Eggless Banana Bread with Jaggery & Ghee (No Refined Sugar)

The two desserts my mom has been baking since I was little are her famous Eggless Marble Cake and Vegan Banana Bread. If there’s one thing to know about my mom, it’s that she doesn’t like “chipchip” desserts – basically, nothing too sticky and definitely no frosting. This Mother’s Day, I was inspired to create something new using her vegan banana bread as a base. I ended up with this Eggless Banana Bread with Jaggery and Ghee, so there is no refined sugar in this recipe.

3 Rounds of Testing: How I Perfected This Ghee & Jaggery Eggless Banana Bread

I tested this recipe 3 times, so you don’t have to. Trust the process, and I promise your eggless banana bread will turn out delicious.

Round 1

I used all-purpose white flour, a mix of 1/4 cup jaggery and 1/4 cup brown sugar, browned ghee, and 1/2 tsp of ground cardamom. I also added a couple of tablespoons of sooji (semolina) for texture. While the flavor was amazing, it felt a bit too rich and indulgent. When I think of banana bread, I’m looking for a delicious slice that I can enjoy with my morning coffee or masala chai. Additionally, the cardamom was a bit too faint.

Round 2

I switched to 100% whole-wheat flour and 1/2 cup of jaggery (skipping the brown sugar entirely). I used browned butter this time and increased the ground cardamom to 1 1/2 tsp. On the first day, the flavor was perfect, however, by the next day, the loaf had dried out a bit. On top of that, the cardamom flavor ended up being way too strong.

Round 3

Third time’s a charm! This time, I used a blend of 1 cup white flour and 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour, 1/2 cup of jaggery, and went back to the browned ghee. I lowered the cardamom to 1 tsp, and the flavors were finally perfectly balanced. This final version is failproof, moist, and delicious. Plus, it’s just the right amount of sweet!

The Secret to Moist Eggless Bread: Ghee vs. Butter

After testing this recipe with both ghee and butter, I found that this eggless banana bread tastes significantly richer and stays moister when made with ghee. Ghee is 100% fat and contains no water, unlike butter which is typically only 80% fat. In eggless baking, that extra fat is the key to preventing a dry loaf.

For this recipe, I chose to brown the ghee, which gives the bread a nutty aroma and a deeper flavor profile. Having said that, if you don’t have ghee on hand, you can absolutely substitute it with browned butter – just know that the ghee version is the secret to that perfect, melt-in-your-mouth texture!

Ingredients & Substitutions

1. Bananas – Use ripe bananas for this recipe. You’ll need 2 medium-sized bananas, which should yield 1 cup mashed bananas.
2. Jaggery Powder – Jaggery is a refined sugar-free product that you can find at your local Indian grocery store or on Amazon. Make sure you use jaggery powder and not a block of jaggery. Feel free to substitute jaggery with coconut sugar or brown sugar in equal parts.
3. Ghee – Use unsalted ghee and melt it over the stove until lightly browned.
4. Flour – I used a combination of all-purpose white and whole wheat flour. You may use all white flour or all whole wheat – results will vary slightly.

*See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.*

Let’s Make Eggless Banana Bread

Melt Ghee until Golden Brown

Step 1. Measure 103 grams of (or 1/2 cup) ghee on a kitchen scale.

Step 2. Melt ghee on the stove until it melts and browns lightly. Since ghee is clarified butter, it won’t brown as much.

Combine Wet Ingredients

Step 3. In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients – jaggery, mashed banana, yogurt, and vanilla extract.

Step 4. Whisk until well combined.

Add Melted Browned Ghee

Step 5. Next, slowly add the melted ghee, whisking as you go.

Step 6. Whisk well until all the ingredients are well combined.

Add Dry Ingredients to Wet & Bake

Step 7. Add the dry ingredients – all-purpose white flour, whole wheat flour, sooji (semolina), baking soda, baking powder, cardamom powder, and salt. Use a spoon to mix – do not overmix the batter, just mix until well combined.

Step 8. Transfer the batter to a greased loaf pan – this dish is 11″ x 5″. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, but start checking at 40 minutes to see if it’s done.

Banana Bread is ready!

Step 9. Your eggless banana bread is ready. Let it cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Step 10. Enjoy warm. It’s so moist and delicious.

Storage

To keep this banana bread fresh, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer-term storage, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to eat, simply thaw a slice and warm it in the toaster oven. I highly recommend using the toast setting, which gives the bread a perfectly crisp exterior that tastes just like it’s fresh out of the oven.