Whole grain spelt flour adds nutty flavor and plant-based Banana Walnut Bread. Dates bring natural sweetness without any refined sugar or syrup. This oil-free vegan recipe is a great go-to for healthy snacking or a breakfast. If you love banana bread, you’ll love this dish!
My Baking Memories: Banana Bread was one of my First Recipes
Banana Bread is one of my favorite recipes. It’s one of the first recipes I made. I remember pulling down my mom’s Joy of Cooking book to find the well-stained page for Banana Bread. In a bowl, I would combine eggs, oil, sugar, white flour, and ripe bananas. I’d pour the batter in a loaf pan, place it in the oven, and wait.
Over the next hour, the intoxicating smell of sweet bananas would fill the kitchen. Once the bread was ready, it took everything in my being to wait for it to cool. Then, I’d slice off a piece, slather on some peanut butter, and enjoy Banana Bread heaven.
Making a Healthy, Vegan Banana Bread
Making a vegan version of banana bread is pretty easy. You can swap out the eggs for flax eggs. If there’s butter or milk, it’s easy to substitute with vegan margarine or almond milk.
However, making a whole foods, plant-based version of Banana Bread is a little more complicated. Most vegan banana bread recipes have lots of sugar, oil, and use refined white flour. I’m on a Mission to cook without these ingredients. So, here are some of the changes I made:
- Bananas and dates replace sugar for natural, whole foods sweetness
- Applesauce and almond milk replace oil for moisture with less fat
- A combination of spelt flour and brown rice flour give you light, fluffy texture, replacing standard All-purpose white flour
- Ground cinnamon and toasted walnuts add extra flavor and texture
You’ll love this Spelt Banana Walnut Bread! It is:
- Moist and Fluffy
- Full of Banana Walnut Flavor
- Perfectly Sweet
- Freezer-Friendly
- Kid-Friendly
Whole Food, Plant-based Nutrition Power
Whole food, plant-based baking means you get more nutrition for less calories. We call this calorie density. Each of serving of this Banana Bread is only:
- 176 calories
- 5 gram fat (0 saturated fat)
- 10% daily fiber
- 4g protein
- 42% of daily calcium
Spelt Banana Walnut Bread – Oil-Free, No Refined Sugar or Syrup
Enjoy!
- Medium
- Servings: 12
- Ready In: 75 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins, 1 big loaf, or 2 mini loaves
For more banana and oil-free baking recipes, you should try: Chocolate Secret Spinach Oil-Free Plant-Based Muffins, Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Monkey Bars, and Gluten-Free Banana Raisin Baked Oatmeal
Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Baking Tips
What is spelt flour? Spelt flour is made from whole grain spelt. It has a nutty flavor and a light, fluffy texture. It is a member of the wheat family so it contains gluten. You can substitute 1/4 of the white or wheat flour in any recipe for spelt. I like adding it to pancakes, waffles, and muffins.
Gluten-Free Baking: Spelt is a member of the wheat family so it contains gluten. For a gluten-free version of this recipe, substitute with a gluten-free all-purpose baking mix.
Oil-Free Baking: I’m on a Mission to get rid of empty calories, like those found in refined oil. This recipe uses applesauce and whole foods to replace oil. For spray-free baking, use parchment muffin liners.
Baking Without Refined Sugar or Syrup: I’m on a mission to get rid of empty calories. These muffins don’t use any refined sugar, maple syrup, or other refined sweetener. Dried dates provide sweetness, along with healthy fiber and essential nutrients.
Ground Cinnamon Benefits: Cinnamon has been shown to have positive health effects. It has been linked to lowering blood sugar and reducing inflammation. Plus, it adds a delicious, naturally sweet flavor without added sugar or syrup.
Nut-Free: If you’re trying avoid nuts, you’ll want to avoid the chopped walnuts in this recipe. You can simply omit. Or, substitute with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for a nut-free version. Substitute the almond milk with nut-free milk, like soy, oat, or coconut.
Mix-Ins: For interesting texture, you can add in dried fruit or chocolate chips. Add 1/4 cup of whatever you prefer: dried currants, raisins, vegan chocolate chips.
Weigh Your Ingredients: For precise measuring and consistent results, always weigh your ingredients. A small kitchen scale makes this easy to do. This will save you time and give you more delicious muffins and breads.
Chef’s Healthy Flavor Tip: Toast Walnuts a few minutes before adding them to your batter. This will bring out natural, intense flavor for this oil-free vegan banana bread recipe 
Chef’s Tip: Use a digital scale to weigh your ingredients. This gives you the best accuracy for the most consistent, delicious muffins 
Bake the bread until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
Spelt Banana Walnut Bread – Oil-Free, No Refined Sugar or Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups mashed banana 330g
- 3/4 cup pitted dried dates (150g)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 57g
- 3/4 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk 6 oz
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup spelt flour 140g
- 1 cup brown rice flour 160g
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 54g
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 mini loaf pans, 1 large loaf pan, or 12 muffin cups with Parchment paper.
- To make the Oil-Free wet mixture: In a blender, combine the banana, dates, applesauce, almond milk, and vanilla. Puree until smooth.
- To make the Spelt Flour dry mixture: In a large bowl, combine the spelt flour, brown rice flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Use a whisk to sift the ingredients together.
- To make the Spelt Banana Walnut Bread: Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Keep a couple of tablespoons of the walnuts aside for decorating. Add the remaining walnuts. Stir just until combined.
- Portion batter into muffin cups, large loaf pans, or small loaf pans. Sprinkle the reserved walnuts on top.
- Baked at 350F:
- 25-30 min. for muffins
- 40-45 min. for mini loaves
- 60-70 min. for a full-sized loaf
- Check to make sure a toothpick can cleanly be inserted and removed.
- Let cool completely before slicing.
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/12 recipe (1 muffin)
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 12.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 176 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 5 g | 8 % |
| Saturated Fat 0 g | 2 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 207 mg | 9 % |
| Potassium 219 mg | 6 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 33 g | 11 % |
| Dietary Fiber 3 g | 10 % |
| Sugars 12 g | |
| Protein 4 g | 8 % |
| Vitamin A | 1 % |
| Vitamin C | 7 % |
| Calcium | 42 % |
| Iron | 4 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Shopping and Gear List
- ARROWHEAD MILLS FLOUR WHOLE SPELT ORG
- Bob’s Red Mill Rice Flour Brown
- Terrasoul Superfoods Organic Deglet Noor Dates (Pitted)
- FISHER Chef’s Naturals Walnut Halves & Pieces
- Standard Paper Cupcake Liners
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