25 Jan Easy Vegan Fruit & Nut Bread {gluten- & oil-free}
I visited the LA wholesale produce market about two weeks ago (you can see my full haul here), and I had found myself with a lot of ripe bananas that I needed to use up, and FAST. I froze a good chunk of what I had, but I wanted to also try and utilize them in various ways so I wasn’t stuck with banana smoothies and banana ice creams all day. I decided I would create a comforting recipe, especially for those experiencing the colder weather during this brutal winter! There’s nothing quite like a warm slice of sweet bread with a glass of almond milk to keep cozy, and if you haven’t yet tried this, I promise you will love it.
After making my Date-Sweetened Banana Bread (Gluten- & Oil-Free) and seeing just how much my family enjoyed it (it was gone in less than a day, I had to hide my second batch just so I could photograph it!), I wanted to create a similar recipe…but take it even further. The last recipe was lacking in texture (I felt like it was one noted), so I amped this one up and added in a crunch from the nuts and a bit more chew from the dried fruits that I received from Gourmet Nuts & Dried Fruit. You could use any nut and dried fruit combination for this bread, but I had a gift box that came with almonds and walnuts + dried figs, pineapple and papaya (which i strongly suggest as the color looks great with the bread!). I really do suggest this combination though, all of the flavors were a great compliment to one another. What is your favorite fruit & nut combo? I’d love to try it out in my next batch of bread! Also, I was thinking I could change it up next time and use a liquid other than almond milk, or even just replace half of it. Coffee, chai tea ore even coconut milk? I’m excited to start experimenting! 🙂Make sure you tag me on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan or twitter @sweetsimpleveg and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of my recipes, I love to see your photos!
Easy Vegan Fruit & Nut Bread {gluten- & oil-free}
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 5-7
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free oat flour*
- 3 medium spotty bananas, mashed- about 1 1/4 cup
- 1/3-1/2 cup coconut sugar*
- 1/4 cup each diced dried figs
- 1/4 cup each diced dried pineapple
- 1/4 cup each diced dried papaya
- ½ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
- 2 tbsp ground chia seeds + 6 tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla powder or extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 3/4 cup chopped nuts (I used 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/4 cup almonds)
Instructions
- Line a bread pan with parchment paper (see how to photos in this post).
- Mix ground chia seeds with water, stir well and leave it aside until thick and gooey.
- In a big bowl add the flour with baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, dried fruit and nuts; mix well.
- Mix the mashed banana, almond milk and chia seed mixture in a medium bowl until combined. Add to the dry mixture and mix well until uniform.
- Scoop/pour mixture into prepared loaf pan, then top with oats and nuts.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350°F, or until a toothpick runs clean.
- Let the bread cool down completely as it will be moist and hard to cut into when it’s still hot.
Notes
-You could easily grind up 2 cups of oats in a high speed blender to make your own!
-Depending on how sweet you would like it. Start with 1/3 cup (5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon and taste the batter, then add more as needed (1/2 cup is equivalent to 8 tablespoons).
Behind the scenes + my new wooden backdrop that I am in love with! I made it out of our old wooden fence in the backyard. For those who asked, @consciouschris and I shoot with a Canon Rebel T5 and a Canon EF 35mm ultrasonic lens I couldn’t find it on amazon to link here, but others you could look at are the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 ($115), Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 ($379) and the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L ($1449).
Disclaimer: This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that I earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan! I was provided with dried fruit and nuts by Gourmet Nuts and Dried Fruit to try and review on my blog, but all of the opinions shared are my own. I would not share a product with you all unless I loved it <3
Although Gourmet Nuts and Dried Fruit is based out of Hanover, NJ, they are available at farmer’s markets all over northeastern US also online. More Gourmet Nuts and Dried Fruit: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit
Posted at 14:33h, 25 JanuaryWhoa can we trade please!?! With all those fruity bits inside, this looks incredible! You really just had to say “fig” and I was sold 😀 I’d say extra bananas are a good problem to have. Great recipe!
Jasmine Briones
Posted at 16:24h, 25 JanuaryYES! Let’s ship each other banana bread haha that would be absolutely amazing. Your recipe with corn meal is genius!! I love corn bread, and pairing it with the sweetness of banana is probably out of this world 😛
Victoria
Posted at 11:41h, 25 FebruaryBRILLIANT!