The moistest gluten free vegan banana bread you'll ever make — with oats, peanut butter, and no flour, no eggs, no butter, and no refined sugar. One bowl. Nine ingredients. Ready in 45 minutes
Gluten free vegan banana bread — moist, chocolatey, and made with just 9 ingredients
Why You'll Love This Recipe
If you've been searching for a gluten free banana bread that actually tastes like banana bread — moist, tender, naturally sweet — this is the one.
Most gluten free baking recipes call for expensive flour blends, xanthan gum, or a long list of hard-to-find ingredients. This recipe uses rolled oats blended into oat flour — something you almost certainly already have in your kitchen. No specialty store trip needed.
- ✅ Completely egg free — uses a flax egg that binds perfectly and adds a nutritional boost
- ✅ No butter — peanut butter adds moisture, richness, and a subtle nutty flavour
- ✅ No refined sugar — sweetened only with ripe bananas and a little maple syrup
- ✅ Naturally gluten free — oat flour is the only flour used
- ✅ Dairy free and vegan — use maple syrup instead of honey for 100% plant-based
- ✅ One bowl, no mixer — done in under 10 minutes of active time
I've been baking eggless recipes for years and this banana bread is one of the most-requested on my channel. It's proof that healthy baking doesn't have to be complicated or taste like a compromise.
Ingredients You'll Need
(Full measurements in the recipe card below)
The Flax Egg (Your Egg Replacer)
- • Ground flaxseeds
- • Water
Wet Ingredients
- • Ripe bananas — the riper and blacker, the better. More sweetness, more moisture.
- • Natural peanut butter — smooth works best. Almond butter or sunflower seed butter are great nut-free alternatives.
- • Maple syrup or honey — use maple syrup to keep this fully vegan.
Dry Ingredients
- • Quick oats — blended into oat flour at home. Takes 30 seconds or use directly
- • Baking soda
- • Salt — just a pinch, but it makes everything taste more like itself.
The Good Stuff
- • Chocolate chips — semi-sweet or dairy-free dark chocolate both work. Reserve a few for the top.
Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions
| Ingredient | Swap |
|---|---|
| Peanut butter | Almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter (nut-free) |
| Maple syrup | Honey (not vegan), agave syrup, or date syrup |
| Quick Oats | Rolled oats work too — blend the same way |
| Chocolate chips | Raisins, chopped walnuts, or blueberries |
| Ground flaxseeds | 1 tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp water (same gel method) |
How to Make It — Step by Step
Make the Flax Egg
Mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds with 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside for 10 minutes until it thickens into a gel. Don't skip the resting time — an under-gelled flax egg won't bind the batter.
Make Oat Flour
Blend your quick oats in a blender for 30–40 seconds until you have a fine powder. Homemade oat flour works just as well as store-bought and costs a fraction of the price. I prefer adding quick oats directly,
Mash the Bananas
Mash both ripe bananas thoroughly in a large bowl with a fork or use a masher. The riper the bananas, the less maple syrup you'll need and the more moist your bread will be. Aim for almost no lumps.
Mix the Wet Ingredients
Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, and the set flax egg to the mashed bananas. Stir until smooth and well combined.
Add the Dry Ingredients
Fold in the oat flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix gently and stop as soon as no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix — this is the most common reason gluten free banana bread turns out dense or gummy.
Add the Chocolate Chips
Save a small handful of chocolate chips for the top, then fold the rest into the batter.
Bake
Pour the batter into a greased or parchment-lined loaf pan. Scatter the reserved chocolate chips on top. Bake at 175°C / 350°F for 30–35 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool Before Slicing
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then on a wire rack for at least 20 more minutes. Slicing too early makes it gummy inside — even if the outside looks done.
Tips for the Best Result
Most people throw away overripe bananas — don't. The blacker and squishier, the better. More natural sugar, more moisture, more banana flavor.
100g is about half a cup, but peanut butter varies a lot in density. A kitchen scale gives the most consistent result.
Oat flour banana bread needs time to set. Give it at least 30 minutes total and it firms up beautifully.
Blend for a full 40 seconds — the flour should look pale and powdery, not flaky. Coarse oat flour gives a gritty texture.
Cold peanut butter from the fridge makes the batter lumpy. Leave it out for 15 minutes or give it a quick stir before baking.
How to Store
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter all work as 1:1 substitutes. Avoid tahini — it makes the bread quite bitter.
Oats themselves don't contain gluten, but they're often processed near wheat. If you have celiac disease, always use oats labelled "certified gluten free."
Three common causes: (1) underbaked — try 5 more minutes and check with a toothpick, (2) sliced too early — always cool completely, (3) overmixed batter — fold gently after adding oat flour.
Absolutely. Divide the batter into a greased muffin tin and bake at 175°C / 350°F for 18–22 minutes. Makes about 8 muffins.
Very ripe. Look for bananas that are mostly brown or black on the outside. Yellow bananas with green tips won't have enough sweetness or moisture.
Yes. Use store-bought oat flour, or grind oats very finely with a pestle and mortar. No electric mixer needed for the batter either.
Nutrition Per Slice
| Nutrient | Per Slice |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~220 kcal |
| Protein | ~6–7g |
| Carbohydrates | ~22g |
| Fat | ~12g |
| Fiber | ~3g |
| Sugar | ~9g (all natural) |
Calculated using maple syrup and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Values are estimates.
Ingredients
- → 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds + 3 tbsp water (flax egg)
- → 2 large ripe bananas
- → 100g / ½ cup natural peanut butter
- → 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- → ½ cup Quick oats
- → ½ tsp baking soda
- → Pinch of salt
- → Handful of chocolate chips
Instructions
- Mix flaxseeds and water. Rest 10 minutes until gelled.
- Mash bananas thoroughly in a large bowl.
- Add peanut butter, maple syrup, and flax egg. Mix until smooth.
- Fold in oat, baking soda, and salt. Do not overmix.
- Pour into greased loaf pan. Top with chocolate chips.
- Bake at 175°C / 350°F for 30–35 minutes until golden.
- Cool 30 minutes before slicing.
▶ Watch Me Make It
See every step in action — including how to make the flax egg, blend the oat flour, and get that perfectly moist crumb.
MasterChef India contestant turned healthy baking creator. I specialise in eggless, no-oven, and gluten free recipes made with real ingredients — no protein powder, no shortcuts. Subscribe on YouTube for a new recipe every week!
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