Vegan Double Chocolate Banana Bread

I have always loved banana bread.  It is something that my Mom and Grandma always made when I was little (the same shared recipe) and it was always so good no matter the variation of it that was baked that day.  Sometimes it had nuts or chocolate chips but the chocolate chip version was my favorite. I have since veganized that recipe and that is the one that I currently make when I feel like I need to get rid of a few over ripe bananas.  Last weekend I was in the mood for something rich and chocolaty so I decided to make Vegan Double Chocolate Banana Bread!  It turned out so good I had to share the recipe!

For the flour, I used whole wheat pastry flour because it is what I have on hand and prefer most of the time, but you could use all purpose flour. Or if you would like to make a gluten free version of this bread, swap the whole wheat flour for Bob's Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour (I have tried this brand and know it works well for recipes like this).  I used brown sugar because I like the little bit of caramelly flavor it gives to things, but instead of the brown sugar you could also use maple sugar or coconut sugar or even granulated sugar if you prefer those.

For the milk, I used oat milk, but you can use any type of unsweetened plant based milk in this recipe, such as soy, almond or coconut instead of the oat if that is what you have on hand. For the oil in this I used avocado because I like the flavor but if you would like to make this oil free, use 1/4 cup almond butter ( or your favorite nut or seed butter) instead of the oil.  I have done this before and it is delicious also.  The batter for this bread has plenty of chocolate flavor in the form of cacao powder as well as dark chocolate chunks and it is so delicious!

It smells amazing while baking, like the best chocolate cake ever!  I could not wait to try it and when I did I was not disappointed!  It is rich and delicious, soft and sweet with decadent dark chocolate chunks throughout, and a hint of vanilla!  It is wonderful with a cup of coffee!  Everyone I shared this with enjoyed it!  If you are in the mood for something rich and chocolaty, definitely give this Vegan Double Chocolate Banana Bread a try!

Vegan Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar or maple sugar
• 1 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water (allowed to sit 15 min. before using)
• 1/2 cup oat milk
• 2/3 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup avocado oil
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and oil an 8x4 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flax mixture, oat milk, bananas, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Whisk in the flour and baking soda, then the vinegar until combined.
4. Fold in the walnuts and dark chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, place in the oven and bake for about 1 hour until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean with a few crumbs attached.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool before removing from the pan.

Bread keeps at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container or wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 4 months.