A tender, moist banana bread with a swirl of cinnamon brown sugar that adds a bit of fun and flavor to a crowd favorite. This vegan loaf comes together easily, and puts spotty bananas to perfect use. A smattering of cinnamon glaze is optional, but brings this treat to the next level!

Tips for Perfect Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread:
- use very ripe, soft bananas for a moist loaf. Bananas that are barely ripe or just ripe are firmer so they don’t blend into the batter as well. They are also less sweet and can lend a bitterness to the final product. Freezing bananas that are over-ripe is great for times you aren’t ready to bake but don’t want to waste the bananas. The bananas can be frozen with the skins on, and then thawed before using.
- use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. It’s added to the plant-based milk to create a faux-buttermilk. This provides a subtle richness to the banana bread, helps to form a tender crumb and helps with leavening.
- don’t over-mix the batter. Combine the wet and dry ingredients just until blended. Over-mixing can cause a tougher loaf because the gluten over develops.
- sift your dry ingredients before measuring. This increases accuracy of your measurements but also prevents any dry lumps in the loaf or muffins once they are baked.

Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
A tender, moist banana bread with a swirl of cinnamon brown sugar that adds a bit of fun and flavor to a crowd favorite. This vegan loaf comes together easily, and puts spotty bananas to perfect use. A smattering of cinnamon glaze is optional, but brings this treat to the next level!
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Servings: 9 1″ slices
Calories: 448kcal
Ingredients
- 2-3 ripe bananas (approximately 1 1/2 cups mashed)
- ½ cup avocado oil (sub canola or other neutral oil)
- ⅔ cups unsweetened plant-based milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
For the Cinnamon Swirl:
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
For the Cinnamon Glaze:
- 2 tbsp vegan butter, room temperature
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp unsweetened plant-based milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with parchment paper, and lightly grease.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mash the banana with a fork. Stir in the plant-based milk, oil, vinegar and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until well blended. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix just until blended. Do not over mix.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top. Use a knife to swirl the cinnamon sugar around. Spoon the rest of the batter over the top.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few cooked crumbs stuck to it. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before turning out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool.
For the Cinnamon Glaze:
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat the vegan butter until creamy. Add the confectioner’s sugar a half cup at a time until incorporated. Add in the vanilla and cinnamon. Add in 1 tbsp of the plant-based milk. Beat until all of the lumps are gone. If it’s too thick, add more plant-based milk a tbsp at a time until it reaches the desired thickness. Spoon over the completely cooled loaf.
Nutrition Info:
Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 302mg | Potassium: 218mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 2.3mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 1.7mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @crumbs.and.caramel on Instagram!
Niina
Monday 12th of September 2022
I made this last night, managed to forget the oil and it still came out excellent! So tasty I don't even need the glaze. Oh, and half the flour was whole grain.
Bronwyn Fraser | Crumbs & Caramel
Monday 12th of September 2022
Hi Niina! That's great that it turned out despite not having any oil, and switching out some of the flour for whole grain! Thanks for taking the time to let me know! ~ Bronwyn
Farwa
Thursday 30th of July 2020
This looks perfect! I've just put a batch in the oven, wondering how long it stays good for after its cooked and how to store it? Thank you! Will update here about the end product! Super excited 😁
Crumbs & Caramel
Thursday 30th of July 2020
Hi Farwa! Thank for trying the recipe! This loaf is moist and should keep for a few days in an airtight container at room temperature. If it's hot or humid where you are, you may choose to keep it in the fridge so it will keep a little longer. You can also cut it in half and freeze some! It's great toasted, too :) Hope you love it! ~ Bronwyn