Banana bread with strawberries is a fun twist on your classic banana bread recipe and a perfect way to use up overly ripe bananas. It’s lightly sweetened, perfectly moist, and a completely delicious dessert or snack!
This recipe was originally published in June 2018. It has been updated for content and photos.
I’m fairly certain that everyone has made or tried banana bread at some point. It’s a fantastic staple dessert recipe and the perfect way to use brown bananas.
But this vegan strawberry banana bread is extra special, adding more natural sweetness and moisture from fresh strawberries.
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Why you’ll love it
- Low sugar with just ¼ cup of maple syrup in the entire loaf! The remaining sweetness comes from strawberries and ripe bananas.
- Only one large mixing bowl is needed! That means less mess and dishes to wash.
- Low in calories! Like all the recipes on the blog, I create lower-calorie options, and this version is only 109 calories a slice!
- Healthy compared to most desserts. It’s made using wholesome ingredients like bananas, strawberries, applesauce and oat flour, so there’s little to feel guilty about. 😉
- Super moist, yet oil-free. Bananas and applesauce are phenomenal at keeping this loaf moist without adding excessive fat. (Not even coconut oil.)
- Allergen friendly. This sweet bread is suitable for many diets: dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free and soy-free!
Ingredients + Substitutions
Here’s everything you’ll need to make our delicious strawberry banana bread recipe.
- Bananas: Use VERY ripe bananas for optimum sweetness and flavour. The skins should be heavily spotted brown for the best results.
- Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce is used instead of eggs and oil, keeping the dessert vegan-friendly and lower in calories and fat.
- Maple syrup: For an unrefined way to add sweetness. You may also use date syrup.
- Vanilla: Choose pure vanilla extract, not artificially flavoured.
- Oat flour: Use certified gluten-free flour if needed. I usually buy organic rolled oats and grind them in my Vitamix to make the flour. This has also been tested with all-purpose flour if gluten-free flour is not needed.
- Baking powder: Make sure your baking powder is fresh and active. Baking powder starts to lose effectiveness once it is open for 6+ months.
- Cinnamon: For added flavour, but you may omit it if needed.
- Strawberries: Fresh tastes best but frozen will work in a pinch.
Instructions
(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Mash the bananas and add the remaining wet ingredients. Mix well. (photo 1)
Add all the dry ingredients and stir until combined. (photo 2)
Gently fold in the diced strawberries. (photo 3)
Then pour the mixture into your loaf pan, top with strawberry and banana, and bake. (photo 4)
Once baked, let the loaf cool for at least 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack or cutting board to continue cooling before slicing.
Variations
Spice it up, and add ½-1 teaspoon of ginger and/or nutmeg.
Add some crunch with pumpkin seeds, chopped walnuts, or pecans.
For extra sweetness, toss in a handful of dark chocolate chips or sprinkle some brown sugar or coconut sugar on top of the cake before baking.
Or try our chocolate chip banana bread or this healthy buckwheat banana bread.
Can I make this into muffins?
Yes, absolutely!
Muffins will bake faster, so start checking on them around 22-25 minutes.
The muffins are cooked when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean, and the top of the muffin bounces back a little when lightly touched.
Storage
Once completely cooled, tightly wrap your leftovers in plastic wrap or store them in a sealed container and keep them at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Or store the bread in your fridge to keep it for 3-5 days.
This loaf freezes well. You may do so whole or sliced. Store it in an airtight container or ziptop bag/s for up to 3 months.
Expert Tips
- Use overly ripe bananas. The more brown spots, the better and sweeter the results. Since this recipe uses very little sweetener, you want to make sure your bananas will provide ample sweetness.
- Measure your mashed bananas. Bananas vary in size. So use enough banana puree for optimal sweetness and moisture. Measure to ensure you’re using a heaping cup of mashed banana.
- Use parchment paper to line your loaf pan. While a non-stick loaf does the trick, it’s easier to transfer the loaf from the pan when using parchment paper without breaking it.
- Individual ovens will vary. So test the doneness of your strawberry banana bread using a toothpick or knife inserted in the middle. When it comes out dry, it’s ready.
- Let it cool. Give yourself extra time to let the loaf cool. At least 10 minutes before transferring it, and another 20 minutes on the cooling rack to help it set. This makes slicing a lot easier.
More healthier dessert recipes!
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Buon appetito
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup mashed ripe banana approx. 3 large bananas
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup diced strawberries fresh or frozen
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups oat flour or all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉/190℃ and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. (Or grease it if you're not avoiding oil.)
- In a large bowl mash the bananas. Then add the applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla and mix well.
- To the same bowl, add all the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Then gently fold in the strawberries. The batter will be thick.
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and add some sliced strawberries and banana slices on top, if desired.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of your loaf comes out clean. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before transferring the sweet bread to a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Use overly ripe bananas. The more brown spots, the better and sweeter the results. Since this recipe uses very little sweetener, you want to make sure your bananas will provide ample sweetness.
- Measure your mashed bananas. Bananas vary in size. So use enough banana puree for optimal sweetness and moisture. Measure to ensure you’re using a heaping cup of mashed banana.
- Use parchment paper to line your loaf pan. While a non-stick loaf does the trick, it’s easier to transfer the loaf from the pan when using parchment paper without breaking it.
- Individual ovens will vary. So test the doneness of your strawberry banana bread using a toothpick or knife inserted in the middle. When it comes out dry, it’s ready.
- Let it cool. Give yourself extra time to let the loaf cool. At least 10 minutes before transferring it, and another 20 minutes on the cooling rack to help it set. This makes slicing a lot easier.
Nancy W. says
Oh mercy… this Strawberry Banana Bread is AMAAAAZING!! Made it for dessert tonight, and my husband and I had to stop ourselves from eating more! Only modification I made was adding slightly over a cup of strawberries (because I used slightly under a cup of banana). Used fresh strawberries that we picked at a local farm for my birthday a few days ago… doesn’t get any better than this! 🙂
Rosa says
Yay! Thrilled you enjoyed it, Nancy. Thanks so much for the review and sharing your process with us. 🙂