Decadent High-Altitude Vegan Banana Bread

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It was bananas… and now it’s bread! This Decadent High-Altitude Vegan Banana Bread has been referred to as “something special”. It’s Hollaback Girl good, it’s B-A-N-A-N-A-S! Isn’t Gwen Stefani fabulous!?

This Decadent High-Altitude Vegan Banana Bread is Stealth Vegan

This is a vegan-ized classic and no one would be able to tell that it’s vegan. This is legit comfort food and it will make your house smell like a happy home where delicious things are happening. Really. Delicious. Things.

A Mile High

High Altitude in my case equals a mile high or 5280 feet. Sorry stoners, this is not a marijuana-infused recipe. Much like the other baked goods on this site, it’s too yummy, you’d eat it, get the munchies, eat the rest and be high, for days…

Sea Level

Sea Level Ingredients: If you are making this at sea level just omit the maple syrup and use 1 cup of sugar instead of just a 1/2 cup. I recommend using brown or light brown sugar to mimic the depth of flavor of the maple syrup. The reason to omit the maple syrup for sea level baking is that the extra moisture is what makes this a high altitude recipe. Thank you science.

Sea Level Bake Time: Your Banana Bread might take a little less time to cook. Start checking it for doneness after 50 minutes. Thanks again delicious science.

Ingredient Notes

B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

You want very ripe brown mushy bananas. I have usually frozen my bananas in their peels before using them. Simply thaw a little in the sink before peeling. If your bananas aren’t extra ripe try these tips.

In cooking school, I was shown the proper way to peel a banana. You turn it upside down, pinch both sides of the part by the end and pull apart to peel. I can never go back to peeling like a pleb.

Flax Meal = Ground Flaxseed for The Vegan Egg

In this recipe, we use Ground Flaxseed, a.k.a Flaxseed Meal in place of the egg. A “Flax Egg” is 1 TBSP Flaxseed + 2.5 TBSPs hot tap water mixed together.

Maple Syrup

I recommend dark, Grade A (formerly called Grade B) real-deal maple syrup. This is not the time for “imitation maple syrup” or “or “pancake syrup” – sorry Mrs. Buttersworth, not now. I do love the Mrs. Buttersworth bottle though. Do you remember when Sally used booze on her father’s french toast mistaking it for Mrs. Buttersworth on Mad Men? Don Draper took down that boozy french toast.

Recently, my household found out that opened containers of maple syrup should be kept in the fridge. We had been storing it in the cupboard, but it grew mold. Google has different answers for me about whether maple syrup mold is toxic or non-toxic.

Coconut oil

You can use whichever oil you want. However, I really like what happens when I use unrefined, virgin coconut oil.

It Can Be Muffins

If you want you can pour the batter into a muffin tin to make muffins instead of a loaf. Either grease the muffin tin with Earth Balance or line the muffin tin with muffin cups. The bake time for muffins is approximately 25 minutes, but start checking at approximately 20 minutes for sea level muffins.

Go At That Batter

You can eat the batter! Look ma, no eggs! You’ll want to eat the batter. Do it. Go full Gremlin on that batter. SERIOUSLY, this is one of my favorite vegan baking perks: all batters and cookie doughs are fair game.

Let’s get this Banana Bread ready for the oven, STAT!

First, preheat your oven to 350° F.

Then, put the closed jar of coconut oil in a hot water bath to liquify if it is solid.

Now grease the 8″ x 4″ pan with Earth Balance.

Make the Flax Egg

Whisk ground flaxseeds and water using a fork and set aside. Setting the flax egg for a few minutes gives it the ability to become thicker and more gel-like.

Chop up The Nuts

Then, chop or pulse walnuts and/or pecans in the food processor. I like to keep them in fairly big chunks. However, the size of the nut chunks is entirely up to you.

Measure Dry Ingredients

Next, in a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon and set aside.

Mix Up Wet Ingredients

Then, in a large mixing bowl mix up the thawed, peeled bananas, sugar and syrup. Mix at a low to medium speed, it may spray you if you go too fast too soon. Then add flax egg and mix well with mixer.

Add Dry Ingredients, Coconut Oil, and Vanilla Extract

Stir, mix or whisk in the flour mixture. Then stir or gently mix in the coconut oil and vanilla extract. The batter will be lumpy, please do not over mix.

Fold In Most, but Not All of The Nuts

Then, fold in most of the chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter and stir. Save some nuts to sprinkle over the top of the bread.

Transfer Batter to the Pan and Top with Remaining Nuts

Pour the batter into the pan, draw a line across the middle of the batter the long way with your spatula and top with the remaining nuts. Then bake 60 – 70 minutes, checking at 60 minutes.

How To Tell If Your Quickbread Is Done From The Spruce Eats:

• Quickbreads should be golden in color, and slightly darker around the edges.
• A large crack running down the center of the bread is normal. The inside of the crack should not look wet.
• The edges of the bread will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.
• You can use the toothpick test for quick bread doneness too. It should come out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. A butter knife works in place of the toothpick for this test.
• If you want to use a thermometer, the internal temperature should be 190 F.

Be Cool

Let the magic bread cool for at least an hour on a wire rack before removing from pan. You can put it in a cool water sink bath to help cool it, just don’t get the Banana Bread wet.

Carefully Remove From Pan

Once it has completely cooled, carefully remove Banana Bread from pan. Try loosening it with a butter knife around the edges and flipping it over while holding the top of the bread. Once you’ve eased the loaf out, enjoy or store wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for 2 days, then move to the fridge or freeze. I think it tastes best the next day when the flavors have melded and it sweetens up.

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If you like this Banana Bread, you might want to make Denver High-Altitude Zucchini Bread.

Did you make Decadent High-Altitude Vegan Banana Bread?

Do you live in a high altitude area or at sea level? Any thoughts? Any substitutions? Let me know in the comments below.