Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread with Coconut is a delightful gluten-free loaf — deeply chocolatey, studded with chewy coconut and wonderfully moist from ripe bananas. Finished with a glossy chocolate glaze and a dusting of coconut flakes, it’s an indulgent treat that works for vegans and non-vegans alike.
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I’ve been experimenting with vegan baking a lot recently. I’m not vegan, but I’ve come to appreciate how plant-based techniques open new possibilities in the kitchen — from aquafaba to non-dairy milks. When vegan baking is well designed, the results can be exceptional.
How can you achieve excellent vegan cakes?
The best vegan cakes are created from purpose-built recipes. Trying to convert a non-vegan recipe by swapping a few ingredients rarely yields the same result. Texture, flavour and even environmental considerations can be compromised by like-for-like swaps.
When I tried converting one of my own butter-rich cakes to vegan, I found the results disappointing because I relied on simple substitutions instead of rethinking the bake. Since then I prefer to design vegan recipes that use natural ingredients and techniques tailored to plant-based baking. This Chocolate Coconut Banana Bread is an example — no vegan butter or artificial egg replacers, just ingredients that deliver flavour and structure.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
- It’s a serious chocolate cake that stands up to non-vegan and wheat-based cakes.
- Bold flavour and satisfying texture — chocolatey, moist and slightly chewy.
- Moist from mashed bananas and flecked with desiccated coconut for texture.
- A perfect cake when a chocolate craving hits — filling and comforting.
- No xanthan gum required.
How to substitute eggs in vegan cakes
Eggs serve two main roles in cakes: binding and leavening. For binding, I recommend ground chia or flax eggs — seeds mixed with water that form a gel to help hold the batter together. For lift, this recipe relies on a reaction between bicarbonate of soda and apple cider vinegar (combined with coconut milk) to produce rise without eggs.
Full list of ingredients
Bananas: Use ripe bananas for sweetness and easy mashing. They don’t need to be overripe, just not green.
Desiccated coconut: Unsweetened shredded coconut adds texture and a subtle coconut flavour.
Cocoa powder: Choose a good-quality cocoa. This recipe was tested with Dutch-processed cocoa; check labels for allergy safety.
White rice flour: Neutral-tasting and economical — a good base for chocolate cakes.
Oat flour: Light and toasty; substitute with teff or sorghum if needed for intolerances.
Tapioca flour: A starchy flour that helps with binding, especially important in egg-free recipes.
Ground chia seeds: Used as the egg substitute to create a gel that adds moisture and elasticity.
Coconut milk: Use canned coconut milk (well mixed) rather than carton drink for better texture.
Apple cider vinegar: Reacts with bicarbonate of soda to give the cake lift.
Light soft brown sugar: Adds moisture and a subtle caramel note.
Coconut oil: Enhances the coconut flavour; olive oil can be used as an alternative.
Bicarbonate of soda: Leavening agent to help the cake rise.
Vanilla extract: A standard supermarket-quality extract works fine.
Vegan chocolate: Use a dark vegan chocolate suitable for allergies if required.
Maple syrup: Adds a nuanced sweetness to the glaze.
Salt: A little salt balances and brightens the flavours.
Coconut flakes: For decoration — unsweetened shredded coconut works well.
Step-by-step instructions
Full quantities and timings are in the recipe card below.
- Make the chia egg: mix ground chia seeds with water and allow to thicken.
- Combine the flours with desiccated coconut, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
- Beat coconut milk with apple cider vinegar until frothy, then blend in mashed bananas, sugar, coconut oil, vanilla and the chia egg.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry in thirds, smooth the batter into a lined loaf tin and bake until a skewer comes out clean.
For the glaze
- Melt vegan chocolate with coconut oil, maple syrup and a pinch of salt in a bowl over simmering water.
- Remove from the heat, stir in vanilla, then let the mixture thicken slightly.
- Spoon the glaze over the cooled loaf and scatter coconut flakes on top.
How to store
Keep the cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
How to freeze
Freeze the loaf whole before glazing for best results. Wrap well in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature overnight before removing packaging and glazing.
Shop the recipe
- Anodised 2lb loaf tin
- Vegan chocolate
- Gluten-free oat flour
- Gluten-free white rice flour
- Gluten-free tapioca flour
- Ground chia seeds
Other Gluten-Free and Vegan Bakes You’ll Love
If you enjoy this loaf, you’ll also like other vegan bakes that combine light texture and plant-based fillings for balanced flavour and comfort.
Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread with Coconut
A gluten-free vegan loaf, deeply chocolatey, studded with desiccated coconut and made tender by ripe bananas. Finished with a chocolate glaze and coconut flakes.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ground chia seeds
- 3 tbsp water
- 150 g rice flour
- 75 g oat flour
- 50 g tapioca flour
- 100 g desiccated coconut
- 60 g cocoa powder
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- 200 g canned coconut milk
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3–4 bananas, mashed (about 300 g)
- 300 g soft light brown sugar
- 140 g coconut oil, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Glaze
- 125 g vegan chocolate
- 50 g coconut oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 70 g coconut flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / gas mark 4. Grease and line a 9-inch loaf tin.
- Make the chia egg: combine ground chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and refrigerate until gelled.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the rice flour, oat flour, tapioca flour, desiccated coconut, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
- Beat the coconut milk and apple cider vinegar until frothy. Add mashed bananas, brown sugar, melted coconut oil, vanilla and the chia egg, and blend until smooth.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry mix in three additions, mixing until smooth after each addition.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf tin, smooth the top, and bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Turn the loaf onto a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before glazing.
Chocolate Glaze
- Place vegan chocolate, coconut oil, maple syrup and a pinch of salt in a heatproof bowl over gently simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let the glaze thicken just enough to cling to the cake.
- Pour the glaze over the cooled loaf and sprinkle with coconut flakes.
Notes
You add the flour in thirds to ensure an even mix and avoid overworking the batter.
Flour substitutions: you can replace rice or oat flour with sorghum or teff flour (not both at once). You may also use a homemade gluten-free flour blend, but avoid store-bought all-purpose gluten-free mixes if you can.
Storage: keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezing: freeze before glazing. Wrap well in plastic wrap and foil, freeze up to 2 months, and thaw overnight at room temperature before glazing.
Measurements: this recipe was tested with metric weights. For accuracy, weigh ingredients when possible.
Nutrition (per slice, approx.)
- Calories: 545 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 64 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Fat: 34 g (Saturated fat: 28 g)
- Fiber: 6 g
- Sugar: 35 g