Sugar-Free Banana Bread (Vegan)

by Alena
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This sugar-free banana bread is moist, flavorful and so comforting! Using only a handful of easy and healthy ingredients, this delicious treat is a must-try recipe.

If you’ve ever wanted to bake an easy and healthy treat that’ll smell like heaven, you’ve come to the right place.

This moist and tender sugar-free banana bread with a colorful raspberry swirl is perfect for a weekend breakfast or brunch, as a snack or dessert!

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Recreate wonderful childhood memories with this healthier vegan banana bread that’s sweetened only with fruit. It’s so rewarding to make and takes only 10 minutes of hands-on time!

We decided to go with a homemade raspberry chia jam swirl for a little twist— however, you can omit this component and make traditional banana bread instead.

For more baked goodness, check out our blueberry muffins, fruity vegan flapjacks or these healthy oat bars.

Slices of Vegan Banana Bread with raspberries on cutting boardpin it

Why you’ll love it

  • Kids and adults alike love it
  • Very simple to follow
  • Moist, sweet and satisfying
  • Gluten-free, sugar-free & oil-free
  • Spotted with crunchy walnuts
  • Fruity, sourish raspberry touch

Everyone we’ve served this banana bread to so far has loved it – nobody thought that something was missing.

So, if you have a skeptical or picky eater around you, try serving them this banana bread. Kids especially will be quick to devour this sweet goodness!

baking dish with vegan banana bread batter and raspberry jampin it

Ingredients needed

  • Oats – make it chewy, whole grain and gluten-free all in one step
  • Ripe bananas – that probably didn’t come as a surprise
  • Dates – our favorite whole food sweetener!
  • Soy milk & lemon juice – quick and healthy vegan buttermilk substitute
  • Cinnamon – to add to that divine, homey baking smell
  • Crushed walnuts – yessss, please!
  • Raspberry jam swirl – consisting of raspberries, chia seeds and water.

Using bananas in baking is a great way to replace sugar, butter and eggs while creating a gooey and moist texture!

In terms of kitchen equipment, you’ll need a loaf pan, blender, large mixing bowl, small mixing bowl and measuring equipment.

gluten-free banana bread with raspberry oat toppingpin it

How to make sugar-free banana bread

  1. Preheat your oven to 350° F (180° C) and get a loaf pan.
  2. Process oats into flour if you don’t have any oat flour on hand.
  3. Make raspberry chia jam by mixing 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Smash with a fork, mix well and then set aside.
  4. Add wet ingredients for the banana bread into a blender jar and blend until smooth.
  5. Add dry ingredients to a big bowl and mix with a spoon to combine. Pour in the wet mixture from your blender and stir until you create a homogenous batter.
  6. Fold in crushed walnuts with a spoon, then pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan.
  7. Make raspberry swirls out of your jam throughout the banana bread using a fork — don’t overmix! If desired, arrange an additional sliced banana on top of the batter.
  8. Bake for 60 minutes in the preheated oven or until cooked through and firm on the outside.
  9. Let it cool for 20 minutes before slicing or you run into the risk of gooey, undercooked slices!
freshly baked raspberry banana bread on table next to raspberry jampin it

Storage & serving

This sugar-free banana bread tastes best fresh out of the oven! Any leftovers can be cooled and stored in an airtight container or bag at room temperature.

It keeps well for around 4 days and even longer in the fridge!

Enjoy it on its own, with a dollop of almond butter, date caramel, vegan yogurt, sweet spread or vegan butter! We love to pair it with a cup of coffee, too.

Tips & FAQs

Suggested swaps

If you don’t have access to them, you can omit the dates and use more ripe bananas for this recipe.

Make your banana bread sweeter by adding a touch of brown sugar or maple syrup!

Soy milk can be replaced with almond milk, oat milk or coconut milk.

You can use all-purpose or whole wheat flour instead of oat flour. We suggest adding some type of fat to batter in this case, though!

Make it higher in calories and fat by adding a few tablespoons of neutral oil to the batter!

If you’re looking for a more traditional sugar-free banana bread, feel free to omit the raspberry swirl entirely.

Delicious flavors & add-ins

  • Chocolate chips
  • Blueberries
  • Peanut butter
  • Espresso
  • Lemon glaze
  • Cocoa powder
  • Pumpkin puree
  • Applesauce
sliced homemade banana bread on a table next to raspberry jam and coconut shredspin it

How to ripen bananas quickly

If you don’t have ripe bananas on hand, place your unpeeled and unripe on a lined baking sheet.

Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 °F until they have blackened or microwave the bananas for 30 seconds!

