Vegan Mocha Banana Bread Recipe: Rich Coffee-Chocolate Loaf

Here is a hearty, nourishing, and absolutely delicious banana bread that’s vegan and made without guilt. This loaf uses whole grain spelt flour, oats, ripe bananas, and a unique ingredient—tigernut flour—which gives the bread a subtle natural sweetness and great texture.

If you’re wondering what a tigernut is, you’re not alone.

I first encountered tigernut horchata years ago when a client handed me a chilled bottle to try. It tasted like a wonderfully creamy, slightly sweet nut milk—only it wasn’t made from nuts at all. Tigernuts are tiny tubers, similar in concept to a small root vegetable, that are commonly used in Spain and parts of Africa. They’re soaked, blended, and strained to create horchata de chufa in Valencia, Spain.

What are tigernuts?

Tigernuts (chufa in Spanish) are small, starchy tubers that are dried and used to make a sweet, creamy beverage called horchata de chufa. The process mirrors other horchatas—soak, blend, and strain—resulting in a naturally sweet plant milk. I quickly fell in love with tigernut horchata’s flavor and versatility.

Because tigernuts aren’t actually nuts, they’re often safe for people with nut allergies. They’re also rich in resistant starch, a prebiotic fiber that supports gut bacteria and aids digestion. That fiber profile makes tigernuts a nutritious addition to baked goods and non-dairy milks.

Tigernut milk (which I plan to share soon) is a fantastic non-dairy option—rich, naturally sweet, and creamy. It makes a great vegan coffee creamer and is an excellent alternative for those avoiding nut milks.

Vegan Mocha Banana Bread

I’m excited to share this banana bread recipe that highlights tigernut flour. I adapted the loaf from a simple one-bowl banana bread, swapping flours and adding coffee (for a mocha twist) and dairy-free chocolate chips. The result is moist, flavorful, and slightly dense in the best way—perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert. Fair warning: you may eat the whole loaf in a day, so savor each slice.

Have you tried tigernuts or tigernut horchata? Do you have a favorite banana bread variation?

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Mocha Vegan Banana Bread

By: Jenné Claiborne

This loaf hasn’t been tested gluten-free by me, but swapping spelt for a gluten-free blend should work. If you don’t have spelt, whole wheat pastry or all-purpose flour can be used. Use very ripe bananas for best flavor.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp ground flax seed + 2 tbsp water
• 3 very ripe bananas
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp coconut, canola, or tigernut oil
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar or cane sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp instant coffee powder
• 3/4 cup non-dairy milk (soy, almond, or tigernut)
• 1/2 cup tigernut flour
• 1 1/4 cup whole grain spelt flour
• 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cup old fashioned oats or rolled grain blend
• 1/4-1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

Instructions

Wet Ingredients

• In a large bowl combine the ground flax seed and 2 tablespoons water. Stir and let thicken for about 2 minutes.
• Add the bananas to the flax mixture and mash until mostly smooth.
• Stir in the vanilla, oil, sugar, instant coffee, and non-dairy milk until well combined.

Dry Ingredients

• In a separate bowl, break up any clumps in the tigernut flour with a fork or your fingers.
• Add the spelt flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, and whisk to combine.
• Stir in the oats and whisk again to evenly distribute.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until combined.
• Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Pour the batter into a lined loaf pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Allow the loaf to cool at least 10 minutes before slicing and enjoying.

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