Vegan Cardamom Guava Bread (Printable Version)

Fragrant tropical bread featuring banana, guava, and aromatic cardamom, moist and entirely dairy-free.

# What You'll 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 It:

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 the bananas until smooth. Stir in the guava pulp and lime zest until evenly distributed.
03 - Add the brown sugar, oil, plant-based milk, and vanilla extract to the banana mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground cardamom, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
05 - Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture. Stir gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix the batter.
06 - Fold in the chopped nuts if using, distributing them evenly throughout the batter.
07 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top surface and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
08 - Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
09 - Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's naturally vegan but tastes so rich and tender you'll forget there's no butter or eggs involved.
  • Cardamom gives it an unexpectedly sophisticated flavor that makes people ask what that mysterious something is.
  • The guava-banana combo keeps the loaf moist for days, and slices taste even better the next morning.
02 -
  • Overripe bananas are not a mistake—they're the goal, as they provide natural sweetness and moisture that makes vegan baking work.
  • Cardamom is potent; if you use too much, it overpowers everything else, so measure it carefully unless you love an intensely spiced loaf.
03 -
  • If your guava pulp is very seedy, strain it through a fine mesh sieve before adding it to the batter—texture matters here.
  • Bring all your ingredients to room temperature before mixing; cold ingredients don't combine as smoothly in vegan baking, where there's no egg to help bind everything.
Go Back