the chopped toasted nuts into the flour mixture. Stir until the nuts are coated. Add the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined.
  • Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • When done, remove the pan from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Then invert on a wire rack to cool completely.
  • To store, let the loaf cool completely and wrap in plastic wrap or in an airtight container. It will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days, refrigerated for up to 7 days, or frozen up to 2 months. To thaw, leave the loaf at room temperature. Then heat up individual slices in a toaster oven or microwave.

Recommended Equipment

Calphalon Loaf Pan product image
10×5 inch Loaf Pan
Black silicone spatula set of 3
Spatula
Cuisinart Food Processor
Food Processor

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Notes

* Toast walnuts by baking for 5 minutes at 300°F/150°C 
You can use smaller loaf pans but be sure to reduce the baking time. 
Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 281mg | Potassium: 267mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 556IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

6 Responses to Vegan Banana Recipes

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyRakhi July 5, 2021 at 11:38 pm Reply

    Hello Marly. Just wanted to thank you for this recipe. I tried this and it came out very nice. Being a Jain – the diet is very similar to a Vegan diet and your recipe surely help me with trying new things. Thanks.

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly July 9, 2021 at 7:33 am

      Hi Rakhi. Our local museum had an exhibit on Jains and I found the art and philosophy fascinating. I’m so glad to hear from you about this and glad this recipe worked for your way of life. Sending happy vibes!

  2. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyGeorgia Pellegrini November 3, 2011 at 9:25 pm Reply

    Fun round-up! I love banana pudding the very best.

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly November 9, 2011 at 7:18 am

      Banana pudding…yum!! I especially like that in a pie shell. Sigh….

  3. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyJulieD November 2, 2011 at 9:17 am Reply

    I absolutely adore bananas. This is an awesome post, Marly! I’ll bookmark when I’m looking for recipes for nanners. 🙂

  4. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMonet October 31, 2011 at 2:15 pm Reply

    I love baking with bananas…and your post is inspiring me! I need to let a bunch ripen on my counter for a few days, and then I’ll be at it with my masher! Thanks for sharing, Marley!

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