The Ultimate Healthy Dairy-Free Banana Bread (No Added Sugar!)

One day, I went out on a limb and decided to create a healthy dairy-free banana bread recipe that was completely void of added sugar. I thought, ‘ripe bananas are sweet enough, right?’ As it turns out, they are! This gently sweet loaf was an instant hit with my family, and over the years, it’s become a favorite for thousands of our readers.

Healthy Dairy-Free Banana Bread Worth Baking Every Week

It’s hard to believe that I first whipped up this recipe nearly two decades ago! Of course, recipes don’t get old – they become more beloved over time. But recipe posts do become dated. So I’ve updated this one with nutrition facts, variations, and more helpful tips to help make this recipe your own.

Why You’ll Love this Healthy Dairy-Free Banana Bread

• No Added Sugar (or Low Sugar): I let the bananas do all the work in this naturally sweetened recipe. But if you do want an extra hit of sweetness, I do have a lightly sweetened option.
• Moist & Tender: A generous amount of mashed banana plus a drizzle of oil (instead of butter) gives this loaf a soft texture that’s never dry or crumbly.
• Clean Ingredients: Simple ingredients, like whole grain flour, flaxseeds, fruit, and spices, are all you need to make this healthy dairy-free banana bread. 
• Breakfast-Worthy: It’s rich in fiber and protein, but optionally free of added sugar, so it won’t leave you face down on your keyboard by 10 a.m.
• Meal-Prep Option: I usually bake a couple loaves of this healthy dairy-free banana bread, slice it, individually wrap the slices, and freeze them. Frozen slices can be toasted and topped for breakfast, or stashed into lunchboxes (where they will defrost) for a wholesome treat.
• Fast & Easy: This is just a mix and bake recipe. The hands-on time is a mere 20 minutes or less!

Ingredient FAQs

• Milk Alternative: What type of non-dairy milk should I use? Whatever you have on hand! The recipe isn’t finicky.
• Flaxseed: Can I substitute chia seeds? I’ve not use chia seeds in this recipe, but I believe they will work fine.
• Flaxseed: Can I use eggs instead? I have baked this bread with 2 eggs in place of the dairy-free milk and flaxseed, but I prefer the flaxseed version. The egg version benefits more from the added sweetener option.
• Flour: Can I use gluten-free flour? I haven’t tested this recipe without gluten, but several readers have. The results can vary quite a bit based on the flour blend that you use. Do not use a single grain-free flour (like coconut flour or almond flour) as they do not work as 1:1 subs for wheat flour.
• Banana: Is the banana enough sweetness? The key is using very ripe (black spotted), very flavorful bananas. If your bananas aren’t really sweet and/or they are lackluster in flavor, you bread might need a little sweetener boost. The majority of the time, the bananas are sweet enough.
• Oil: What type of oil should I use? Your favorite type for baking! I use a neutral-tasting oil like extra-light olive oil (not extra-virgin) or grapeseed oil. Melted coconut oil also works well.
• Oil: Can I substitute vegan butter? I don’t recommend it. Oil gives you a moister, softer, richer crumb.

Special Diet Notes: Healthy Dairy-Free Banana Bread

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, optionally nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian. See reader comments above for gluten-free successes.

Alisa Fleming

Healthy Dairy-Free Banana Bread

5 from 7 votes

I love it as a snack, but this moist, delicious bread is also perfect for breakfast. It's packed with whole grains and is very low in sugar. The secret is using very ripe, sweet bananas for optimum flavor.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Calories: 152

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• ½ cup unsweetened dairy-free milk alternative
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda reduce to 1 teaspoon above 3000 feet
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ to 2 cups mashed very ripe banana see Banana Note below
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

 

1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan (you can alternately line it with parchment paper).
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk alternative and flaxseed.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
4. Add the bananas, oil, and vanilla to the flaxseed mixture. Beat with a hand mixer until relatively smooth, about 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Some small lumps are okay; you do not want to overmix.
5. Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan and even it out.
6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top of the loaf is golden brown and resilient to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the bread and carefully remove it to the wire rack to cool completely.
8. Store the bread in plastic wrap or an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Leftover bread slices can be individually wrapped and frozen to enjoy later. They toast well from frozen.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 152kcalCarbohydrates: 23.5gProtein: 3.2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 0.5gSodium: 235mgFiber: 3.5gSugar: 4.8g

Notes

Banana Note: I prefer to use a full 2 cups of mashed banana for the deepest flavor and very moist bread. But using just 1 1/2 cups will allow the bread to rise a bit more. You'll need 3 to 4 large bananas.

Sweeter Option: Add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, or your sweetener of choice with the wet ingredients in step 4 and increase the salt to 1/2 teaspoon. You might need to bake the loaf a little longer.

This recipe is also in my book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook.

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Healthy Banana Bread Recipe Variations

• Mini Loaves: Pour the batter into 4 greased and floured mini-loaf tins (6 × 3 inches) and bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean.
• Add-Ins: After you’ve combined the dough, fold in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, dairy-free chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, or dried cherries.
• Wheat Flour Swaps: Use white whole wheat flour for a slightly lighter bread or substitute an ancient grain, like spelt flour or kamut flour. All three options are still 100% whole grain and contain gluten.

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy a slice fresh or toasted with any of the following spreads:

• Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, or Sunflower Seed Butter
• Dairy-Free Buttery Spread
• Dairy-Free Cream Cheese
• Chia Jam
• Honey & Cinnamon
• Chocolate Spread
• Dairy-Free Greek-Style Yogurt (Cocojune Vanilla Cinnamon is my favorite!)
• Dairy-Free Yogurt Cheese

Troubleshooting Tips

• Bread didn’t rise: Baking soda does go bad! Put a teaspoon or so of baking soda in a bowl, and add some vinegar. It should vigorously bubble and fizz. If it’s lackluster at all, it won’t have enough oomph to lift your loaf. Keep in mind, this is a hearty banana bread. It shouldn’t be dense and squat, but it won’t be fluffy like cake, either.
• Needs more flavor: Remember, this is a banana bread through and through. Taste your bananas before you get in deep. Their sweetness and depth of flavor is what this bread counts on. If they aren’t flavorful enough, consider the sweetener option. In the meantime, enjoy the bread sliced and dressed with one of the spreads above!

For More Recipes from My Kitchen, Get Go Dairy Free: