Chai-Spiced Banana Bread
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Infused with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and allspice, this chai-spiced banana bread is a lovely twist on basic banana bread.
Chai is the actual word for tea in many countries but when we say chai in the States, we’re usually referring to Masala chai, which is a smooth and calming beverage made of black tea, milk, and fragrant Indian spices. Its flavor goes beautifully with banana bread, so I’ve taken one of my favorite banana bread recipes and subtly infused it with warm chai spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice.
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“This is my favorite banana bread recipe on your site! I think the spices and the sour cream really make it great! I served it at a get together and got so many compliments on it…Yum!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chai-Spiced Banana Bread
As with all banana bread recipes, use very ripe bananas for the most intense banana flavor and a texture that mashes easily.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time.
Incorporating well after each addition.
In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.
Whisk well.
Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture.
Mix to blend.
Add the mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla.
Mix well.
Transfer the batter to a greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.
Bake for 60-70 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about ten minutes.
Then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
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Chai-Spiced Banana Bread
Infused with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and allspice, this chai-spiced banana bread is a lovely twist on basic banana bread.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off with a knife
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas, from 2-3 bananas
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl or electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and beat gently until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream and vanilla and mix on low speed until just combined. Gently stir in nuts if using.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake until deep golden brown and cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, 60-70 minutes. Let rest in pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool completely. This bread is best enjoyed warm out of the oven or toasted.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap or place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice (without nuts)
- Calories: 232
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Sugar: 19 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 271 mg
- Cholesterol: 56 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Absolutely wonderful and moist!
SO GOOD. Best banana bread I’ve ever tasted, my mom seconds that. Really perfect. super moist. We like it best cold out of the fridge – its almost like banana bread fudge. Cannot go wrong with this recipe. Thank you Jen!
Cooking notes:
1) I’ve made it twice – both times (for my oven), I had to cook it an extra 10-15 minutes (with some foil on top at the end). When testing to see if its done, the tester never comes out “clean”, but its done and holds together nicely.
2) Second time I made it I doubled all the spices, just because… it was good that way, too.
3) for sugar sensitive people: I also only used half the sugar both times. It was delicious. I might try even going lower next time
4) for Gluten sensitive people: I used a general purpose Bob’s Redmill gluten free flour and it came out perfect
This is sooooo good!! Ran out of butter so used half coconut oil and used yogurt instead of sour cream and it still came out amazing. Definitely one of those recipes where I would fully either vitamix or electric mix the bananas before mixing them in, comes out so smooth and fluffy!
This is my first recipe review ever. But this banana bread is THAT good. I write to express my adoring thanks to Jenn Segal, for I can always produce superb meals by following her creative suggestions. That said, I especially want to enthusiastically recommend her awesome Chai-spiced Banana Bread. Hers is the first that is truly moist! I have made this over and over because I love the unique flavor; and as a gift, my friends are always delighted with how delicious it is. Great news too is that it freezes well. “Once Upon a Chef” always makes me look good.
This was lovely, I made it this afternoon was able to whip it up in about 15 minutes and stick it in the oven. I ran out of AP flour so I subbed in 1/3cup rolled oats, which gave it a nice texture. 60 minutes was a bit long but that could have resulted from the substitution.
This chai-spiced banana bread is so delicious. Whenever I have over-ripe bananas, my family asks me to make this recipe. No more basic banana bread for us.
I am so happy! (Dance of Joy!) I lost my old recipe when I moved a few years ago and have tried a couple dozen recipes that just didn’t cut it. I just finished eating a couple of warm slices of the loaf I just baked and I am as happy as a clam! Success 😂
It’s Sarah again, I’m baking two loaves now! I am so tickled to finally have a really, really great recipe for Banana Bread again! Funny thing, when I first saw the recipe, I thought it was Banana CHIA Spiced Bread…got the clue that no Chia seeds are involved. Well, I threw some into the last 1/3 of the batter for one side of the pan. I liked it! It had a little tiny crunch to it. I’m adding it to both loaves today. Adds protein, minerals and lots of minerals. I also lightly toast pecan halves and break them gently with my hands and stir them in last. Sooo yummy. If you haven’t tried this recipe…you should! My small town TN Library does not have the book, so I put in a Library Loan request yesterday. I can’t wait to drool over the pages. I should weigh myself before and after. Haha. Not really. Jenn’s recipes are healthy and satisfying. I don’t do much snacking aside from dried fruits and nuts (and now this bread). Hope you try it! Peace…
I adore this recipe! This bread has it all. Wonderfully moist, the right amount of spices to make it interesting yet allowing the banana flavor to come through. This now rivals pumpkin bread for me!
This is my new favorite banana bread recipe. I keep whole cardamom pods in an old pepper grinder, and the aroma of fresh ground cardamom filled the kitchen. The bananas measured 1 1/4 cups, so I reduced the sour cream to keep the liquid ratio the same. I used an 8 x 4 pan, since I wanted a taller loaf, and added 5 minutes to the bake time. This is a wonderful recipe, with or without the chai spices, but I highly recommend the chai-spiced version!
I’m making 2 batches for friends. Can I bake them at the same time? I’ve always baked them separately but I’m running short on time. Love this recipe thanks.
Sure Theresa, that should work. They may take a minute or two extra in the oven but keep a close eye on them. Hope your friends enjoy!
Hello, If I wanted to make this into a cake, what size pan and what cooking time would you recommend. Also, what kind of frosting would you suggest? Or just a dusting of powdered sugar? I’d like to enter into a family baking contest that’s coming up. Thank you!
Hi Lisa, I’d recommend an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish. Baking time will be different so keep an eye on it. A cream cheese frosting like the one from this recipe would be nice; simple powdered sugar would work nicely too. Hope everyone enjoys!
I made these as muffins, halved the recipe and amended the sugar for 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/8 cup white sugar but kept the spices the same amount as the full batch – baked for 5 minutes at 425°F then lowered to 350°F for 16-20 minutes, half recipe made 8 Muffins filled to the top. Turned out really tasty, flavourful and balanced! Thanks Jenn.