Vegan Cranberry Orange Chickpea Flour Bread (Oil-free, GF)

Make a loaf of vegan cranberry orange chickpea flour bread! Moist, satisfying and especially-straightforward to make, it is also oil-free, grain-free, and gluten-free.

Cranberry Orange Chickpea Flour Bread

It’s no wonder cranberry orange bread is a seasonal go-to. Gorgeous, piquant cranberries, nestled in fragrant, orange-scented batter, add up to joyful gnoshing (any time of day).

I’ve given the combination a newfangled twist–specifically, one that is grain-free, egg-free, dairy-free, & oil-free–by making the classic bread with one of my go-to ingredients: chickpea flour.

Chickpea flour is something of a wonder flour, able to take the place of both all-purpose flour and eggs, in one fell swoop. Further, I use flaxseed meal in the batter to eliminate the need for oil to make the loaf moist and tender.

The result is both beautiful and satisfying!

Recipe Benefits

Among its many benefits, my vegan cranberry orange chickpea flour bread is:

• Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
• Gluten-free
• Grain-free
• Oil-free
• Especially straightforward to make
• Made in one bowl

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.Toggle betweenUS Customary(volume) andMetric(weights) for preferred measurement option.

The ingredients for the bread are minimal and easily acquired. You will need:

• Fresh cranberries (or thawed frozen cranberries)
• Orange juice
• Finely grated orange zest
• Mashed VERY RIPE banana (especially-squishy, lots of brown spots)
• Coconut sugar (I have options in the recipe card)
• Vanilla extract
• Chickpea flour (also known as garbanzo bean flour, besan, or gram flour)
• Flaxseed meal
• Baking soda
• Salt

Make sure to use very ripe (sweet, squishy) bananas for the recipe. Fresh, all-yellow bananas are not liquid-y enough, nor sweet enough (those starches are converted to sugar as the bananas become especially-ripe).

Further, mash the bananas especially-fine; the banana works to add moisture and natural sweetness (you do not want chunks of banana). I used my immersion blender to blend the bananas entirely smooth.

Options

I have options for swapping out the mashed banana and the coconut sugar in the recipe notes. (I’ve got you covered!)

Step by Step Instructions

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

Step One: Preheat Oven & Prepare Baking Pan

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick baking spray.

Step Two: Whisk the Wet Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk the orange zest, orange juice, bananas, flaxseed meal, coconut sugar and vanilla extract until blended.

Step Three: Stir in the Dry Ingredients

Add the chickpea flour, baking soda and salt to the bowl.

Stir until completely blended.

Step Four: Add Cranberries

Stir the whole cranberries into the batter.

Step Five: Bake the Bread

Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 44 to 48 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center of the loaf comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.

Tip: Tent the Bread with Foil while Baking

To prevent over-browning, I suggest tenting the banana bread with a sheet of aluminum foil during the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking.

Step Six: Cool the Bread

Cool the bread in the loaf pan for 10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on a cooling rack.

Such a pretty loaf!

Cool the bread completely before slicing it. The bread is sturdy, so slice it thick or (relatively) thin. I cut the bread into 14 hearty slices.

FAQ

What is the Taste & Texture of the Bread?

This is a moist, yet firm, loaf with loads of orange flavor (thanks to the double power of orange juice + orange zest). It is lightly sweet (definitely a sweetbread, not cake), reliable for breakfast, snacks, or dessert.

Does the bread taste like chickpeas?

No, but it is not the same as white all-purpose flour, either. The chickpea flour adds.a nuttiness that I love. In short, if you really dislike chickpea flour, then this probably isn’t the bread for you. But if you think chickpea flour is wondrous, you will love it.

The bread has ample sweetness, despite having no more than 1/3 cup of added sweetener.

How Should the Bread Be Stored?

Store the cooled cranberry orange bread in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 2 days, the refrigerator for 1 week or the freezer for up to 6 months.

Can I Use Something Other Than Chickpea Flour?

No, this recipe will only work with chickpea flour.

What Other Sweeteners Do You Recommend?

An equal amount of brown sugar or natural cane sugar can be used in place of the coconut sugar.

Can I Use Something Other than Mashed Banana?

The banana in the recipe adds moisture and sweetness without adding banana flavor. However, it can be replaced with one of the following options:

• Applesauce:An equal amount of unsweetened applesauce. You may want to add an extra tablespoon of coconut sugar to make up for the lack of sweetness that banana offers.
• Unsweetened Canned Pumpkin Puree:Use 3/4 cup pumpkin puree, plus 1/4 cup nondairy milk or water, to replace the 1 cup of banana. As with the applesauce option, you may want to add an extra tablespoon of coconut sugar to make up for the lack of sweetness. Also consider adding a bit of spice (e.g., 1-2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon).

Happy Baking! I would love to know what you think if you give this bread a try.

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