I’ve made many banana bread recipes throughout the years. Some with sourdough, nuts, spices and dark chocolate. This recipe uses halvah, a middle eastern tahini confection. It has a sweet and nutty flavor with a dense crumbly texture that melts into the batter when it bakes.
Ingredients
Flour. My favorite is Hayden Flour Mills All Purpose Sonora.
Baking soda. For rise and a fluffy loaf.
Cinnamon. I love the warm cozy flavor of cinnamon. You can leave it out.
Butter. Creamed with brown sugar for light texture and rich flavor.
Light Brown Sugar. For a sweet tender loaf with notes of caramel.
Eggs. Helps to bind the dough.
Banana. Over-ripe bananas work best for this recipe.
Halvah. A middle eastern tahini confection crumbled into the batter makes this banana bread truly unique.
Sour Cream. Add moisture and tenderness.
Vanilla. Sweet creamy flavor.
Sesame oil.Optional but enhance halvah’s sesame flavor.
Tips for making Banana Bread
Use over-ripe bananas. Ripe bananas with brown spots.
Let ingredients come to room temperature. This includes the butter, eggs and sour cream.
Be cautious of over-mixing! Which leads to a dense banana bread. I like to fold in the flour and sour cream by hand until just combined for a soft tender bread.
Variations
Bananas pair beautifully with rich spices and savory flavors like sesame and miso. Chocolate, coffee, chai, and toasted nuts are also wonderful. A creamy nut butter or tahini added to the batter adds a rich nutty depth. For a more decadent loaf, skip the banana sugar topping and frost with a tangy cream cheese frosting.
Banana Chocolate Bread. Add 2/3 cup (125g) chopped dark chocolate.
Sesame Lovers Banana Bread. Add 1/3 cup (80ml) tahini to the banana bread in addition or in place of the halvah.
Sourdough Banana Bread. Add 1/2 cup (100g) sourdough discard.
Halvah Banana Bread
Ingredients
1 ¾ cups (220 grams) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
½ cup + 1 tablespoon (130 grams) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temp
3 medium-large ripe bananas, mashed, plus another 1/2 set aside for the top
½ cup (125 grams) sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
1/2 cup (80g) halvah, crumbled
1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and line a 9 X 5 inch loaf pan with parchment– leave a slight overhang on both sides. In a small-medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment and on medium speed, beat together the butter and brown sugar until creamy, 3-4minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and sesame oil if using, followed by the bananas and halvah.
- Using a spatula, mix in half the flour mixture, then all the sour cream, and finally the remaining half of the flour mix. Mix until just combined- don’t overmix.
- Transfer the batter the the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the stop. Add 1/2 sliced banana and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 55-60 minutes, golden brown and fragrant. A skewer inserted into the middle should come out with just a few moist crumbs. Let the loaf rest in the pan for 15 minutes before removing, and allowing it to cool completely.
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