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Let’s be honest: banana bread is really just a way to use up overripe bananas. I assume that one time in history, someone was fed up with having their bananas go from green to brown so quickly and decided they were going to bake something. Boom! Banana bread.
My grandma always had banana bread in the freezer. She baked them in small loaves so she could easily eat one and always wanted to send a loaf home with any visitor. Grandma’s banana bread was good. There was not an overabundance of flavor with any depth other than banana, but it was always spot on and looked perfect. Just like Grandma, I’m never happy with a recipe and like to adjust and modify constantly. This ultimate banana bread has elements of Grandma’s with the flavor turned way up!
What is a quick bread?
Banana bread is a quick bread, meaning that the entire process from mixing the ingredients together to baking is done in a matter of minutes. Unlike conventional yeast bread, there is no yeast in a quick bread. The leavening comes from baking powder and eggs. The outcome is often closer to a cake texture than a bread. No one’s going to complain about that now are they?
Traditional banana bread tends to be dense and almost wet. To counteract the excess moisture in bananas, this recipe uses bread flour. The higher protein rate in this type of flour helps to create a better, more appealing texture.
How can I add flavor to quick bread?
Many times, zucchini or other produce that had a bumper crop in the garden were used up by making quick bread and cakes. To cover up the absence of flavor, sugar was added. Thus, quick breads can have copious amounts of sugar.
Bananas have a lot of natural sugar. And by cutting the sugar in the recipe and making a switch to brown sugar, more banana flavor comes through along with caramel notes. To bring out more caramel, this recipe uses not only brown sugar but also molasses.
To incorporate depth, tahini is added. Tahini is roasted sesame seeds ground up into a peanut butter-like consistency. The flavor isn’t strong but has a slightly savory quality that brings out more of the banana.
Can this recipe make multiple smaller loaves?
In short, the answer is yes!
Banana bread has a lot of moisture in the batter and is very thick once mixed together. While in the oven, the baking powder activates and some of the excess moisture slowly bakes out. This bread takes a long time to bake in one loaf pan but will give a beautiful large loaf. The recipe can easily be made into several smaller mini loaf pans. The time will need to be adjusted accordingly but the outcome will be just as ultimate!
Watch how to make this banana bread:
Ultimate Banana Bread
Ingredients
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup tahini
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups mashed banana
- 2 ½ cups bread flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup chocolate pieces (chunks or chips)
- 1 whole banana
- 1 tbsp turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, tahini, and eggs. Mix together until well combined and smooth. Add in the molasses, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix to combine. Add the prepared mashed banana and mix.¾ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup tahini, 2 large eggs, 2 tbsp molasses, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 ¼ cups mashed banana
- Add the bread flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix until just a few dry streaks remain. Do not overmix. Add the chocolate and fold in.2 ½ cups bread flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 cup chocolate pieces (chunks or chips)
- Grease an 8 ½ x 4-inch loaf pan. Pour batter into the loaf pan and spread to make an even layer. Slice whole banana into ¼-inch pieces and shingle them across the top, making two parallel lines. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.1 whole banana, 1 tbsp turbinado sugar
- Bake in preheated oven until a skewer inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean, 60-80 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack for 2 hours.
How did you ever come to use tahini for banana bread? That’s one ingredient I’ve never seen before for this type of recipe. I can’t say that I like the appearance of the finished product. I guess I’m just not used to it, but it sounds delicious. Am looking forward to giving it a try.
Best banana bread I’ve ever eaten!
Mine is still in the oven, but looking cooked after 45 mins. Have lowered the oven for another 10 mins maybe. Looking forward to trying it. The house smells amazing!!!!
Hi 🙋🏻♀️, I made the batter haven’t put it in the oven yet. I’m waiting for an AC to be delivered and I don’t want to heat up the apartment, but can’t wait to smell the banana bread baking! I live on Long Island, in New York and love your videos. Keep them coming♥️Hope Kip is on the mend.
I have made this banana bread four times now and it turned out delicious every time. It is moist, without being wet and soggy like other banana breads I’ve made in the past. My family loves this bread and it disappears in a day! I baked it in a tube pan for 50 minutes.
I made this, and it was delicious!!! Moist but not soggy. A hint of molasses, oh yum.
Also, never thought that tahini would work, but it did! Thanks so much for this recipe.
I would have shared photos (not as good as yours!) if there was an option in the comment section.😃
Made this a second time. Consistent. Was a hit (again!).😊
How can I make this banana bread gluten free?
I made this bread tonight and it turned out very good. I didn’t have Tahiti so I added some apple sauce.
I made this bread this morning. It came out very dry & too brown on the outside. I baked it for 70 mins. Should have cut down the time I guess.
Unfortunately not going to be a favorite. I followed the recipe exactly and will make it again but with a few changes (1/2 cup chocolate chips and all-purpose flour), I found it to be a bit to dense and too much chocolate. I will use a bigger load pan too. I’ll be back then with my thoughts.
I think this is missing a fat component ir something-the tahini wasn’t enough. It’s super dry. I didn’t bake it as long as suggested either or it would have been burnt. Usually your recipes are spot on.
DELICIOUS! I doubled the recipe for a ‘welcome to neighborhood’ gift for friends and for a ‘welcome home’ for my daughter who just returned from a year abroad. Everyone LOVES it! YUMMY!