I know, I know. More banana bread. Even though I just made oatmeal banana bread last month, I felt compelled to make more. One of the recipes I get feedback on most often is my blueberry Greek yogurt banana bread. And I totally agree – it’s a good one. But we’ve cut dairy out these past few months, and I’ve been itching to makeover this old favorite into something new and vegan-friendly.
The original recipe also includes eggs (which we do eat), but since I wanted this to be accessible to my vegan friends, I subbed those out as well. I promise you can’t tell the difference. I also upped the amount of bananas used in the original recipe, and reduced the amount of sugar – it helps the natural sweetness of the banana really shine!
Banana bread is one of those things that is great on it’s own, and just gets better when you add fun fillings. I’ve made this three times now, and each time I add more and more blueberries. I’m sure there is a point where you’ve added too many, but I don’t seem to have reached it quite yet. I’ll keep you posted.
Blueberry Walnut Banana Bread
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 60-75 minutes
Ingredients (1 loaf)
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1.5 cups whole wheat flour
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2 teaspoons baking powder
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/2 cup organic cane sugar
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2 tablespoons ground flax (+1/4 cup water)
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4 ripe bananas, mashed
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1 teaspoon vanilla
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1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
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1/2 cup walnuts
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1 cup frozen blueberries
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. If you prefer a different type of flour, feel free to sub that in. I like the chewiness (and added nutrition!) from using whole wheat.
In a small bowl, combine the ground flax with water to make a "flax egg" – let the mixture sit for a few minutes until thickened.
In another small bowl (sorry, this is a 3 bowl operation), mash the bananas and combine with the milk and vanilla. I like to leave the bananas a little lumpy so that I get big gooey bites of it in the final product. If you like smoother bread, whisk until the banana is pretty much pureed.
Combine the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix until just combined. Fold the walnuts and blueberries in – I like to use a LOT of both. In my opinion, you really can’t have too many.
Bake at 350 degrees for 60-75 minutes. The top will be golden brown, but test with a knife to make sure the middle has cooked through. It’s a pretty dense loaf!
Transfer to a cooling rack. Slice and eat a piece immediately.
I made this for my mom’s group this morning, and judging from amount that is left, I’d say it was a hit. The crust is crunchy and sweet, while the middle is gooey and dense – the best of both worlds.
It’s easy, it’s healthy, and as an added bonus – it makes your house smell amaaaaaaazing. Enjoy!
90 Comments so far
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If I were to use an egg instead of the flax, would it be 1 or 2? Thanks!!
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 11:15 pm
2 eggs!
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I’ve never made (nor been inspired to make) banana bread, but your pictures and description are making me drool. <3
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Ohh YAY you posted the recipe!!!! I was hoping you would I’ve been waiting for it, thank you!!!
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This recipe looks amazing. I can’t wait to try it, though I fear my husband and I would devour the entire thing in a weekend :)
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Thanks for another awesome vegan recipe! My husband loves your blueberry banana whole wheat muffins. I’m looking forward to making this one!
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So I’m this weird person who hates bananas. I’m wondering if you could replace the bananas with pumpkin. Do you think about 1 can of pumpkin would work?
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 11:14 pm
Yikes, that’s a tall order. :) Not sure how to get around replacing the bananas in banana bread, but you can most certainly try pumpkin! Probably more like 1.5 cups would be my guess.
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Michaela Reply:
April 5th, 2012 at 10:51 am
I hate bananas, too, but I however adore banana bread :)
I actually have tried something similiar with canned pumpkin instead of bananas and it worked perfectly!
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YUM. I don’t think I’ve ever made blueberry bread and this is like a combo of blueberry and banana bread and I am in love with banana bread. Although I’d have to leave out the walnuts because the hubs is super allergic.
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Looks delicious!!! I LOVE banana bread of any time! I do usually add yogurt into mine, but this looks amazing without it! I’ll have to give it a try…thanks for sharing :)
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Looks amazing! I’m weird and seem to only want to make breads in the fall but adding blueberries might be a good way to trick myself out of my strange seasonal categorization lol.
