Try This Gorgeous Brown Sugar Banana Bread Recipe (GF + Vegan)

This delicious, fluffy brown sugar banana bread recipe yields a twist on classic banana bread that’s super flavorful and rich. The brown sugar adds luscious depth to the traditional banana bread flavors, which are yummy and gooey as ever– and a little bit caramel-y. The vegan ingredients, meanwhile, make this brown sugar banana bread recipe somewhat easier to whip up than classic banana bread recipes, as well, since all the ingredients (minus the bananas) are shelf-stable. 

FWIW: Bananas are a great dietary staple for managing stress, as we wrote in our feature on the Best Snacks for Nervous Airplane Travelers. This is because they are rich in the amino acid tryptophan, which converts to relaxation-inducing serotonin in the body. All the more reason to bake banana bread… right? 

Either way: our recipe for brown sugar banana bread is below. It’s gluten-free and vegan, but you can also make it with butter and regular flour if you wish. Really, it’s the alchemy of brown sugar and the *three* leavenings (e.g. apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and baking powder) that make this recipe shine in both texture and flavor. 

It’s not just banana bread: it’s brown sugar banana bread. Enjoy! 

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Brown Sugar Banana Bread Recipe (Gluten Free + Vegan)

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon avocado or flaxseed oil
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/3 cup water or light coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 and 3/4 cups gluten-free flour of choice (we use Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a standard quick bread loaf pan (approximately 9″ x 3″ x 3″) with coconut oil.
2. Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl. Add vanilla, coconut oil, brown sugar, other oil of choice, and cinnamon and mix until well combined. Add the water (or coconut milk) and apple cider vinegar and give everything a quick stir.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until well combined, but don’t over-stir. The batter will be dough-like, more like chocolate chip cookie dough than a traditional banana bread batter.
4. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 40-44 mins or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. (If you’re using gluten-free flour, the bread might not rise as much in the middle and that’s normal as long as the tester comes out clean.) Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a cooling rack. 

Notes

This recipe is easily modifiable and can be made with regular flour as well, for those who don’t want or need a gluten-free option.

We often find that, when prepared correctly, gluten-free flours yield softer quick breads, but they don’t rise as much. This is because GF flour is more refined and the blends are typically lower in fiber, so the bread has less of a bite. Enjoy the pillowy gooeyness! 

You can also swap the coconut oil in this recipe for melted butter, if you don’t want or need a vegan option. Work with what you’ve got! 

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Related: This bread pairs beautifully with our date-sweetened chestnut milk.