Cranberry Banana Bread

Flour ~ I typically go for white whole wheat flour. It’s a whole grain flour, but lighter and softer than regular whole wheat. Spelt flour would also work well, as would traditional all-purpose flour.

If you need a gluten free option, choose a blend that’s meant to replace wheat flour at a 1:1 ratio, like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour.

Sugar ~ Organic cane sugar produces the best results in this quick bread.

Bananas ~ Use ripe bananas that are starting to brown. The more ripe the bananas (they’ll have more brown spots), the sweeter this cranberry quick bread will be.

You need 1 cup of mashed bananas, which means you’ll need 2-3 bananas depending on the size.

Milk ~ Pretty much any unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk will work. I typically reach for almond milk, but oat milk or rice milk should both work.

Cranberries ~ I love the tart, juicy flavor of fresh cranberries. I buy bags and bags of fresh cranberries every fall and stash them in the freezer. That way I can make my daughter’s favorite Spiced Orange Cranberry Sauce, a healthy Cranberry Smoothie, or the party favorite Creamy Cranberry Jalapeño Dip all on a moment’s notice.

Rinse the cranberries and discard any that appear moldy or green. Drain well. There is no need to thaw frozen cranberries.

Fresh or frozen cranberries are preferred for this quick bread recipe, however, dried cranberries can be used if you must. Note that dried cranberries are sweeter so you can reduce the sugar in the recipe by up to ¼ cup. You will also need less cranberries…use just 1 cup of dried. To plump up the dried cranberries and make them juicier, soak them in hot water for about 15 minutes before adding them to the batter.

Add-ins ~ We love this cranberry banana bread as is, but it would also be delicious with chopped nuts, like walnuts or pecans, about ½ cup. Other tasty extras that would work well are orange zest, a dash of cinnamon, a drop of almond extract, or even chocolate chips!

Add-ons ~ Again, this recipe is pretty much perfection on its own, but we sometimes sprinkle on some powdered sugar if eating it for dessert.

If you love a sweet glaze, it would be yummy on this cranberry bread. Mix powdered sugar with just enough liquid (fresh lemon juice or orange juice would be nice, but almond milk or water would also work) to reach the correct consistency. Drizzle it on top after the bread has cooled.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas really well, until they are almost liquid (1). Add the sugar (2), vanilla and lemon juice (3) and milk and whisk well (4).

Whisk together the dry ingredients and add them to the bowl with the liquid ingredients (5). Whisk until smooth (6).

Add the cranberries (7) and mix until just combined (8).

Pour the batter into a parchment lined loaf pan (9) and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (10).

Counter: This bread will keep in an air-tight container on the counter for 2 to 3 days.

Fridge: You can store it longer in the fridge for up to a week.

Freezer: You can also freeze this vegan cranberry banana bread. Wrap the whole loaf tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil or place in a freezer-safe plastic bag. It should keep well for up to 3 months.

You can also freeze individual slices for easy grab-n-go breakfasts, snacks, or desserts. Just like the full loaf, wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap and then either in aluminum foil or place the slices in a freezer-safe plastic bag. Again, freeze for up to 3 months.

~ Use the spoon and level method of measuring the flour. Otherwise, you may end up with too much flour.

~ Use ripe bananas. The spottier, the sweeter.

~ Mash the bananas really well…until they are almost in a liquid state.

~ If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw before adding them to the recipe.

~ If using dried cranberries, use just 1 cup. Soak them in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes to plump them up. Drain well before adding to the batter.

~ You may add up to ½ cup of chopped nuts, if you like.

~ Let the cranberry banana bread cool completely before slicing.

~ Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with a glaze if you like a sweeter dessert bread. Make sure the bread is completely cool first!

More vegan bread recipes

• Vegan Date Bread
• Vegan Pumpkin Bread
• Vegan Apple Cinnamon Bread
• Vegan Cinnamon Squash Bread
• Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Bread