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yum! i could never get sick of banana bread! :)
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Oh my goodness that looks delicious! I LOVE banana bread!!!
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Thank you so much for this vegan blueberry banana bread! I’m vegetarian but I love for my baked items to be vegan friendly.
I only have whole wheat pastry flour on hand will that work just as well?
Thank you so much :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 11:13 pm
I think that should work!
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That looks delicious! I need to buy some bananas to turn brown for it!
I’m really curious (and you may have already addressed this in your comments), but why dairy free?
I’m vegetarian (for ethical reasons) and constantly leaning more toward vegan, but I haven’t gotten there yet (and honestly, I’m not sure I ever will). I hope (one day) you’ll share your experience.
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 11:13 pm
I should probably write a full post about it, and haven’t yet. For a number of reasons, most of which is health-related. After reading the China study and seeing Forks Over Knives this summer, we decided see how we felt dairy-free. I haven’t really found that I missed it, and as a breastfeeding mom it makes it easier for Cullen too (a lot of babies are sensitive to dairy).
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Cassie @ Back to Her Roots Reply:
April 5th, 2012 at 5:17 am
Yes! I would like to see a full post about this, too. I’m always interested in what makes folks do the switch. :)
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Kelly Reply:
April 5th, 2012 at 8:02 am
yes please! I just watched forks over knives and am trying to do the switch too. I’d also love to hear if you’ve gotten any questions about whether Cullen will be vegetarian/vegan once he’s eating food and how you respond to them!
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Emma S Reply:
April 7th, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Yes, curious about transition. Yogurt and cheese are staples for me, both because I want the protein and calcium, and because I love the food. I have switched to soy or almond cheese to cut back, and was wondering what you do about yogurt. Soy yogurt is just not very good.
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 9th, 2012 at 9:04 pm
I am not a fan of soy yogurt, although I did find an almond yogurt I like!
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Banana bread is one of the best things ever. Love it!
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Looks delicious! Thanks for posting, Emily! I think this might have to be on our table for Easter brunch. Looking forward to it! :-)
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 11:11 pm
Fabulous – hope you guys enjoy!
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Tammy Reply:
April 8th, 2012 at 11:09 pm
It was fabulous! Will definitely make again, possibly as soon as we’re finished with today’s loaf. ;-) Thanks again!
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Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing; I was hoping you would. I’ve got a lot of ripe bananas to use up! ;)
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Hey Emily,
Great Recipe! Can fresh blueberries be used in place of frozen?
Thanks :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 11:11 pm
I don’t see why not!
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Just out of banana carob chip buckwheat bread…definitely have to give this one a go over the weekend! I’m a banana bread addict!
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I am ALL over this bread this weekend!
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just pinned it- I’m always looking for breads that are tasty and not basically another dessert filled with sugar and butter. Thanks!
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I am planning to pin this as soon as I write this comment… such a lovely dessert that is not chalk-full of butter and oil.. thank you Emily!
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Did your font change or is it just my browser? I like the old font better – this one is hard to read! :)
Thank you for the recipe; looks delicious!
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This sounds AMAZING!
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Yum– love those big chunks of blueberry throughout!
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I don’t eat wheat, do you think this would work with Almond Meal Flour?
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 5th, 2012 at 9:18 am
I don’t use AM flour often, so I can’t be sure, but it’s definitely worth a try.
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This looks yummy! My husband would most likely call me a blueberry addict and I love banana bread so this is right up my alley! Also, I am also dairy free for my son right now so I will have to make this asap!
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I love banana bread and I have never gotten sick of it! It’s so perfect and adding all the fun ingrdients! Your bread loosk amazing!
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This is the perfect banana bread recipe. Thank you so much for your website. I recently stumbled upon it and all the recipes my husband and I have tried are so delicious! Thank you again!
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Do you think I could cut down (or cut out) the sugar?
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 5th, 2012 at 9:17 am
You can certainly try! Not sure if it will affect the consistency, but since it’s not that much it should probably be fine.
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I don’t have almond milk, can I use regular 1% milk?
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 5th, 2012 at 9:16 am
Of course!
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I’ve recently cut out dairy too (and am missing greek yogurt) so this is perfect for me!
