½cupplus 1 tablespoon (126ml) cashew milk, or any of your choice
1.5teaspoonVanilla
1 ¾ cup(198 grams)Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, Atta
½cup(48grams) Almond flour
1teaspoonBaking Soda
1teaspoonBaking Powder
1teaspoonCinnamon
½teaspoonsalt
Fistful of sliced almondsoptional
Instructions
All ingredients should be at room temperature.
Start with preheating the oven at 350 degrees F / 180 deg C.
Grease and line a 9*5” loaf pan and keep aside.
Prepare flaxseed meal gel
Whisk the flax meal in warm water with a spoon and let it stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile add banana chunks, oil, jaggery, milk, vinegar, vanilla to a blender and blend until smooth.
See notes for why blender is used and alternative.
Sift the whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a big bowl.
Add in the almond flour and cinnamon.
Mix well with the spatula.
Now add the blender mix and flaxseed meal gel to the dry ingredients.
Fold it well with the spatula only until it forms a thick sticky batter.
Do not overmix the batter.
Pour it into the prepared pan and level it with the spoon.
Tap the pan gently over the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
Add some sliced nuts like almonds on top if desired.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Video
Notes
USA standard cup size used 1 cup = 240 ml. Measures are given in grams too.
In the video, I have smashed the bananas with a fork just to weigh it for accuracy.
You can add chunks of bananas directly to a blender.
The sweetness of the bread will highly depend on how ripe are the bananas.
This recipe isn’t overly sweet and my kids like it this way.
It tastes even better the next day, sweeter and the flavors really deepen.
You may increase jaggery to a total of 1 cup if you prefer it very sweet.
Why a blender?I have used a blender to process the jaggery well with liquid ingredients. Jaggery granules can sometimes be tough to break down.
Important tips to make an awesome healthy banana bread
A simple spoon or spatula works, do not use a whisk. Remember that this is bread, not a cake.
Do not overmix the batter, mix just until combined.
Depending on the oven especially a smaller one, if the bread starts browning quickly, ay after 35 minutes top it loosely with foil.
Flavor it up –
Throw in some nuts, chocolate chips, or even your favorite spice blend like pumpkin or chai spice to make this bread extra flavorful.
Possible substitutes that work well
Atta or whole wheat pastry flour is recommended for making this bread. A ready-made gluten-free flour blend will work as well. I prefer using Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour blend.
I have used Almond Flour and not almond meal. If you are allergic to nuts swap it with oat flour i.e ground oatmeal, old-fashioned oats, and not steel-cut.
Substitute flaxseed meal with 4 tablespoons yogurt.
You may replace jaggery with coconut sugar or sugar in raw. If you have a chunk of jaggery then slice it and weigh or pack it in the cup, measure and use it. I prefer dark color organic jaggery.
I use avocado oil for this recipe. You can use organic coconut oil or mild-tasting olive oil for this banana bread recipe.
Swap cashew milk for almond, oat or say milk instead. If you consume dairy then use whole or 2% milk at room temperature.
Use lemon juice instead of vinegar.
Substitute cinnamon pumpkin spice, chai spice, cardamom or simply leave it out.
Storage and freezing instructions for vegan banana bread
This banana bread stays great for up to 4 days at room temperature if stored in a cool dry place.
Place the bread slices in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to a week.
Vegan banana bread freezes well. Just wrap each slice individually in saran wrap then foil and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost it overnight in the fridge or over the counter for 1 hour before consuming.
Microwave before eatingIf you love warm banana bread, feel free to microwave it for 10 seconds. They will taste like they are just out of the oven.
Alternate Pan Size
If you do not have a loaf pan, bake it in an 8" round or square pan for 30-35 minutes.You can bake it in several mini loaf pans too.