Vegan Banana Bread with Cinnamon and Garam Masala

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve made this vegan banana bread.

How many times I’ve made this specifically to put on this blog, and then didn’t, I cannot tell you either. Five? Ten? It inevitably gets cut into and eaten by the resident Banana Bread Monster before I have a chance take any decent pictures.

Everyone has their own idea about what makes the perfect banana bread.

Some like chunks of banana, some want chocolate chips, some want it to taste like you’re eating a stick of butter with a slight fruit flavor.

Some need it to be gluten-free. And we have an amazing gluten-free version.

Some prefer it to include eggs and cream and gobs of sugar. Some even like to add sourdough to their recipe.

And let’s not pretend all those versions aren’t delicious – they definitely are. But when I want this baked goodie to eat for a quick breakfast without feeling as if I might die of unhealthy eating before lunchtime, this recipe is what I make.

I’m also not going to pretend it’s really healthy, because come on… it’s a sweet baked treat. But it’s probably 90% healthier than most (haha… also, 60% of all statistics are made up).

This recipe is made with half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose white flour. It also has just a little bit of brown sugar, and only a few tablespoons of vegan margarine.

It’s definitely doable for breakfast, especially when compared to my standard of late, a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats or Cheerios.

Yup, Cheerios. I’m a grown-up.

Anyhow, I started putting ground cinnamon and garam masala in my recipe a long time ago, and I haven’t made it without since. It adds just a subtle amount of extra spiciness that is noticeable, but not in your face.

If you want to add even more fun flavor you can also add a pinch of cayenne, but just a tiny pinch! It’ll be like a little party on your taste buds, combined with the sweet flavors from the fruit.

Vegan Banana Bread with Cinnamon and Garam Masala

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★★★★★

5 from 1 review

• Author: Raquel Smith
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 1 8x4-inch loaf pan 1x

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Description

You’d never guess this fluffy banana bread is vegan, with whole grains. Spiced with cinnamon and garam masala, and mixed with walnuts, make it now on Foodal.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 5 tablespoons water
• 3 large ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vegan margarine, melted
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×4-inch pan or 2 mini loaf pans. Combine the flax seed and water in a small bowl to make a flax egg, and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and garam masala.
3. Place the bananas in a large bowl. Use the back of a fork to mash them. Add the brown sugar and use a large spoon to mix well. Slowly pour in the melted margarine while stirring, then add the applesauce and vanilla extract.
4. Dump the dry ingredients on top of the wet and use your spoon to stir them until they are almost combined. Add the walnuts and fold in until all the flour is moistened.
5. Pour the batter into your baking pan(s). Bake for 55-60 minutes for the 8×4-inch pan, or about 40 minutes for the mini pans, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan, and let cool completely on a cooling rack. Cut into slices and serve!

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Category: Quick Bread
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Baked Goods

Keywords: banana, garam masala, cinnamon

The walnuts are totally optional to include. I enjoy the addition of the crunch in each soft and fluffy slice. You can even toast them in a skillet before adding them to the batter for even more flavor.

What do you think of using garam masala in baked goods? Are there any other unique spices or spice blends that you have on your spice rack that you like to use when baking? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to give his recipe a great rating if you enjoyed making and eating this tasty treat!

Looking for another unique banana bread? Try our tangy sourdough version, and then you can make our deliciously quirky sourdough banana bread French toast!

For more quick bread recipes, bake a loaf of our favorites:

• Chocolate Zucchini
• Cranberry
• Chocolate Swirl Chocolate

Photos by Raquel Smith, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on September 10, 2014. Last updated: April 26, 2021 at 17:41 pm. With additional editing by Nikki Cervone.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Raquel Smith

Raquel is a whole foods enthusiast, an avid mountain biker, and a dog lover. She works by day at Food Blogger Pro and formerly maintained her food blog "My California Roots" (now merged into Foodal).

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