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I’m trying SO hard to be dairy free ( and so far doing a pretty good job)
I secretly think that my family is afraid of what I might serve them on Easter given that my diet has changed so much in the last year.
I think I will try this recipe as part of the lin up.. I can’t imagine them ‘questioning’ this.. it looks so tasty !
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 5th, 2012 at 9:16 am
Hope they like it!
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PS. Full disclosure, I have been vegan a long time and never actually had real greek yogurt but there is this product: So Delicious’ Coconut Milk yogurt
I honestly didn’t care for it (ironic since I prefer the coconut milk ice creams out there), but maybe people know who what greek yogurt tastes like will?
Something people could try.
Glad you posted this recipe. When I saw that loaf you were eating on one of the weekend posts I knew I wanted to try it.
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Sounds and looks amazing!!!
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Any thoughts on how this would turn out using spelt flour?
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I will often Roast my Banana’s in the oven (350 for 20 minutes or so) and let them cool when I am making Baked goods with them. It adds a fantastic flavour and sweetness. I often find I can reduce the sugar in the recipe as well…
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THANK YOU for this recipe!! I have just recently been trying for a blueberry banana bread recipe, and I didn´t get the proportions right (the loaf was way to dense), so the timing is just perfect :)
And your creations are always fabulous, anyway!
Have a great long weekend!
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would unsweetened soy milk work? thanks!
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I made this today. All I can say is Mmmmmmmm. It is perfect. Melty and chewy at the same time. Husband will love it as it doesn’t contain the “vile spice” that he hates (Cinnamon). Thanks for a great recipe!
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I see others have asked about this as well! Super curious why you cut out diary… Anyways love this recipe! Want to try this for sure! : )
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Thanks for this recipe. Can I make it in a bundt pan? Will the baking time be same/less/more?
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This turned out so good, even at high altitude, which is not often the case. Thanks for coming up with this healthy recipe, I don’t usually make banana bread, but had to try this one with no oil and no eggs. Glad you are posting frequently on your blog!
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Now THAT is a good looking recipe!
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Man I JUST made the Blueberry Greek Banana and I was thinking it could use some walnuts… now I need to rot more bananas!!
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Wow I’m drooling!! This looks phenomenal Emily!!! I can’t wait to try it out :) Thanks for the great post!!
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Hi Emily! This banana bread looks great! I just bought bananas so I’m going to have to wait for them to ripen a bit…
I also want to try eating vegan but I am not sure I can cut out dairy. I might just be vegan minus dairy! To each his own, right!? And maybe down the road it won’t be so hard. I figure I should first cut out meat – that will be easiest for me.
Anyway, I’ve been reading your blog since October 2010 and I have enjoyed getting to know you and your family, and trying your delicious recipes. You are quite the chef! There is a small chance that I may move to Seattle (I’m in Philadelphia now) so I immediately thought of you since you are the only person I “know” there. Hope the weather is looking good lately – that is my only concern about Seattle.
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If you have dogs, keep this where they can’t get it! My dog grabbed it off the kitchen counter this morning and he hasn’t taken anything off the counter for years. I’m going to have to make another loaf today and I will be stashing it in a drawer, not on the counter!
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 9th, 2012 at 9:15 pm
Oh booooo. Sounds like something that would happen at my house! Hope you at least got a bite.
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elizabeth Reply:
April 9th, 2012 at 9:17 pm
We got a few slices and then I made a new loaf the next day!
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Hi Emily, I made this tonight and cooked it for 70 minutes and it was still really wet inside… Is it definitely 4 bananas? Thanks! X
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elizabeth Reply:
April 6th, 2012 at 2:24 pm
Not Emily, but I only had 3 bananas and it turned out perfect for me. Probably depends on the size of your bananas. Unless there is a weight or cup measurement in the recipe, its hard to tell.
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 9th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
I used 4 bananas but they were small. I’ll edit the recipe to reflect that, as someone else had trouble with it too. I also may have a hot oven – I baked mine for about 75 minutes and it was perfect!
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That looks so mouth watering and amazing!
I make banana bread all of the time, but have never added blueberries. I will definitely give it a try!
