Hey everyone, it’s Emerald again, food stylist at FreshDirect. If you’re looking for a rainy day recipe, this banana bread will sweeten things up—all while keeping it vegan! Here’s how to make it using just ripe fruit and some simple pantry ingredients:

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Vegan Banana Bread Recipe

What You’ll Need:

1 cup mashed, ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas), plus more for topping
2 tablespoon chia seeds
5 tablespoon water
⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
⅓ cup maple syrup or honey
⅓ cup non-dairy milk or water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1½ cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
Optional: ½ cup nuts, chocolate chips

What To Do:

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment.

Whisk chia seeds and water in a small bowl. Let sit at least 5 min to create chia “eggs.”

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk oil and maple syrup. Add chia “eggs”, mashed bananas, non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract, then whisk again. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until combined—some lumps are okay. Fold in nuts or chocolate chips if using.

Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Slice a banana lengthwise and lay it on top of batter. Bake 55–60 min, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let bread cool in the loaf pan for 10 min, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for 20 min before slicing.