Vegan cranberry banana bread is rich, dense, sweet banana bread studded with tart, pretty cranberries! Great for a healthy holiday breakfast or snack, made with 7 ingredients, gluten free, and naturally sweet.
You guys probably know that I love banana bread. LOVE it. Of course I can never say no to the OG, my 4 ingredient, go to, straight up banana bread recipe. But some of my all time favorite variations are almond butter chocolate chip and cinnamon crumb.
After eating my bodyweight in this amazing cranberry relish my mom makes me every year for thanksgiving, it got me thinking that I really haven’t baked enough with cranberry. And what better way to start than with banana bread?
So say hello to vegan cranberry banana bread, just another option to add to your Christmas breakfast wish list. Thank me later!
Ingredients for vegan cranberry banana bread
- Rolled oats: you’ll blend the oats to flour consistency, which will hold the banana bread together. Because it’s the only grain in the recipe, the oat flour will give the bread quite a dense, rich texture – it’s not light like a cake, but hearty and satisfying.
- Cinnamon: a bit of cinnamon gives those holiday feels and goes great with both the banana and cranberries.
- Banana: as always when baking with bananas, make sure they’re super ripe and spotty for optimal sweetness and flavor.
- Ground flaxseed: you’ll make flax eggs, which help to thicken the batter and hold the banana bread together.
- Nondairy milk: a bit of nondairy milk brings the batter together. I use unsweetened almond milk for neutral flavor, but any nondairy milk should work.
- Frozen cranberries: frozen cranberries are super tart and give the best holiday flavor to the banana bread.
Tips for making vegan cranberry banana bread
- Measure the rolled oats before blending into flour. I always list the amount of oats used BEFORE they’re blended for flour. So in this case, you’ll measure out 2 cups of whole, rolled oats, then put those 2 cups into your blender to make flour.
- Let it cool completely. Let the banana bread cool for at least 20 minutes before flipping it out of the pan, then let it sit and cool completely before slicing. It is pretty soft and gooey as is, but will firm up during the cooling process. If you try slicing too early, it’ll be a gooey mess.
This vegan cranberry banana bread is the perfect Christmas breakfast to snack on while you open presents. The contrast of the super sweet banana with the tart cranberries is such a good combination, plus the warm cinnamon spice, it’s just got all those classic holiday vibes.
Happy holiday baking, friends!
Xo,
Sara
Vegan Cranberry Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats, blended into flour
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups super ripe banana, mashed
- 2 flax eggs – 2 tbsp ground flaxseed in a bowl with 6 tbsp water, set in the fridge for at least 20 minutes
- 1/2 cup nondairy milk – I use unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup frozen cranberries
- Optional: 1/2 cup thawed frozen cranberries + 2 tbsp unsweetened vegan yogurt – I use Kite Hill
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix the oat flour and cinnamon.
- Add the mashed banana, flax eggs, and nondairy milk, and mix into a thick batter.
- Fold in the cranberries and pour into a nonstick or lined loaf pan, and bake for 40 minutes.
- Let the banana bread cool for at least 20 minutes before carefully turning it out to cool completely before slicing.
- For an extra pretty effect and a bit more tangy + tart cranberry flavor, half the thawed cranberries then mix the juice leftover from thawing with vegan yogurt, then drizzle over the banana bread.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
