Eggless Banana Bread

Given what’s going on with egg prices - and, in some places, egg scarcity - along with the reason BEHIND those egg prices and scarcity?

I’ve been thinking a lot about coming up with a moist eggless banana bread recipe. Banana bread was the most popular baking recipe when a similar situation hit a few years ago, after all - best be prepared!

Not just any egg-free banana bread, I needed it to be the BEST eggless banana bread recipe. It would have some pretty big shoes to fill, after all - I’d want in on par with my Easy Banana Bread Recipe.

I’ve also got recipes for Peanut Butter Banana Bread, Blueberry Banana Bread, and even a Gluten Free Banana Bread, though... so crafting a flavorful banana bread is definitely something I’ve had practice with!

The goal would be to have this Eggless Banana Bread have a similar taste and texture to regular banana bread, even with the use of egg substitutes.

So, I played around with egg replacers - there are a few main options out there, for use in eggless recipes: unsweetened applesauce, flax eggs, etc.

Some were OK, some... did not produce great results... and some required extra work to MAKE it work.

When it comes down to it - IMHO - the best banana bread recipe is one that not only produces a moist bread with the perfect texture, it’s should also hold true to the idea of a banana bread recipe.

That is, an easy recipe for quick bread that uses really basic ingredients and techniques.

Luckily, mashed bananas are ALSO a common egg substitute!

So, I started with my basic recipe, increased the amount of banana, decreased the amount of sugar (to compensate for the extra banana), added a bit more levener for extra lift, and BOOM - the perfect banana bread for when eggs aren’t an option!

We had GREAT results this way - none of the gumminess (or extra work!) that came from flax eggs, no additional ingredients... just a really great basic recipe.

This is only slightly more dense than the original, but really - that works with this type of bread. The banana flavor is more intense, but in a good, balanced way.

Anyway, let’s take a look at what you’ll need:

Ingredients

As with my traditional banana bread recipe, this no-egg banana bread recipe uses really simple ingredients.

I do have a few ingredient notes for you, though, to help ensure the best results:

Overripe Bananas

You want to use spotty, extra ripe bananas. Aim for a step or two beyond “spotty” even, - blackened peel, mushy fruit, etc. Anything short of actually rotting or fermenting is good!

Using REALLY ripe bananas bring extra sweetness to this delicious banana bread, along with a more robust banana flavor.

They also mash smoother, and are key to making a moist banana bread.

If you have some bananas that are PERFECT to use for baked goods, but not the time to actually bake?

Just toss the bananas in the freezer until you’re ready to use them. The peel will go black - and the bananas will sort of liquify a bit once thawed - but they’ll be just as good to use.

Personally, I like to drain a bit of the excess water off, before mashing.

All-Purpose Flour

I use all purpose flour for pretty much every sweet bread or muffin recipe I develop.

Plain flour is cheap, versatile, easy to come by, and produces an egg-free banana bread with a great texture.

That said, you can make this delicious eggless banana bread into more of a whole wheat banana bread by swapping up to a third of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour.

Two things to note:

1. It’ll make a slightly more dense banana bread.

2. Using any more than ⅓ of the flour as whole wheat will likely need additional liquid added.

Vegetable Oil or Melted Butter

Way back when, I exclusively used melted unsalted butter in a lot of my muffin and quick bread recipes... but I ended up switching over to oil once I got into gluten-free baking.

That was when I really realized that oil provided for more flexibility in terms of serving temperature - the baked goods would still be soft, even when cold.

Also, the cost of butter is just ridiculous at the moment!

Anyway, I generally use vegetable oil, but canola oil, safflower oil, and melted coconut oil.

If you have a REALLY light tasting olive oil, that would work... but personally, I’m not a fan of that flavour in banana bread.

Also: The use of oil instead of butter essentially makes this an easy vegan banana bread recipe... unless you’re really fussy when it comes to sugar.

Optional Add-Ins

There are all kinds of things you can toss in the batter, if you’d like.

Personally, I like a TON of raisins in banana bread, and will usually add a cup - or more - of dark raisins. My husband hates raisins, but loves using Chopped Walnuts or Chopped Pecans.

I recommend using ½ – 1 cup of nuts, or ½ cup each of nuts and raisins. Have fun with it - you can even make it an eggless chocolate chip banana bread!

Sunflower seeds, Chocolate Chips, and pepitas are other good options.

Finally, sometimes I like sprinkling Pearl Sugar on top, right before baking.

It’s what I use to give a nice crunchy, crystallized topping to sweet baked goods, like my Blueberry Bagels, Red Velvet Muffins, Gingerbread Scones, Banana Nut Bagels, and Homemade Apple Turnovers.

Everything Else

White Sugar / Granulated Sugar (Can swap for Brown Sugar)
Pure Vanilla Extract
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Salt

... but I don’t really have anything to add for these last few ingredients. They’re pretty basic pantry staples!

How to Make Eggless Banana Bread

The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, here is a visual walk through, with step-by-step photos.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 1 regular/large bread pan, or line with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, mash together bananas and sugar until relatively smooth.

Add the oil and vanilla to the mashed bananas, whisk to combine, set aside.

Add the dry ingredients mixture to the mixing bowl of wet ingredients, along with the nuts and/or raisins, if using.

Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir just until combined, with no obvious streaks of flour in the batter.

Pour batter into the greased loaf pan.

Bake for about 1 hour 20 minutes.

Eggless Banana Bread is done when the crust is a rich golden brown, and knife inserted into middle of loaf comes out clean.

Once fully cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 15-20 minutes before cutting - if you’ve got that kind of patience!

Removing the bread from the pan and transferring it to a wire rack will help it cool a bit faster.

Best served at room temperature or warmer.

Leftovers

Once cooled to room temperature, leftover eggless banana bread can be wrapped in plastic wrap (the whole thing, or as individual slices), or stored in an airtight container.

Will keep well stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Best served at room temperature or warmer.

More Breakfast and Brunch Recipes

Looking for more ideas to jazz up your breakfast experience! Here are a few more of my favorite recipes for you:

Ambrosia Belgian Waffles
Apple Cinnamon Buns
Baking Powder Biscuits
Blueberry Banana Bread
Biscuits and Gravy - MY Way!
Breakfast Bagel Strata
Breakfast Pizza
Deluxe Pizza Strata
Fig, Honey, and Goat Cheese Strudel
Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Bread
Gluten Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
Gluten-Free Pop-Tarts
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread
Ham & Swiss Breakfast Pizza
Ham, Swiss, and Kale Strata
Rosemary Peach Balsamic Scones
Smoked Gouda and Chive Scones
The BEST Hash Browns Recipe

Looking for even quicker options? Check out my Muffin Recipes, too! There are also some fantastic Bagel Recipes on this blog...