There’s something deeply comforting about a slice of warm, moist banana bread. But when you’re making a vegan version, especially one loaded with indulgent add-ins like chocolate and nuts, achieving the perfect texture can be tricky. A common complaint among home bakers is the dreaded gummy texture. It can turn out dense, wet, and almost undercooked, even after extended baking. Traditional banana bread relies on eggs for structure, leavening, and binding. When you remove eggs from the equation in a vegan recipe, you also remove their ability to create a fluffy crumb. Eggs help trap air and give baked goods their lift and structure, which is often why vegan versions end up too dense or gummy. In vegan baking, structure comes from a combination of starches, flours, plant-based leaveners like baking soda or baking powder, and moisture balancing ingredients. Without properly adjusting these components, you may end up with a loaf that feels soggy and heavy. So here’s what you need to keep in mind.
It’s tempting to think that more bananas will mean more banana flavor and natural sweetness. But too much banana can actually be the biggest culprit behind gummy bread. Overripe bananas are full of moisture, and when you add too many, your batter becomes too wet to bake through properly. Stick to about 1 to 1¼ cups mashed banana for a standard loaf, which is about 3 medium bananas. If your bananas are very large or extremely ripe, go on the lower end of the scale. If you're doubling the recipe, scale mindfully.
Too little flour and you won’t have enough structure. Too much and your bread turns dry. But did you know how you measure flour can make or break your banana bread? Scooping directly from the bag can pack flour tightly into your cup, leading to excess flour in your recipe. Instead, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Better yet, use a kitchen scale -- 1 cup of all purpose flour should weigh approximately 120 grams. When making a banana bread with mix-ins like chocolate chips and nuts, a well measured flour base is essential to balance the added fat and moisture from those ingredients.
A gummy loaf is often a sign that your egg substitute didn’t do its job. Not all egg replacements are created equal, especially in dense quick breads like banana bread. Stick to one egg replacement per loaf, and avoid combining too many substitutes, which can overwhelm the structure and throw off your bread's balance. Here are a few great options for vegan banana bread:
Once your wet and dry ingredients are ready, resist the urge to beat them into submission. Overmixing is a common cause of dense, gummy breads. Stir just until no visible streaks of flour remain. Lumps are okay. Vigorous mixing develops gluten, which is good in bread but not in banana bread, where you want a tender crumb. A good rule of thumb is to use a spatula, not a whisk, for combining your wet and dry ingredients.
Banana bread bakes best in a light metal loaf pan. Dark pans can over brown the outside while leaving the inside undercooked, adding to that gummy texture. Bake at 325°F to 350°F or 160°C to 175°C and no higher. A slower bake ensures even cooking through the center. If your loaf browns too quickly on the outside while the inside is still raw, tent it with foil halfway through the baking process. Because banana bread is so moist by nature, it's essential to test doneness thoroughly. Don’t just rely on time, since your oven may run hot or cold. Instead, insert a long skewer or toothpick deep into the center of the loaf. It should come out with only a few moist crumbs but not wet batter. If you see any shiny streaks, keep baking and check again in 5 minute increments. Also, lightly press the top of the loaf. It should spring back, not sink or feel too soft.