Description
A moist, spiced banana bread featuring a complex chai spice blend and topped with a salty-sweet brown butter glaze. This recipe is designed for autumn weekends, offering a sophisticated yet approachable bake.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 large ripe bananas (about 1 ½ cups mashed)
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter (for batter)
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110g) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons chai spice blend (or 1 tsp cardamom, ½ tsp ginger, ½ tsp cloves, ¼ tsp cinnamon, pinch black pepper)
- 3 tablespoons (45g) unsalted butter (for glaze)
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Pinch of flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mash ripe bananas. Add melted butter (cooled slightly), granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and chai spice blend.
- Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Tent with foil if browning too quickly.
- Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- In a small saucepan, brown 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until nutty and amber. Remove from heat immediately.
- Whisk brown butter with powdered sugar and heavy cream until drizzle-able consistency is reached.
- Drizzle glaze over completely cooled bread and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let set for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Ensure bananas are very ripe (black spots) for maximum sweetness and moisture. Do not overmix the batter to avoid a tough texture. The bread must be completely cool before glazing to prevent the glaze from sliding off. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55-65 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 24
- Sodium: 210
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 3
Keywords: banana bread, chai spice, brown butter, fall recipe, autumn baking, homemade bread, glaze