Carrot banana bread — an easy, eggless vegan loaf that stays wonderfully moist from both ripe bananas and grated carrot. Mildly sweet and lightly spiced, it’s ideal for breakfast, packed lunches or a quick afternoon snack. Dairy-free and simple to make.
This vegan carrot banana bread is a great everyday cake: not too sweet, relatively low in fat, and packed with fruit and vegetables. Using a mix of plain and wholemeal flour adds a pleasant texture and a touch of extra fibre, making it suitable to serve at breakfast as well as with tea.
How to Make Vegan Carrot Banana Bread
(Ingredients and full instructions are listed in the recipe card below.)
For reliable results, use the gram measurements and a digital scale where possible. Cup measures can vary and are less accurate for baking.
Begin by grating 150g of carrot (about two small to medium carrots). Use the coarse side of the grater so the texture is noticeable and the batter doesn’t become overly wet. After grating, press the carrot in kitchen paper or a clean tea towel to remove excess moisture — you should have roughly 120g after squeezing. Set the carrot aside while you prepare the batter.
In one bowl sift together the dry ingredients: 200g plain (all-purpose) flour, 80g plain wholemeal flour (or additional plain flour), 1½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger and ½ tsp ground nutmeg.
In a separate large bowl mash three very ripe bananas (about 300g). Whisk the mashed bananas together with 80ml neutral oil (sunflower, vegetable or a mild olive oil), 60ml unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy, oat or almond), 120g light brown soft sugar (or coconut sugar), 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp cider or white wine vinegar. If you use melted coconut oil, warm the milk slightly so the oil doesn’t solidify.
Tip the dry ingredients into the wet and stir gently with a balloon whisk or spatula until there are no dry streaks. Avoid over-mixing; stir only until everything is combined. Fold in the grated carrot.
Pour the batter into a greased and lined loaf tin (approx 11.5 x 21.5 cm / 4.5 x 8.5 in). Smooth the top and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C / 350°F (gas mark 4) for about 60–70 minutes. Check doneness with a skewer inserted into the centre — it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil for the remainder of the bake time.
Allow the loaf to cool in the tin for about 20 minutes, then carefully lift it out using the parchment and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to four days at room temperature.
Top Tips
- Thoroughly squeeze excess moisture from the grated carrot to prevent a soggy loaf.
- Use the coarse side of the grater to keep texture and avoid an overly wet crumb.
- Mix the batter just until combined — overworking can make the bread dense or tough.
- Optional add-ins: fold in 2 handfuls of chopped walnuts, pecans or raisins with the carrot for extra flavour and texture.
- If the surface of the loaf darkens too much while baking, tent loosely with foil to finish baking without burning.
Recipe Card
Carrot Banana Bread (Vegan)
Serves: 8 | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 60–70 minutes
Author: Domestic Gothess
Ingredients
- 150g carrots (about 2 small), grated and squeezed dry (≈120g after squeezing)
- 300g very ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
- 80ml neutral oil (⅓ cup) — sunflower or similar (or melted coconut oil)
- 60ml unsweetened non-dairy milk (¼ cup) — warm if using coconut oil
- 120g light brown soft sugar (⅔ cup) — or coconut sugar
- 1 tsp cider or white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200g plain (all-purpose) flour (1 + ⅔ cup)
- 80g plain wholemeal flour (⅔ cup) — or extra plain flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (gas mark 4). Grease an approx 11.5 x 21.5 cm loaf tin and line with baking parchment leaving a slight overhang to help lift the loaf out later.
- Grate the carrots using the coarse side of a grater. Press between paper towels to remove excess moisture and set aside.
- Mash the bananas in a large bowl. Whisk in the oil, non-dairy milk, sugar, vanilla extract and vinegar until smooth.
- Sift together the plain and wholemeal flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
- Stir in the grated carrot and any optional nuts or dried fruit.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin, level the top and bake for 60–70 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Tent with foil if the top browns too quickly.
- Cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- For consistent results, prefer gram measurements and a digital scale over cup conversions.
- Squeezing the grated carrot is essential to avoid excess moisture and a soggy crumb.
- Variations: add chopped walnuts, pecans or raisins for extra texture and flavour.
More Vegan Banana Recipe Ideas
- Fluffy vegan banana pancakes
- Banana bread cinnamon rolls
- Easy vegan banana bread
- Vegan chunky monkey ice cream
- Banana porridge with blueberry compote
- Vegan chocolate chip banana bread
- Vegan Biscoff banana bread
- Vegan chocolate banana bread
- Vegan banana nut muffins
- Vegan banana cake with peanut butter chocolate frosting
- Nutella swirled banana yeast bread
If you make this loaf, enjoy it warm or toasted — it’s a versatile, wholesome cake that works for breakfasts, snacks and packed lunches.
