Name: Lemon Lavender Blueberry Banana Bread {Plant Based, GF}
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients: 4 very ripe bananas; 1/4 cup applesauce; 1/3 cup oil; 1/3 cup lemon juice; 1/3 cup white granulated sugar; 1/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark); 2 teaspoons white vinegar; 2 teaspoons lavender extract; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free or regular ... I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking mix)); 2 teaspoons baking powder; 2 teaspoons baking soda; 1/2 teaspoons salt; 21 ounces blueberry pie filling

Lemon Lavender Blueberry Banana Bread is plant-based and can be gluten-free, making it perfect for everyone. Imagine the classic, moist banana bread you love, but with a fresh lemony zing, sweet blueberries, and a hint of fragrant lavender. It’s a unique twist that makes each bite delightful. Ideal for breakfast, a snack, or a light dessert. Easy to make with wholesome ingredients, this bread is a refreshing and flavorful treat that’ll brighten your day!

Lemon Lavender Blueberry Banana Bread plant based gluten free recipe easy vegan from planted365

I love Lemon Lavender Blueberry Banana Bread (that’s a mouthful!) because it’s the perfect blend of flavors and textures. The lemon is bright and refreshing, the blueberries add juicy bursts of sweetness, and the lavender provides a subtle, calming aroma that’s so delicious. Plus, it’s plant-based and gluten-free, so it’s a feel-good treat I can enjoy anytime. It’s moist, flavorful, and feels like a little slice of sunshine. Whether it’s breakfast, a snack, or dessert, it always hits the spot! It’s a bright contrast to something richer like this Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips, which is also delicious!

Ingredients in Lemon Lavender Blueberry Banana Bread

Lemon Juice and Zest adds a refreshing zing that brightens up the whole loaf. Its tangy citrus flavor perfectly balances the sweetness of the bananas and blueberries, making each bite a delightful burst of freshness.

Lavender Extract adds a subtle, floral note that’s truly unique. It pairs beautifully with the lemon, giving the bread a fragrant, calming aroma and a hint of elegance. It’s like a touch of magic in every bite. I used Angel Bake Lavender Extract. It’s subtle and so easy to use. There are other brands that are great too … I’ll link them below the recipe.

Blueberry pie filling is simple to use and makes the bread extra moist and infuses it with a delightful blueberry taste. The filling’s gooey, syrupy goodness complements the lemon and lavender beautifully, creating a delicious treat. I’ve used a 21 oz can here. There will be a little bit left over, about a half cup,s that can be used in something else or added later to warmed slices of this bread as a topping.

Bananas make the loaf wonderfully moist and naturally sweet without adding quite so much refined sugar. They provide a creamy texture that balances the zesty lemon and aromatic lavender, creating a comforting, hearty base that ties all the flavors together.

Sugar deepens the fruitiness of the blueberries, highlights the zestiness of the lemon, and softens the floral notes of lavender, making every slice irresistibly sweet.

Apple Sauce works as a binder as well as adding sweetness.

Oil adds moisture to baked goods. The best oil to use here is a neutral flavored one like avocado or canola.

How to Make Lemon Lavender Blueberry Banana Bread

Mix the Wet Ingredients First: In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas until they’re kind of smooth but still just slightly chunky. To the bananans, mix in the sugar, lemon juice and zest, lavender extract, apple sauce, water, and oil. If you’re using a mixer and your bananas are soft, just mix them up with the rest of the wet ingredients without mashing first.

Sift in the Dry Ingredients: Sifting the dry ingredients prevents clumps and helps everything be more evenly distributed. I like to place a large fine mesh strainer over the mixing bowl and sift all the dry ingredients through it right into the wet ingredients already in the bowl. Then mix it all well until completely incorporated.

Stir in the Blueberry Pie Filling: A half cup of blueberry pie filling mixed right into the batter adds sweetness, a faint purple color, and some jammy blueberries. Stir in about a third of the can of filling directly into the batter. We’ll add the rest of the pie filling in swirls.

Pour Into the Prepared Bread Pan and Add Blueberry Pie Filling: Once the batter is made, pour half of it into a prepared loaf pan lined with parchment. On the top of this first layer use about a half cup of the pie filling to add a few dollops of the pie filling and use a skewer or fork to gently swirl them into the batter. Be careful not to mix it completely. Pour the rest of the batter over this layer and then use another half cup of pie filling to add a few more dollops of the pie filling on top and gently swirl it just a bit through the batter, but leave it mostly as “blobs.”

Storing, Freezing, and Thawing Tips

How to Freeze Lemon Lavender Blueberry Banana Bread: To freeze Lemon Lavender Blueberry Banana Bread, first let the bread cool completely to avoid condensation. Wrap the loaf completely in plastic wrap and then thaw at room temperature and use as desired.
You can also slice the bread for easy thawing later. Just slice the loaf into about ine inch slices and wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap, then place the wrapped slices in a resealable freezer bag. Label with the date and freeze for up to 3 months. To enjoy, thaw slices at room temperature or warm them in a toaster oven.

Recommended Equipment

This recipe is pretty easy and doesn’t need any fancy equipment. Just a mixing bowl, fine mesh strainer for sifting, a loaf pan, parchement paper, and something to stir with. A hand mixer can be helpful but not required.

The RECIPE

Yield: 1 loaf

Lemon Lavender Blueberry Banana Bread {Plant Based, GF}

No Ratings

Lemon lavender banana bread is a delicious twist on a classic. The bright zest of lemon and the sweet, floral hint of lavender pair beautifully with the rich, comforting base of banana bread, creating a refreshingly aromatic treat.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

4 very ripe bananas
1/4 cup applesauce
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup white granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
2 teaspoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons lavender extract

Dry Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free or regular ... I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking mix))
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons salt

Other Ingredients

21 ounces blueberry pie filling

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper. I like to put the parchment paper across the middle of the pan so two sides are long and hang out over the sides. I don't worry about the ends. Using a plant-based butter, lightly butter the parchment, and flour it lightly.
Mash the bananas and mix together with the other wet ingredients until mostly smooth and well incorporated. There should still be some small banana chunks.
Sift in the dry ingredients using a fine mesh strainer.
Finally, fold in a half cup of the blueberry pie filling directly into the batter and stir until incorporated. The batter will have a purple tinge.
Pour half the batter into the loaf pan and use about a half cup of pie filling to add dollops across the top. Pour the other half of the batter into the loaf pan and use another half cup of pie filling to add some dollops on top.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes, until the center springs back to the touch and isn't squishy. Check the loaf at around 40 minutes and if it's browning cover the top with foil for the last 20 minutes of baking.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before slicing.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or at room temperature for up to a few days. Can be wrapped and frozen as a loaf or as slices for up to a month.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 257Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 387mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g

Lisa Viger Gotte

Hello! I’m Lisa, a vegan artist, photographer, author, Vegan Life Coach Educator, and RYT 200 yoga teacher. I love showing others how simple and delicious a plant-based diet can be. I draw and paint, cook, write, take lots of pics, eat lots of chocolate, and practice gratitude daily.