Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread

This easy vegan gluten free banana bread is the best combo ever. Packed with bananas and peanut butter and finished with a vegan dark chocolate glaze. This Gluten Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread is so easy to make with simple ingredients. And since it is vegan, no need to wait for ingredients to come to room temperature.

This vegan gluten free banana bread with dark chocolate glaze is made without vegan egg substitutions such as flax eggs or aquafaba. IF peanut butter isn’t your thing, feel free to use sunflower butter or almond butter instead.

Make sure to also check out my Easy One Bowl Banana Bread Recipe

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I tested this vegan gluten-free banana bread recipe with my own Gluten-Free Flour Blend as well as Bob’s Red Mill 1 – to 1. Each blend of gluten-free flours worked beautifully in this recipe. If you plan on using a different brand, I highly recommend containing several different flours as well as a binder like xanthan gum. This recipe has not been tested with almond flour (almond meal) or coconut flour.

Peanut Butter: The key ingredient for this gluten-free banana bread is definitely peanut butter. It not only replaces part of the fat but also the eggs. I prefer baking with “conventional” peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy. Conventional peanut butter is made with fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, which help stabilize the peanut butter and prevent it from separating. In my opinion, it’s more reliable in baking than natural peanut butter (which is perfect for snacking!).

Vinegar: The added vinegar activates sodium bicarbonate found in the baking soda which helps the gluten-free vegan banana bread rise. So don't skip this ingredient. Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar works perfectly.

Neutral Oil: I recommend using a neutral oil such as canola, grapeseed, or olive oil in this simple recipe for gluten-free peanut butter banana bread.

Bananas: I like to use ripe, brown bananas, with a lot of brown spots but aren’t mushy. You can also use frozen bananas for this recipe for Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread. To freeze bananas, just place them with their peel in the freezer. When I am ready to use them, I place them in a bowl and allow for them to thaw at room temperature. They will release some liquid which you may discard.

Kitchen Equipment needed to make vegan banana bread

This gluten-free peanut butter banana bread recipe is very simple to make and doesn’t require any fancy equipment. You will a large bowl to mix the banana bread batter, a small bowl for the dry ingredients, a whisk, a rubber spatula, and a small offset knife. To mash the bananas, you can use a fork or a potato masher. You will also need an 8.4”x4.5”x4.1 Pullman Loaf Pan but a standard 8×4 loaf pan will work as well.

How to make Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread

This easy vegan banana bread recipe is very simple to make. This recipe is written for an 8.4”x4.5”x4.1 Pullman Loaf Pan but a standard loaf pan will work as well.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the loaf pan with parchment paper and set it aside. Make sure to leave some overhang which will help to remove the fully baked banana bread from the pan.

Step 2: In a medium bowl sift together the gluten-free flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside.

Step 3: In a large bowl combine the mashed, overripe bananas, both sugars, peanut butter, oil, vanilla extract, vinegar, and non-dairy milk. Whisk to combine.

Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until fully combined. While we don’t have to worry about building gluten, try not to overmix your batter. 

Step 5: Transfer the gluten-free vegan peanut butter banana bread batter to the prepared loaf pan and use a spatula, spoon, or small offset to smooth it out evenly.

Step 7: Bake at 350F for 55-65 minutes, The loaf is done when it is golden brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. (If using a digital thermometer, the internal temperature should be 200F or higher.

Remove from the oven, and allow for the gluten-free vegan banana bread to cool in the loaf pan for 10-15 minutes. Remove it from the loaf pan and transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Vegan Dark Chocolate Glaze

Bananas, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate are a classic combo. While this gluten-free vegan peanut butter banana bread is delicious as is, I love topping it with a simple vegan chocolate glaze.

To make the glaze combine powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Add your non-dairy milk of choice and whisk until smooth. Be careful when adding the liquid. Start by adding only 1 tablespoon of milk and add more as needed.

Pour the glaze over the fully cooled gluten-free vegan banana bread. Decorate with peanuts and flaky sea salt if you like. For the best result, allow the glaze to sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Store the vegan banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-4 days. If you live in a warm, humid climate I recommend storing it in the fridge. This bread can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Variations of Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread

This vegan banana bread can not only be made with peanut butter (crunchy or smooth) but also works with almond butter and sunflower seed butter. This is especially great news if you are allergic to peanuts.

If you like, you can add vegan chocolate chips to your vegan banana bread. Or chopped-up nuts. For a very indulgent treat, you could even add some chopped-up peanut butter cups to the banana bread batter before baking.

FAQ about Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread

Can I make this recipe with All Purpose Flour?
Yes. Replace the Gluten-Free Flour with 270 grams of All-Purpose Flour.

Which non-dairy milk do you recommend?
Personally, I love baking with almond milk or oat milk. Please make sure when using oat milk it is indeed made with certified gluten-free oats. Other non-dairy options are coconut milk or soy milk.

What is a Pullman loaf pan?
A Pullman loaf pan is a rectangular-shaped pan with straight sides which allow loaf bread, like this delicious quick bread, to rise taller without collapsing.

Can I freeze my gluten free peanut butter banana bread?
After you cooled your loaf completely, you can either freeze it by the entire loaf, the half loaf, or by the slice. Personally, I prefer freezing it by the slice since then I can just grab one slice, defrost it at room temperature and enjoy. Wrap each slice in plastic and place it in a ziplock bag. Freeze up to 3 months.