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Hi! I made this today and I don’t think the dough cooked all the way and it has a bitter after taste? Anything I must have done? Different pan? I love your blog!
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Sadly this didn’t work for me. No matter how long it cooked it just stayed gummy. I’m sure it was the flax egg. I always have trouble with flax eggs…. maybe my flax is old or something.
Anyways I really want to try this again with real eggs!
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 9th, 2012 at 9:01 pm
Shoot, I’m sorry. I appreciate you letting me know! Maybe you’re bananas were a lot bigger than mine, and it made it too gooey?
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that loaf looks gorgeous. all those blueberries and walnuts. yumm
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[...] also baked. A [...]
This bread was SO good, thank you for sharing!! I loved it :)
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I just made this last night since I was offered 3 HUGE free overripe bananas from a local grocer :) This is our new favorite banana bread! It’s very moist, filling, but not too heavy.
I only had 1/2 cup blueberries on hand and it came out delicously. I’d imagine you can even skip the blueberries if you had to/wanted to.
I grilled a thick slice on a skillet with earth balance as part of my breakfast. Delicious.
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I agree with what others have said – it would be helpful to include grams of banana in your recipe instead of quantity of bananas (since the sizes vary so much).
I just used my best judgement and used three HUGE bananas instead of four.
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Hi Emily,
Do you think I could use applesauce instead of flaxseed?
Thanks!
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I made this last night for my kids and it was SO easy to throw together! It made the whole house smell amazing and it tasted fabulous! Thank you so much for yet another great recipe. Bloggers like you make it easy to feed my vegan family well. <3
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 13th, 2012 at 10:06 am
Glad you liked it!
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Yuum! I’ve got some bananas that are ready for bread baking and was hunting around for a good recipe. This one looks amazing!
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I had all of these ingredients in my kitchen, including 4 perfectly ripe bananas. So easy and delish! Perfect for cooking on a lazy Sunday morning. Thanks for the great recipes! I’m a long time reader, and I love your blog.
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This is officially my first baking failure. I used 4 large bananas and it came out all gooey in the middle :( I’ve never had anything I bake not turn out before!! It’s delicious, even all gooey, but it was supposed to be a gift. Oh well.
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I’ve been thinking about this bread since you posted it a couple weeks ago and finally made it yesterday! Instead of WW flour I used all purpose gluten free flour, and I used 1 organic egg instead of the flax eggs – and it was exactly what I was hoping it’d be! So delicious! Thanks for the recipe! :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 23rd, 2012 at 7:31 pm
Yay – glad it lived up to your expectations!
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I just made this recipe as muffins and they turned out *amazing*!! I have a 12-muffin pan (ended up with 14 muffins) and they came out absolutely perfect baked at 350 for 25 minutes.
Thank you so much for the healthy and clean recipe, I would secretly eat muffins for breakfast every day but most recipes have a ton of sugar and fat (even vegan ones). I’ll be making these often!
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Alice Reply:
June 23rd, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Excellent thanks for the tip!
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Hi Emily, I’m not much of a baker but I’d like to make this but I only have Turbinado sugar. Can I sub for the same amount as the Organic?
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Hi Emily- I’ve tried this recipe twice now and the only change I made was chia seeds instead of ground flax. Both times the bread has come out too moist/undercooked…even when baking it a little longer. Any suggestions?
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Wow this is truly amazing. I read all the comments and still went for the 4 bananas; I always look at the dish in the photos as this can make a huge difference. My loaf tins are deeper so I cooked for an extra 20 mins in the end but I always need a cooler oven than mentioned or I get burnt top/uncooked middles. I couldn’t believe it looked exactly like the pictures!! I used chia ‘eggs’ instead of flax which worked brilliantly.
You are right, can’t have enough blueberries or walnuts! This was so good, and light, that I ate nearly the whole thing in less han 24 hours, having 4 slices for breakfast! Sadly it unearthed yet another food allergy in my daughter who proceeded to projectile vomit from the bananas via my milk!
Sadly I’ll have to leave this until she stops nursing but I can’t wait to make it again, thanks for such a fab recipe.
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