This one-bowl vegan chocolate chip banana bread is soft, chocolatey, and just sweet enough. It's the best way to use up ripe bananas and is loved by everyone!
Next, try my banana bread overnight oats, vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and pb banana smoothie!
🔍 A Quick Look: Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe
- 📝 Recipe Name: Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- 🕒 Total Time: 1 hour
- 👥 Servings: 8 slices
- 🎯 Key Ingredients: Ripe bananas, maple syrup, whole wheat flour, chocolate chips, walnuts
- 🌱 Dietary Info: Vegan, naturally sweetened (with maple syrup), dairy-free
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Moist, sweet, with warm cinnamon and bursts of chocolate
- ✨ Best For: Using up ripe bananas, breakfast, snacks, potlucks, meal prep
- 💕 Why You'll Love It: One-bowl easy, crowd-pleasing, perfect banana bread texture, freezer-friendly
Jump to:
With nine kids, buying in bulk has always been a part of my life. Bananas in 40-pound boxes at our house are a sight to see, but they disappear fast. Most get frozen for snacks and blended into vegan strawberry milkshakes, chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie, or creamy Korean banana milk.
The extras that don’t make it to the freezer almost always turn into this vegan banana bread with chocolate chips. It’s a family favorite for breakfast, as a snack, or dessert — just as perfect for lunchboxes as it is on a slow Sunday morning with tea, like this pumpkin spiced chai latte, and of course, a good book.
Why This Recipe Works
- Customizable: Works with chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit.
- One-bowl ease: No mixer needed, minimal cleanup.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Perfect for potlucks, lunchboxes, or just a cozy afternoon at home.
- Moist + tender: Ripe bananas keep the crumb soft and naturally sweet.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here's what you'll need to make this vegan banana bread with chocolate chips:
- Ripe bananas – The spottier, the better
- Maple syrup – Adds sweetness and moisture. You can also use agave or brown sugar
- Whole wheat pastry flour – all-purpose flour also works
- Oil - Applesauce can replace oil, but expect a denser texture
Find exact amounts in the recipe card below.
Don't miss these healthy oat bran muffins, or for something a little sweeter, try my vegan carrot cupcakes recipe or this red velvet cupcakes recipe.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Add wet ingredients (maple syrup, oil, pure vanilla extract) and stir gently.
- Step 3: Mix in dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon). Don’t overmix.
- Step 4: Fold in chocolate chips (or other mix-ins).
- Step 5: Transfer to a loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven for 50–60 minutes.
- Step 6: Cool 10–15 minutes before removing from the pan.
Tested Tips
- Use ripe bananas (the spottier, the better) for natural sweetness and moisture.
- Experiment with different types of flour to see which texture and flavor you prefer.
- Stir until just combined. Overmixing makes the loaf dense and dry.
- Start testing at 50 minutes — ovens vary, and overbaking dries it out.
Try this moist banana bread alongside my pumpkin spice chai latte, green tea latte, or this easy pineapple tea recipe. And if you’re in the mood for something cold and creamy, my chocolate matcha green tea smoothie recipe is another favorite.
Make it Your Way
- Nutty twist: Swap chocolate chips for walnuts or pecans.
- Fruit-filled: Add dried cranberries, raisins, or swirl in a little jam before baking.
- Spiced up: Try warming spices like cardamom or nutmeg along with the cinnamon.
- Dessert-style: Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top before baking for a crunchy crust.
- Berry-topped: Serve slices warm with my mixed berry sauce for an easy, homemade upgrade.
- Nut butter swirl: Add a spoonful of peanut butter or almond butter (try my nut butter recipe before baking.
- Lighter loaf: Replace the oil with applesauce (bread will be denser but still moist).
Storage
- Room temperature: 3–4 days in an airtight container, wrap individual slices to prevent drying.
- Refrigerator: 5–7 days, wrapped tightly.
- Freezer: If you freeze your banana bread, it’s best to do it when it’s freshly baked and completely cooled. Freeze up to 3 months. Slice before freezing for easy grab-and-go portions.
This easy vegan banana bread pairs great with smoothies like an orange creamsicle smoothie, my blueberry banana smoothie recipe, and this really good strawberry banana smoothie recipe.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread FAQs
Yes! Frozen bananas work great once thawed. Just drain off any extra liquid before mashing so the bread doesn’t get too dense.
This recipe also works with brown sugar; it gives a slightly different sweetness and a touch of caramel flavor. Agave is the closest liquid swap to maple, while date syrup adds a richer, less sweet taste. If you’re not vegan, honey works too.
Most often, it’s from overmixing or overbaking. Mix until just combined and start testing for doneness at 50 minutes. Using very ripe bananas (lots of brown spots) also helps with moisture.
Use ripe bananas in my vegan banana pancakes, spiced banana crunch, or blend ripe, frozen bananas for a sweet, creamy base in smoothies!
More Fall Treats
Looking for more cozy vegan treats perfect for fall? Try these:
Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest! 💛
📖 Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
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Ingredients
- 3.5 ripe bananas, medium to large
- ½ cup maple syrup, OR brown sugar. *Only naturally sweetened when using maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil, OR use canola oil/melted coconut oil
- 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour, OR all-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, optional
- ½ cup walnuts, OR pecans
- ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips, I like semi-sweet
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add maple syrup (or brown sugar), oil, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.
- Sift in the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (plus nutmeg if using) to the wet mixture. Stir until just combined, avoiding over-mixing to prevent a dry bread.
- Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy the bread warm, as is, or with a spread of vegan butter or peanut butter.
Video
Notes
- If you use a different-sized loaf pan, you may need to adjust the baking time. Larger pans may require slightly longer baking times, while smaller pans may bake more quickly.
- Start checking for doneness after 50 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- After a 10–15 minute cool-down in the pan, gently run a spatula around the edges to loosen the bread. It’ll slide right out, ready for you to enjoy!
Nutrition
Julie Gaeta is a plant-based recipe creator, certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and mom of nine who's been plant-based for over 20 years. She's cooked approximately 4,382 pots of beans and can't vacation without her juicer and pasta pot. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Yahoo, YourTango, and other major outlets. She helps others simplify wellness and feel good again through her blog, coaching, and weekly newsletter.
Diane Hettwer says
This was delicious and just tasted like banana bread rather than vegan. I left out the chocolate chips and walnuts and used olive oil instead of avocado oil. It was a hit.
Julie Gaeta says
So happy to hear it was a hit, Diane! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
Viktoria says
Can I add frozen blueberries or raspberries to this?
Julie Gaeta says
Absolutely! I often stir in 1 cup of frozen wild blueberries right before I bake it. The combination of blueberry, chocolate, and banana is so good! I haven't tried raspberries, but that's a great idea—my guess is it'd be just as good! 😊
Julie Gaeta says
I make this vegan chocolate chip banana bread all the time and it's still a favorite. Easy in one bowl and so delicious! It's soft, moist, and disappears way too fast!