This Pistachio Banana Bread is an easy, egg-free, refined sugar-free banana bread recipe with a lovely swirl of pistachio cream. The cream is simple to make from ground pistachios and the recipe can be whipped up in under 15 minutes of prep. You will love that this banana bread is vegan and uses many of your ripe bananas.
I love making all kinds of banana bread versions with different ingredients to turn the classic recipe on its head, like my Almond Banana Bread, Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread, or Chickpea Flour Banana Bread. Making one with pistachio was a fantastic ideas. Pistachio bring a ton of flavor, a light crunch, and keep the bread super moist and delicious.
While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!
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Pistachio Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Mashed Bananas - equivalent to 3 large bananas
- ½ cup Ground Pistachios - (note 1: how to make ground pistachios)
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup - or agave syrup
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 ½ cup All-Purpose Flour - note 2
- ⅓ cup Melted Coconut Oil - or light olive oil, canola oil
- 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Pistachio Cream Swirl
- ¾ cup Ground Pistachio
- ¼ cup Raw Cane Sugar - or sugar
- ⅓ cup Dairy-Free Butter (Unsalted) - or melted margarine
- 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
To decorate
- 1 tablespoon Pistachios - crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Slightly oil the paper with cooking spray.
- Before you start, check the note 1 below to learn how to make your own ground pistachio.
- Mash the bananas, pack them in a measuring cup to measure exactly 1 cup + 1/2 cup, and place them in a mixing bowl.
- Stir in the oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well combined.
- Fold in flour, 1/2 cup of pistachio ground made before (note 1), salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and use a rubber spatula to combine. It should form a thick, smooth banana bread batter.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan.
- In another bowl, stir melted vegan butter, raw sugar, almond extract, and ground pistachios.
- Pour the pistachio cream mixture over the bread and swirl the batter a few times using the tip of a knife or a spoon.
- Bake on the center rack for 50-60 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C). If the top of the bread darkens too fast, foil the pan after 30 minutes. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool down in the pan for 10 minutes, then release it and let it cool completely on a wire rack for about 2 hours before slicing. Don't slice the bread when it's warm or it will be fragile and fall apart.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Mashed Bananas – Choose very ripe bananas for maximum sweetness. If you use relatively green bananas, the bread will be far less sweet.
- Ground Pistachios – Use roasted or raw, unsalted pistachios. Almonds or walnuts can be substituted for a different flavor profile.
- Maple Syrup – I like to use pure maple syrup. Agave syrup, coconut nectar, or date syrup are good alternatives.
- All-Purpose Flour – Use organic all-purpose flour. Whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour should work. For a gluten-free version, use my gluten-free conversion guide.
- Coconut Oil – Choose unrefined coconut oil for a subtle coconut flavor. Light olive oil or canola oil can be used as alternatives.
- Almond Extract – Use pure almond extract. Vanilla extract can be used if almond extract is unavailable.
- Raw Cane Sugar – Choose organic raw cane sugar. Coconut sugar or regular granulated sugar can be substituted.
- Vegan Butter – Select a high-quality vegan butter. You can also use margarine.
How to Make Pistachio Banana Bread
This is an easy recipe to make with my recipe card further down. Here are pictures of the key steps.
Combine all the bread batter ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Stir the batter with a silicone spatula until all the lumps are gone.
Transfer the batter to a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
Combine the pistachio cream ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
Pour the pistachio cream on the bread and swirl it with the tip of a knife.
Bake the pistachio banana bread on the center rack for 50 to 60 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C).
Carine’s Baking Tips
- Use very ripe bananas for the best flavor and natural sweetness.
- To make ground pistachios, pulse raw pistachios in a food processor until finely ground, but stop before they turn into butter.
- Don’t overmix the batter after adding the dry ingredients to avoid a tough texture.
- For a more pronounced pistachio flavor, add a drop of pistachio extract to the batter if available.
- To prevent the top from browning too quickly, tent the loaf with aluminum foil halfway through baking.
- Let the bread cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling.
- For added texture, fold in some chopped pistachios into the batter before baking.
- Store the bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Could I use Spelt Flour instead of All purpose flour ?
Yes, it should work!
Would almond flour work?
Not in this recipe! I’ll add an almond flour version to my to-do list!
Could I replace the cane sugar for honey in the part of the recipe for the pistachio swirl?
Yes, it would most likely work fine
Super delicious. The bread crumbles a bit, but hey, so good
I feel blessed because I love pistachio so couldn’t be happier that it’s a trend. I LOVE this bread.
Thank you!!
try the recipe today, wondering for next time if it would still work if i added some choc chips in?
Absolutely, it will add lots of sweetness, I wouldn’t add more than 1/3 cup