This post is all about how to make vegan chai banana bread.
Leaves are falling, the air is getting crisp, and you know what that means…bring on allll the fall flavors! Okay, so I live in Florida and none of that is happening here, but I’m still embracing all things fall. And this chai spiced banana bread is my new favorite snack. It is so good. Banana bread is always a hit, but add frosting and a chai spice blend and you have absolute perfection!
If you’re debating whether or not to make this…do it! It’s easy, delicious, and such a good snack. Seriously, is there anything better than turning on your favorite TV show while eating a homemade baked good? I think not. You can bet I’m bingeing Gilmore Girls while snacking on this loaf allll week long. Okay, naturally this is where I need to know if you’re team Dean, Jess, or Logan. TBH, I’m here for Luke and Lorelai. And if I lost you, oops, let’s get back to the loaf!
What ingredients do I need to make this vegan chai banana bread? Are there any substitutions?
To make the bread you need the following ingredients:
- All-purpose flour – I have not tested other flours for this recipe, but a 1:1 GF flour mix should work fine.
- Avocado oil – You can use any neutral oil. You can also use apple sauce but it will make the loaf a bit more dense.
- Ripe Bananas – Make sure you’re using primarily brown bananas, as they give this bread a lot of the sweetness.
- Dark Brown Sugar – You can substitute light brown sugar, I just like that the dark gives a rich caramel flavor. You can also use granulated sugar, if preferred. If you choose to forego the frosting, you may want to up the sugar by a tbsp or two.
- Vanilla
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Chai Spices: cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, ginger. I also added nutmeg and cloves – but that is optional!
For the frosting you will need:
- Vegan butter sticks – I highly recommend Earth Balance vegan butter sticks, they are my favorite for making frosting! Butter in a tub doesn’t keep quite as nice a shape as the sticks do, so I would opt for sticks, but in a pinch the tub butter should be fine.
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla
- Non-dairy milk – Any non-dairy milk is fine.
- Chai Spices: cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, ginger
And that’s it! The frosting is totally optional, but soooo good.
How should I store the bread?
You can store this bread with the frosting in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Then, transfer to the refrigerator for up to a week. You may also freeze it for up to a month or two. I highly recommend freezing a slice or two and future you will be soooo happy!
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and review below letting me know how you enjoyed it! And, I always love being tagged on your recreations on Instagram @nourishedwithnatalie.
Looking for other fall recipes? Try one of these!
Vegan Chai Banana Bread
Ingredients
Chai Banana Bread
- 3 medium bananas
- ⅔ cup +2 tbsp dark brown sugar *see notes above on ingredients if wanting to replace
- ⅓ cup avocado oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsps cinnamon
- ¾ tsp cardamom
- ½ tsp ginger
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp nutmeg *optional
- ½ tsp cloves *optional
Chai Frosting
- ½ cup vegan butter *butter sticks are easiest to work with for frosting
- 1 ¾ – 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tbsp non-dairy milk
Instructions
How to Make the Bread
- Preheat oven to 350F
- In a medium to large bowl mash the bananas with a fork until few large clumps remain. Add in the sugar, vanilla, and oil and mix until smooth.
- In a different bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients until combined.
- Then, fold the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until just combined. The more you mix the batter the more gluten will develop which we don't want for a soft loaf of banana bread – so make sure not to over mix.
- Grease a standard loaf pan and pour the batter in evenly.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean, indicating it's cooked all the way through.
How to Make the Frosting
- Add the butter to a medium sized bowl and let the butter come to room temperature
- Once at room temp, cream the butter and beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and non-dairy milk until smooth
- Smooth on top of the bread, add cinnamon, and enjoy!
This bread was really good and tastes more of like an oatmeal raisin cookie oddly enough…without the raisins. I added more cinnamon and Allspice than the recipe which was great because I could taste the spices better. Great recipe. Next time, I’m going to add some chocolate chips. I didnt add the icing but enjoyed it with Vanilla Ice cream which was a great alternative
Thank you so much for the review! Pairing it with ice cream sounds great. I’ll have to make it next time with some additional cinnamon and Allspice – sounds delicious!
The bread is really good but omg the frosting is AMAZING!!