How to freeze banana bread

Cut into slices, and wrap them individually. Place the banana bread into a freezer-friendly container and freeze for 3-5 months! Reheat in the oven at your convenience.

You can also place the slices on a cookie sheet and freeze them overnight before transferring them into your container! This way, you can take out individual slices more easily.

Can I turn this into muffins?

Sure, just fill your muffin tin with the banana bread batter and sprinkle with crushed nuts if wanted!

Bake for 25 minutes at 350°F or until firm on the outside.

close up of healthy homemade banana bread on a tablepin it

More healthy treats

Try these whole food plant-based recipes next!

Did you make our sugar-free banana bread and like it? Be sure to comment and rate below. You can also Pin it here!

Slices of Vegan Banana Bread with raspberries on cutting board

Sugar-Free Banana Bread (Vegan & Tasty)

Yield: 12 slices
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This sugar-free banana bread is moist, flavorful and so comforting! Using only a handful of easy and healthy ingredients, this delicious treat is a must-try recipe. Perfect for kids and adults alike as a treat or breakfast!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups oat flour (220 g)
  • 3 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 cup soft dates, pitted (120 g)
  • ¼-½ cup soy milk (60-120 ml)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup walnuts, crushed (60 g)

Raspberry Swirl

  • 1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen & defrosted (125 g)
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp water

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350° F (180° C) and prepare an 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 loaf pan.
  2. Combine ingredients for raspberry jam in a medium-sized bowl. Mash slightly with a spoon and mix until well combined, then set aside.
  3. Process oats into flour if you don’t have any oat flour on hand.
  4. Add wet ingredients for the banana bread into a blender jar and blend until smooth.
  5. Add dry ingredients to a big bowl and mix with a spoon to combine. Pour in the wet mixture from your blender and stir until well combined.
  6. Fold in crushed walnuts with a spoon, then pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan.
  7. Make raspberry swirls out of your jam throughout the banana bread using a fork — don’t overmix!
  8. If desired, arrange an additional sliced banana on top of the batter!
  9. Bake for 60 minutes in the preheated oven or until cooked through and firm on the outside.
  10. Let it cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing! Enjoy.

Notes

  • Instead of soy milk, you can use any other plant-based milk like almond or oat.
  • If you don't have any walnuts, replace them with other nuts of choice or simply omit.
  • No need to add the raspberry swirl if you just want traditional banana bread.
  • If you don't let your banana bread cool before slicing, you run into the risk of gooey, undercooked slices!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 162Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 299mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 5gSugar: 18gProtein: 5g

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Alena sitting in a cafe with a bowl of fresh plant-based food and a glass of coffee in front of her

About Alena Handwritten FontAlena Schowalter is a Certified Vegan Nutritionist who has been a vegetarian since childhood and vegan since 2012. Together with her husband, she founded nutriciously in 2015 and has been guiding thousands of people through different transition stages towards a healthy plant-based diet. She’s received training in the fields of nutrition, music therapy and social work. Alena enjoys discussions around vegan ethics, walks through nature and creating new recipes.

95 thoughts on “Sugar-Free Banana Bread (Vegan)”

  1. I LOVE the addition of raspberry jam in this bread. From oat flour to soy milk, this recipe has all of my favorite things. Can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
    • thanks so much for this wonderful comment! Very happy that you stopped by and liked our recipe, Lori :) I truly admire your work as well, let’s keep in touch x

      Reply
  2. Hi Alena,

    Thanks for this recipe, it is by far the best banana bread I have tasted and the family agrees.

    Will be making more of this today, the last batch didn’t last long at all.

    Very easy recipe.

    Thanks

    Hazel

    Reply
    • oh my, thanks so much for those lovely words! I’m so happy to know that your family liked the recipe and it’s even better that it’s really, really healthy and wholesome :)
      Do feel free to make your own version with different add-ons and share if you like!

      Reply
    • Well, I’m perplexed. Followed recipe to the letter, and it’s in the oven an hour plus 30 minutes and still not done in the middle!!!

      Reply
      • sorry to read that, Sahari! This is an older recipe so I don’t remember fully how I created it but after some research, I just reduced the dairy-free milk in the recipe. Hope your banana bread was still edible!

        Reply
      • Same here, I have tried this twice now, second time it was in the over for almost 2 hours and did not cook through, I wonder what I’m doing wrong

        Reply
  3. At last. A very nice banana bread! I c baked it for 55 mins, think it needed the full hour and will do that next time, but really enjoyed the taste e with the trainer jam.

