Vegan Cardamom Guava Banana Bread (Print version)

Fragrant tropical loaf featuring ripe bananas, guava, and cardamom. Moist, dairy-free treat perfect for breakfast or afternoon tea.

# What You Need:

→ Fruit

01 - 1 cup ripe banana, mashed (approximately 2 medium bananas)
02 - 3/4 cup guava pulp, fresh or canned, strained if seedy
03 - Zest of 1 lime

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar
05 - 1/3 cup neutral oil such as sunflower or canola
06 - 1/4 cup unsweetened plant-based milk almond, oat, or soy
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

08 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
09 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
10 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
11 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
12 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Optional

13 - 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
14 - 2 tablespoons coarse sugar for sprinkling

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas until smooth. Stir in guava pulp and lime zest until well incorporated.
03 - Add brown sugar, oil, plant-based milk, and vanilla extract to the fruit mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, ground cardamom, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
05 - Add dry ingredients to wet mixture. Stir gently until just combined, avoiding overmixing to maintain tender crumb structure.
06 - Fold in chopped nuts if desired, distributing evenly throughout batter.
07 - Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top surface and sprinkle with coarse sugar if using.
08 - Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean with no wet batter.
09 - Allow bread to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to cool thoroughly before slicing.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It's ridiculously moist without any dairy or eggs, which means you can actually eat it without feeling guilty about tomorrow.
  • The cardamom-guava combo sounds fancy but tastes like pure joy, and people will think you've lost your mind in the best way.
  • It comes together in 15 minutes of prep, then your oven does all the work while you sit around smelling like a tropical paradise.
02 -
  • If your guava pulp is very seedy, strain it first because those little seeds can catch in your teeth and derail the whole experience.
  • Don't even think about opening the oven door before 45 minutes because the sudden temperature change will cause the top to crack and deflate slightly.
  • If your bread comes out a bit dry, make it again and add that optional 1/4 cup applesauce next time, which is the secret weapon I wish I'd discovered sooner.
03 -
  • Always use room-temperature bananas and mashed guava so they blend smoothly and don't shock your dry ingredients.
  • If you can't find guava, mango or pineapple work beautifully, but you'll lose that subtle floral note that makes this bread uniquely special.
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