Vanilla Matcha Swirl Banana Bread (Vegan)
Light, fluffy and tender, this Vanilla Matcha Swirl Banana Bread is the perfect loaf to bake. It’s packed with everyday plant-based ingredients and has a delicious matcha swirl running through it, topped with vibrant green matcha glaze.
If you love matcha, or even if you don’t love matcha, everyone loves this loaf cake. It is so moist and tender, fluffy and cakey and turns out perfectly every time. It’s made with staple ingredients, made lighter with yoghurt and olive oil, and is even better laced with matcha. The green tea powder is essential for the vibrant green colour and doesn’t add an overpowering flavour, so even if you (think) you don’t like drinking matcha tea, this cake is still delicious. The glaze on top is so simple and takes the cake to the next level, making it a real showstopper and an ideal cake to bake on the weekends to share with friends and family.
Why will I love this cake?
This cake is so delicious:
- Moist, tender, soft and cakey
- Perfect for friends and family
- Vanilla flavour throughout
- With a vibrant green matcha swirl in every slice
- Topped with a delicious matcha icing sugar glaze
- With some pistachios for extra crunch on top
- Made with everyday ingredients
- Naturally plant-based, egg-free and dairy-free
- Easily gluten-free and nut-free
- Matcha is great for antioxidants, hormones and energy levels
- Delicious at all times of day
- Even great for those who don’t like matcha
- Has the wow factor
- Easy to make in two bowls
- Bakes in less than one hour
- Ideal for parties, gatherings and bake sales
- Freezes well (ideal to prepare)
- Tastes amazing every time
If you already love the sound of this banana bread, skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
You can see the ingredients with weights in the recipe card and see my favourite and recommended products in the “shop the recipe” section.
For the banana bread:
- Plant-based milk: any dairy-free milk is great here like oat, almond, coconut or soda.
- Apple cider vinegar: to curdle the milk, forming a buttermilk which binds the batter.
- Ripe bananas: the riper they are, the softer and sweeter they are too.
- Light brown and caster sugar: the two balance out well as the brown sugar is richer in colour and flavour, and the caster sugar is lighter. You can also swap this for coconut sugar, though the loaf will be more dense.
- Thick dairy-free yoghurt: to add moisture, healthy fats and moisture. I use the NUSH plain yoghurt or Cocos Organic coconut yoghurt.
- Olive oil: for richness and softness.
- Vanilla extract: for flavour. I love a good quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean powder.
- Ground flaxseed or chia seeds: to help bind the egg-free batter.
- Plain or GF plain flour: use your preferred GF blend of flour where needed (one that contains xanthan gum, or add ½ tsp of your own) to keep it light and fluffy. This loaf is made with plain flour and works every time.
- Baking powder: for the rise.
- Salt: for flavour.
- Matcha powder: make sure you use a high quality matcha powder for the most vibrant colour and best flavour. I love the Matchaeologist range which is amazing and the Meiko one is my favourite (I have a discount code here: nourishinglove15).
- Crushed pistachios: to add some crunch on top while the loaf bakes and also on top of the glaze.
And for the glaze:
- Icing sugar: to make it delicious and sticky sweet.
- Matcha powder: as above.
Is this gluten-free and nut-free?
This is easily gluten-free as long as you use your preferred GF blend of flour with xanthan gum (or add ½ tsp of your own). To keep this nut-free, swap the pistachios for sunflower or pumpkin seeds (or leave out) and make sure that your dairy-free milk and yoghurt do not contain nuts.
How do I make this?
This is ready to make in a few steps:
- Combine the milk and vinegar: and allow to curdle for 5 minutes.
- Mash the banana: until mostly smooth.
- Combine the wet ingredients: and stir well.
- Sift in the dry ingredients: and whisk until smooth.
- Divide the batter into two bowls: one with 1/3 of the batter and add the matcha and dairy-free milk to this bowl.
- Add half of the vanilla batter to the pan: and smooth over.
- Spoon over some matcha batter: and follow with the rest of the vanilla and then the matcha batter.
- Swirl the batters together: and smooth over the top.
- Sprinkle over the pistachios: and bake in the oven.
- The loaf will be fluffy, golden on top and an inserted skewer will come out clean: when it’s baked.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin: and then remove to cool fully on a wire rack.
- Combine the glaze ingredients: until pourable.
- Drizzle the glaze over the loaf: and sprinkle with more pistachios.
- Slice and serve: and save leftovers for later.
How long will it last?
Keep the loaf in the fridge in a sealed container for 2-3 days (or more) and enjoy at room temperature. You can freeze the load for 1 month, wrapped well, and allow to defrost before eating.
What other recipes can I try?
For more banana breads:
- Breakfast Banana Bread
- Lemon Pistachio Date Banana Bread
- Carrot Cake Banana Bread
- Mocha Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Caramel Latte Banana Bread
Vanilla Matcha Swirl Banana Bread (Vegan)
Light, fluffy and tender, this Vanilla Matcha Swirl Banana Bread is the perfect loaf to bake. It’s packed with everyday plant-based ingredients and has a delicious matcha swirl running through it, topped with vibrant green matcha glaze.
Ingredients
For the Banana Bread:
- 120ml plant-based milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 large ripe bananas (220g once mashed)
- 60g light brown sugar
- 60g caster sugar
- 60g thick dairy-free yoghurt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed or chia seeds
- 250g plain or GF plain flour
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- 20g crushed pistachios
For the Matcha Swirl:
- 1 tbsp matcha powder
- ½ tbsp plant-based milk
For the Glaze:
- 75g icing sugar
- 1 heaped tsp matcha powder
- 1 tbsp plant-based milk
- Extra pistachios, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180ºC and line a loaf tin with parchment paper.
- Combine the milk and apple cider vinegar and leave for 5 minutes to curdle. Mash the banana and weigh out 220g.
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the milk-vinegar mix, mashed banana, both sugars, yoghurt, olive oil, vanilla and ground flaxseed. Whisk to combine.
Sift in the flour and baking powder and add the salt. Whisk to a smooth, thick batter. - Transfer 1/3 of the batter to a separate bowl and into this small bowl, sift in the matcha powder and add the milk. Whisk until it’s fully incorporated.
- Pour ½ of the original banana bread batter into the loaf tin and then scoop over ½ of the matcha batter in spoonfuls. Scoop over the rest of the plain banana bread batter and finished with spoonfuls of the remaining matcha mixture.
- Use a spoon to swirl the batters together. Now smooth over the top and sprinkle over the crushed pistachios.
- Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until well-risen, golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then remove from the tin and cool fully.
- For the glaze, sift both the icing sugar and matcha into a small bowl and stir in the milk until thick and smooth.
- Spread the glaze over the loaf and sprinkle with pistachios.
- Slice and enjoy. Keep leftovers in a sealed container for 2-3 days in the fridge or for 1 month in the freezer. Allow to defrost and enjoy.
Shop the recipe
Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of this Vanilla Matcha Swirl 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 Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With vanilla matcha love x
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