This Vegan Orange Banana Loaf is a bright, fruity twist on classic banana bread — made with blended fresh oranges for a citrusy kick and ripe bananas for that natural sweetness. It’s the perfect way to use up these overripe bananas and those leftover oranges you forgot about in the fruit bowl. It’s moist, simple, and freezer-friendly with a buttery orange zest crumble that adds just the right amount of crunch and flavor contrast to the soft, moist loaf— and while it’s not a one-bowl recipe, the extra step of blending is totally worth it.
I had planned to try one of those homemade immunity shots that are all over the internet, so I bought a pile of oranges and lemons. Of course, life got in the way, and I never got around to making it! Around the same time, I brought my son grocery shopping and encouraged him to pick more fruit. He picked something we thought would be easy to grab and go – bananas, which he usually doesn’t eat, and — surprise — he still didn’t eat them!
Now, I had four ripe bananas and extra oranges that needed using. That’s how this Orange Banana Loaf came about! The batter is straightforward — no mixer needed — and the added orange zest crumble gives it a bakery-style finish without any fuss.
Why You’ll Love This Orange Banana Loaf Recipe:
- Uses up ripe bananas and leftover oranges
- Bright, citrusy flavor + a buttery crumble topping
- Made in one bowl, and no fancy tools needed
- Vegan-friendly and easy to make
- Lightly sweet, moist, and freezer-friendly
- Budget-friendly and great for reducing food waste!
Ingredients you need to make this orange banana loaf vegan
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ripe bananas – The softer, the better. Overripe bananas add moisture and natural sweetness.
- Oranges – 2 small oranges
- Oil – Sunflower or light olive oil works well. Keeps the loaf soft and moist.
- Brown sugar – you can reduce slightly if your bananas are super ripe
- Vanilla extract
- Plain flour – you can substitute half with wholemeal flour for a heartier texture, just keep in mind that the texture will change so willnthe favour.
- Baking powder and baking soda – both will help the loaf rise
Top:
- Light brown sugar + orange zest for a light, crunchy top
- Vegan butter
How to Make Orange Banana Loaf (Vegan)
✔️ Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a standard loaf tin with parchment paper.
✔️ In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas well with a fork or potato masher.
✔️ Add the rest of the wet ingredients ; add orange zest, blended orange , oil, sugar, and vanilla. Stir well to combine.
✔️ Sprinkle in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until no flour pockets remain — don’t overmix.
✔️ Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin.
✔️ In a separate bowl, mix the flour, butter, sugar, and orange zest. You can use your fingers to rub the ingredients together until you get a crumbly texture. I like using a fork to do this as I find sometimes the butter quickly gets softer, making getting the crumble a little harder.
✔️ Bake for 50–60 minutes or until a skewer comes out mostly clean (a few crumbs are okay). Check from 50 minutes onward.
✔️ Let the loaf cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out and cool fully on a rack. For glaze: Mix icing sugar with a bit of orange juice and drizzle over when fully cool.
Helpful Tips and Variations
- Want it less sweet? Cut the sugar to 60g or leave off the glaze.
- Gluten-free? Use a good-quality gluten-free flour blend.
- Add crunch? If you change your mind, you can stir in chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Crumble topping idea: Mix flour, vegan butter, and brown sugar until crumbly and sprinkle on top before baking.
What to Serve With Orange Banana Loaf (Vegan)
This loaf is lovely with:
- A mug of tea or coffee
- A spoonful of dairy-free yogurt
- A drizzle of peanut butter or almond butter on a nice thick slice
- Toasted and topped with sliced banana for breakfast! YUM
FAQs
Do I have to blend the oranges?
Yes. Blending the whole orange (with peel removed) ensures the texture is smooth and the flavor is evenly spread throughout the loaf.
Can I use eggs instead of the flaxseed?
Yes. Replace the flaxseed mixture with 2 small eggs or 1 large egg if you’re not keeping it vegan.
Can I use yogurt instead of oil?
You can swap part of the oil for unsweetened plant-based or dairy yogurt, but the loaf may be slightly less rich and soft.
Why is my loaf dense or gummy?
This could happen if you overmixed the batter or didn’t measure the flour correctly. Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off instead of scooping.
Can I double this orange banana loaf recipe?
Yes, but it’s best to bake it in two separate loaf pans rather than one big one to make sure it bakes evenly.
Other recipes you could enjoy
Asparagus and mushroom risotto
Lemon and blackberry pound cake
Nutritional Information (Per Slice, Based on 10 Slices)
- Calories: 205
- Fat: 6g
- Carbs: 35g
- Fiber: 2.5g
- Sugar: 14g
- Protein: 2.3g
(Estimates only; use your preferred nutrition calculator for exact figures.)
If you try this recipe for a Vegan Orange Banana Loaf, feel free to leave me a comment and a star rating. And if you share a photo of your healthy and delicious soup on Instagram, please tag me at @_pronounced_ and use hashtag #pronounced as I LOVE seeing your remakes! HAPPY COOKING
Orange Banana Loaf – Vegan
Equipment
- 1 High spped blender or
- 1 stick blender
Ingredients
Loaf batter
- 4 ripe bananas
- 1 medium whole orange (zested and then peeled & chopped, removing seeds)
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¾ cup plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
Topping
- 6 tbsp plain flour
- 3 tbsp plaun sugar
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line or grease a standard loaf pan.
- Zest the orange and set the zest aside. Peel the orange, remove any seeds, and blend till smooth
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas well. Stir in the blended orange, orange zest, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and mix just until combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, butter, sugar, and orange zest. You can use your fingers to rub the ingredients together until you get a crumbly texture. I like using a fork to do this as I find sometimes the butter quickly gets softer, making getting the crumble a little harder.
- Smooth the top and sprinkle the topping on top.
- Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
IF YOU HAVE PINTEREST YOU CAN FIND ME HERE AND PIN THE FOLLOWING PICTURE IF YOU LIKE
I was looking for a recipe with a whole orange , I added the bananas , orange , oil , I used 1/4 palm sugar to replace the maple syrup , I don’t like to use my expensive maple syrup in baking , I added 1/4 cup vegan yogurt to replace the loss liquid and only used 1/4 cup of oil all in the Vitamix easy enough , I dumped it all over the dry ingredients , I know it’s a lot of substitutions but recipes are versatile that’s what I like !! I baked 12 muffins for 25 minutes I also added raisins and an extra tsp of baking powder , it is the best moist muffins , I didn’t use the topping , with only 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup of palm sugar these muffins are so healthy let’s not forget the amount of bananas and orange add lots of nutrients .
Author
hank you so much for sharing your version of the recipe — I love how creative and resourceful you were with the substitutions! It’s always great to see how recipes can be adapted to what we have on hand or prefer to use, and it sounds like your muffins turned out wonderfully moist and healthy! Thank you for stopping by 🙂