    Reply
  4. This recipe is amazing – breakfast, dessert or just a snack. We LOVED it. Will be making this regularly. Thanks so much for sharing.

    Reply
  5. Thank you for this recipe! It was so good it almost didn’t have the chance to cool down! Everyone loved it! Definitely The recipe for banana bread from now on.

    Reply
  6. I just made this today for my dad’s birthday and it’s so good! I’m so happy I found your recipe since I wanted something without sugar. All of the ingredients are so wholesome and the result is just yummy. I did two batches and everyone loved it and had another slice. I will definitely be making this soon!

    Reply
  7. What size loaf pan did you use – 8×4″, 9×5″? (It looks like an 8×4″ in your photos.)
    How full does the batter fill that pan?
    I want to make a half recipe as I’ll be the only eating it.
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hey Diane,
      thanks for the comment! We’re situated in Germany and the loaf pan is about 8×4 but not exactly, I think. The batter fills the pan about three quarters or a little less. You could also just make half the batter and make it into muffins instead of a banana bread, that way you can measure it out better :) Takes less time in the oven, too.
      Hope this helps! Let us know if you like it.

      Reply
    • good question, never tried that but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work :) Muffins usually take around 15-20 minutes for me, just check regularly to see if they are done – and let us know what the result it!

      Reply
  8. I made this today but unfortunately it didn’t turn out well… could have been becsuse I used instant oats instead of rolled oats. A big oversight on my part. I actually tasted the soy milk, banana and dates mixture before mixing it with the flour and I LOVED this sweetness level. Will save this recipe and try again next time.

    Reply
  9. Hello
    We don’t grow raspberries where I live. Can I bake without using homemade or purchased raspberry jam or any jam? I mean bake the batter plain.

    Reply
    • yes, we sometimes just omit the raspberry jam as well! You can also freestyle and add cocoa powder or nibs, any types of spices or frozen berries. Let us know how you made it and if you liked it :)

      Reply
  10. Thanks dear! Could you tell me how much cocoa powder to use! And suppose I left out any form of milk at all. Plant based milk are not made where I live. What can I use to substitute it if I have to put any at all?

    Reply
    • you could make your own oat milk by blending rolled oats with water! Or can you get your hands on canned coconut milk? Thin it out with water and you have coconut milk. I haven’t tried it without any plant-based milk at all but I suppose it could work :) It’s almost like the banana bread dough is made with banana milk (banana + water) or oat milk (oats + water) as is. Let me know how it turns out if you don’t mind x

      Reply
  11. Hey Alena!
    I’ve never made Banana Bread in my life, are there any tips that you think will make it fool proof? Also, can I just add the halved banana on top before it goes to the oven, or do I have to take specific steps?
    I’m very excited to try this, your work is amazing!
    Hugs

    Reply
    • Hi Rita,
      thanks so much for reaching out – no idea how to make it even more fool-proof then it is, haha! Yes, you can add the banana on top before it goes into the oven. Our recipes are usually very easily customizable, so just freestyle a bit if you want :)
      Let us know how it turns out!
      Warm wishes x

      Reply
    • it won’t be very sweet then, so you might want to add some maple syrup or other sweetener of your choice and adjust the texture of the batter when omitting the dates :)

      Reply
    • thanks for your question! I never tried this sub but I’d use applesauce for the texture (not a whole cup, though) plus any other vegan sweetener like maple syrup or brown sugar to replace the dates. It’s not easy to mess up this recipe :) Please let us know what you use and how it turns out!

      Reply
        • Hey Noemi,
          I actually haven’t tried making this version but I’d go for half a cup unsweetened applesauce and 2 tbsp maple syrup instead of the dates. This recipe is hard to mess up, you just need to create a batter that it’s very dry or very liquid and adjust the sweetness to your taste :)
          Let us know what you end up doing and how it turns out!!
          Warmly,
          Alena

          Reply
  12. My son recently went on a gluten-free vegan diet for health issues. He has been craving sweets and bread and this totally satisfied him. It is fabulous – and so easy to make. Instead of bread, I made muffins and put a spoonful of the “jam” on top of each before baking for 25 minutes. I tried putting a spoonful of homemade applesauce on a couple of them (prior to baking) and they were also fabulous.

    Reply
  13. I baked this last night and it was amazing! Thank you for this recipe.

    Just as an FYI re: people asking about substitutes for the dates – I only used half a cup of dates. Same measurements for everything else.

