Strawberry Almond Banana Bread (Vegan Gluten-Free)

Fruity, naturally sweet and delicious, this Strawberry Almond Banana Bread is easy to make in one bowl with wholesome plant-based ingredients. This loaf is also easily gluten-free and great for sharing.

I am in love with June’s banana bread: it’s summery, fresh and so pretty in pink. To celebrate strawberry season and my love for all things nutty, I thought combine strawberries and almonds as they work so well together. With ground almonds, almond essence and more almonds on top, it’s a delicious cake to make for friends, family gatherings and summer parties and will really wow your guests.

A loaf of Strawberry Almond Banana Bread with a slice in front
Strawberry Almond Banana Bread

Why will I love this loaf cake?

This banana bread is so delicious, it is:

  • Naturally sweet, sticky and fruity
  • Packed with real strawberries and banana
  • Nutty and tender
  • Moist, fluffy and with a great crumb
  • Easy to make in one bowl
  • Naturally vegan and easily gluten-free
  • High in protein
  • Made with wholesome ingredients
  • With nut-free options
  • Spread with a luscious berry almond yoghurt frosting
  • Healthier, lighter and delicious
  • Great to make for friends and family

If you already love the sound of this bake then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.

What ingredients do I need?

The ingredients for the cake and frosting are simple and you can see my favourites in the “shop the recipe” section below.

  • Ripe bananas: essential for all god banana breads. Make sure to weigh them so that the batter isn’t too wet or too dry.
  • Plant-based milk: use your favourite dairy-free milk alternative like oat, almond or soya milk.
  • Apple cider vinegar: this helps to curdle the milk, making a buttermilk which helps to bind this egg-free loaf.
  • Olive oil or coconut oil: to keep the loaf moist, I love baking with olive oil as it’s nice and fudgy at room temperature and you can also use melted and cooled coconut oil.
  • Thick coconut yoghurt: the thick and creamy yoghurt is best for inside the loaf and for a thick and luscious frosting. I use the vanilla, natural or strawberry yoghurt from Cocos Organic for the best results.
  • Agave or coconut sugar: for a subtle sweetness. You can also use golden or regular caster sugar, if you prefer, but I love the flavour or coconut sugar.
  • Vanilla and almond essence: for flavour.
  • Plain flour: or your preferred gluten-free 1:1 baking blend of flour. This keeps the loaf nice and moist and light.
  • Ground almonds: these are great for adding moisture to the loaf and a hint of flavour.
  • Vegan protein powder: I use a vanilla protein inside the loaf and a strawberry one on top for flavour but you can use your favourite flavours. I always use Macromike proteins as they are vegan, gluten-free and gut healthy and you can save with my code AMB-AMY.
  • Raising agents and salt: for rise and flavour.
  • Fresh strawberries: fresh is best for this loaf, both inside and on top of the banana bread.
  • Flaked almonds: to add some more almond goodness to the loaf. You can also use whole almonds chopped up small.
  • Freeze dried strawberry powder: this is optional to sprinkle on top. I love it for a pop of colour.

Is this gluten-free and can I make it nut-free?

Yes this is easily gluten-free, just use your preferred 1:1 baking flour that is naturally gluten-free. To make this nut-free, it will no longer be a Strawberry Almond Banana Bread but still delicious! Swap the almond essence for more vanilla essence, change the ground almonds for extra plain flour, and skip the flaked almonds inside and on top. Also check that all of your other ingredients are nut-free.

How do I make this cake?

This is a one-bowl easy bake:

  • Chop the strawberries: and toss with a little flour (this prevents them from sinking down).
  • Whisk together the wet ingredients: to a smooth batter.
  • Sift in the dry ingredients: and whisk again.
  • Fold in the strawberries and almonds: and pour into the loaf tin.
  • Top with some extra banana and strawberries: sprinkling them with sugar so they turn gooey and sticky.
  • Bake in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes: until an inserted skewer comes out basically clean.
  • Cool fully: first in the tin and then on a wire rack.
  • Whisk together the ingredients for the frosting: till luscious and smooth.
  • Spread the frosting over the loaf: and decorate.

How long will this last?

This cake lasts about 24 hours in my house, but you can keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can freeze the unfrosted loaf for 1 month, wrapped well, and allow to defrost before decorating.

A half eaten slice of Strawberry Almond Banana Bread on a small plate
A slice of Strawberry Almond Banana Bread

What else can I bake?

If you are looking for more strawberry recipes and banana breads, how about my:

A loaf of Strawberry Almond Banana Bread with a slice in front

Strawberry Almond Banana Bread

Yield: 10-12
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Fruity, naturally sweet and delicious, this Strawberry Almond Banana Bread is easy to make in one bowl with wholesome plant-based ingredients. This loaf is also easily gluten-free and great for sharing.

Ingredients

For the Banana Bread:

  • 60ml plant-based milk
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3 large ripe bananas (approx. 350g)
  • 60ml olive oil or melted and cooled coconut oil
  • 30g thick coconut yoghurt
  • 70g agave or coconut sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla essence + + ½ tsp almond essence
  • 210g + 1 tsp plain flour
  • 40g ground almonds
  • 20g vegan vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Add-Ins:

  • 100g fresh strawberries, trimmed weight
  • 25g flaked almonds

To Top:

  • ½ banana, sliced
  • 2-3 strawberries, sliced
  • 1 tsp brown sugar

For the Frosting:

  • 200g thick coconut yoghurt
  • 40g vegan white chocolate berry protein powder
  • 2-3 tbsp freeze-dried strawberry powder, plus extra
  • Strawberries, Flaked almonds

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 106Fan/180ºC and line a 9x5-inch loaf tin with parchment paper.
  2. To prepare: stir together the milk and vinegar and leave for 5 minutes to curdle. Chop the strawberries small and toss with 1 tsp flour.
  3. For the banana bread: mash the banana well and add to a large mixing bowl with the milk mix, olive oil, yoghurt, sugar, vanilla and almond essence. Whisk till smooth and then sift in the flour. Add the ground almonds, protein powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt. Whisk to a thick, smoother batter. Fold in the fresh strawberries and flaked almonds.
  4. To bake: pour into the loaf and smooth over the top. Decorate with some banana and strawberry slices and sprinkle the banana with the sugar so it caramelises. Place in the middle of the oven for 50-60 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out basically clean. Cover with tin foil after 40 minutes, if it’s going too brown.
  5. Allow to cool: firstly, in the tin and then lift out after 10 minutes to cool fully on a wire rack.
  6. For the frosting: whisk together the yoghurt, protein powder and strawberry powder till smooth and creamy. Spread over the cooled loaf.
  7. To decorate: top with extra strawberries and almonds and enjoy straight away.
  8. To store: keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer (without the frosting) for 1 month, wrapped well, and allow to defrost before frosting.

Shop the recipe

Stay in touch

I look forward to hearing what you think of this Strawberry Almond Banana Bread so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make this, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on TwitterFacebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With strawberry almond love x

  1. Laila says:

    I made this randomly a few nights ago to have breakfast for a week but thanks to my unapologetically non-vegan sister it was gone in two days lol, but I count that as a win too 🙂 I did not make the icing this time, I doubled the amount of strawberries in the batter, and added a bunch of thawed-out raspberries in the shape of hearts on top instead of a sugar dusting that caramelized so well! Thank you so much for this healthy and super fun to play around with recipe

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