    Reply
  14. Hey Alena, I made this Banana Bread today (without the jam and I used cashew nuts instead) and it is absolutely fantastic! Very moist on the inside with a crust on the outside.
    For extra flavour I put some Peanut Butter on top as well.
    I love it; thanks for the recipe xxx

    Reply
  15. Hi!
    I just made this today and it taste amazing! But mine didn’t rise and are only half the size of yours and therefor very dense. Do you think i should’ve used more baking powder?

    Elin

    Reply
    • Hi Elin,
      thanks so much for your comment! Sorry to hear that your banana bread didn’t turn out so great – it sometimes to happen to me as well when I use rather old baking powder. Could this have been a reason? Did you use the right measurements?
      Hope it’ll rise nicely the next time – keep us updated!
      Best wishes,
      Alena

      Reply
  16. Can’t wait to make this recipe! I really like the look of it. Sorry if this is a stupid question, but did you just put 2 slices of banana on top? :-)

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hey Evelien,
      not a stupid question at all! Should have totally mentioned this – yes, those are two slices of banana on top. You can just half one banana or cut it even thinner and top the batter with it before baking.
      Thanks for your comment and I’m eager to read about your creation!
      Best wishes,
      Alena

      Reply
  17. Hi, I made this wonderful bread yesterday, and it’s half gone already. Very juicy, but rose so well that it is not dense. I didn’t have dates, so substituted them with (soaked) figs, which works great but came out too sweet. I’ll take half of the amount next time.. and there will be a next time!

    Reply
    • thanks so much for the feedback! Need to try the banana bread with figs sometime, sounds like a delicious combination :)

      Reply
    • the swirl on top of the bread is the homemade raspberry jam and yes, it can totally be swapped for blueberry! I’m sure peanut butter swirl is soooo delicious, too. Cannot go wrong with pb ;)

      Reply
  18. This looks so yummy – planning to make tomorrow! I’m trying to reduce my sugar intake, so would the apple sauce/honey substitute combo be a better option? :)

    Reply
    • happy that you like the recipe! Are you concerned about the sugar in whole dates? Because that’s the only “sugar” that’s in the recipe — you can just use fewer dates if you like and replace some of it with unsweetened applesauce. This would be healthier than adding honey imo :)

      Reply
    • yes, since it’s lower in fat, your banana bread will have a slightly different texture but it’ll still be awesome ;) great swap!

      Reply
  19. Hi Alena! I baked this banana bread today and it tasted fantastic. Followed your recipe to the ‘T’. But the problem was, the bread rose beautifully in the oven, but once I removed it out of the oven it started sinking. The resulting bread was very fudgey, gooey and dense. Do you know where I could have gone wrong?

    I used rolled oats and ground to a fine powder. I have tried some other healthy vegan bread recipes with oat flour and all those breads have ended up collapsing once baked.

    Please help!

    Thank you,
    Prajakti

    Reply
    • hmmm this never happened to me but if it’s a common thing for you when using oat flour, perhaps the baking soda or oven you’re using could be the culprit? Sorry I cannot be of much help here! I assume it was still tasty, though ;)

      Reply
  20. Hi Alena,
    I love your website and the recipes you post. I have turned vegan since Jan 2020 and am constantly looking for healthy recipes that are sugar-free, dairy-free, and oil-free. I loved this recipe too and will soon try the same. But the challenge I face is whenever I replace all-purpose flour with other flours, my bakes turn dense. Does that happen with oats flour or it gives a good fluffy texture? Have you used steel cut oats or rolled oats? I can’t wait any longer to try this recipe. Do share your inputs. Thanks

    Reply
    • thanks so much for your comment! Oat flour is a bit higher in fat than other whole grain flour so it offers a different texture for sure — use fresh baking soda or powder and not old packages to ensure a fluffy texture :) Just read the other comments to see what everyone’s experiences have been making this oat banana bread!

      Reply
  21. Planning on making this! I’m just wondering do I have to include the lemon juice? Also can I use gluten free flour instead of oat flour. Thank you I’m advance you and your recipe are amazing!!

    Reply
    • Hi Tracy,
      thanks for your questions. You can skip the lemon juice and if you want to use a gluten-free flour blend, I recommend you add some ground almonds or almond butter because you want to achieve a similar fat percentage as the oat flour :)
      Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  22. I made this last weekend exactly as the recipe it turned out so yummy, very moist and tasted amazing. It lasted all week (not sure how!) one slice in the afternoons when I get that craving for something sweet was all I needed.

    Today I am making the same but with blueberries :)

    Thanks for the recipe x

    Reply
  23. I have trouble understanding the oat flour ingredient. Your recipe says 2 cups oatflour, but if you dont have oatflour, use 7 oz of rolled oats and mix into flour. I am also translating into dl, so are you saying to use and mix 2 dl (roughly 7oz) of rolled oats? How is that equal to 2 cups of oatflour. I’m confused. ^^ Love your stuff btw! <3

    Reply
    • Hey Erik,
      thanks for your question and sorry that I apparently didn’t express well enough what I mean! So, if you don’t have any oat flour (which I personally don’t), then you take 200 grams or 7 oz of rolled oats and put them into a blender jar or food processor to create your own flour that way. I hope this makes sense, there are a lot of videos showing you how to do this :)
      Best wishes!

      Reply
    • awww sorry to hear that, did you use a regular-sized pan? Has your oven produced weird results before? Perhaps your batter was a bit too runny x

      Reply
  24. Could you possibly advise on how to make an adapted version of this with less banana and with zucchini added? Thank you so much if so!

    I made the recipe as listed last week and it was truly amazing! Thank you so much for the brilliant treat!

    Reply
    • Sure, thanks for the question! Since zucchini doesn’t have a strong taste, especially when prepared with so many flavorful ingredients, I would use 2 large bananas plus 100 grams of grated zucchini for this recipe :) This would also make the banana bread less sweet, of course.
      Might make this myself soon! Let me know how it turns out.

      Reply
  25. I’ve been making this recipe sans the raspberry part (I’m lazy) like once every other week to get our Vegan sweet tooth satisfied. I use Prunes instead of dates and almond milk for my vegan milk. Comes out wonderful each time. Thanks!

    Reply
  26. Just made this and the mixture tasted DIVINE… however think I made an oopsie by adding 2 cups of rolled oats (pre-blended), so the baked version is pretty much raw inside and very dense!
    I’m hoping this is just an oat ratio error, or maybe because I added the full 3 bananas instead of keeping on for on top?
    Still tastes nice, but my non-vegan parents won’t touch!

    Reply
  27. Tried making this again today as was determined to wow my non-vegan parents/friends and thought yesterday’s jelly-like version must’ve been because of the oat quantity! Did the recipe to the T this time and alas, 60mins in the oven and a burnt top and mushy middle, still completely uncooked.
    No idea where I’ve gone wrong…. so upsetting as the mixture tasted so good.

    Reply
  28. I came across this recipe a couple days ago and really want to try it.. it looks amazing! I have all the ingredients but I do not have a high powered, heavy duty blender (Vitamix) so I’m wondering if a regular blender would work. I really can’t wait to try this recipe.

    Reply
    • Hey Marnie,
      thanks for the comment! Yes, a regular blender will work if you make sure that your dates are soaked and drained for a smoother result :) Let us know how you like the banana bread!
      Warmly,
      Alena

      Reply
    • I had the same issue. I followed the recipe to a T. However, I think there’s a mistake with the “oats” the recipe calls for 2 cups of oat flour, however, if you make your own you only need 7 oz of Rolled oats and blended? I still only got 7 oz of blended oats. Was I supposed to adjust the rest of the ingredients? So disappointed..

      Reply
  29. Have you ever made a wfpb sweet potato bread, apple sauce bread or something similar? I really like semi sweet loaves sort of like banana bread but I’m allergic to bananas. This recipe looks so good but, as with almost all banana bread recipes, there are too many bananas to just replace with a different purée without significantly changing the recipe.

    Reply
    • that’s actually a great idea! No, I haven’t made any of these other breads but now you’ve got me really curious :) I would just play around with other ingredients similar in texture like sweet potato puree or apple sauce and replacing the banana while keeping the dates to make the bread semi-sweet, as you mentioned. I’m sure other wfpb recipe bloggers have created something similar to what you’re looking for!

      Reply
  30. My grandson eats gluten free and vegan.
    This recipe is delicious!

    I used 1/2 cup of Oatly (oat milk) (instead of 1/4 cup).
    I also used food processor to make oat flour from GF oatmeal. So easy to do!

    Make sure the bread is cooled before slicing.
    Use a serrated bread knife for best results.
    Toasting then topping with a bit of ghee… delish.

    Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    Reply
    • Hi Karina, thanks for your comment! Yes, you can use any sweetener of your choice or just sweeten the banana bread with bananas! You probably need to adjust the flour and liquid content slightly when omitting the dates. I’d use 1-2 tbsp molasses!

      Reply
  31. Hi :)
    I’m a bit confused with the oat flour. A cup of oat flour is usually around 90 grams. Do we only need 2 cups (=180g) or do we actually need 220 grams of oat flour?

    Reply

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