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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 spiced 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.

“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!”

Cindy

What You’ll Need To Make Chai-Spiced Banana Bread

Bread ingredients including sour cream, vanilla, and eggs.

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

Bowl of creamed butter and sugar.

Begin by creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time.

Egg in a bowl of creamed butter and sugar.

Incorporating well after each addition.

Electric mixer in a bowl of yellow creamed mixture.

In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

Bowl of unmixed dry ingredients.

Whisk well.

Whisk in a bowl of dry ingredients.

Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture.

Wet and dry ingredients in a bowl.

Mix to blend.

 and mix to blend.

Add the mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla.

Bananas, sour cream, and vanilla in a bowl with dough.

Mix well.

Bowl of chai-spiced banana bread dough.

Transfer the batter to a greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.

Loaf pan of chai-spiced banana bread dough.

Bake for 60-70 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about ten minutes.

how to make banana bread

Then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

chai spiced banana bread

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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.

Servings: One 9 x 5-inch loaf

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

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • Hi, Jenn, I only use whole wheat flour, which should be okay, right? I’m thinking to add a little more banana for the extra liquid. Thanks.

    • Hi Katherine, Yes, that should work. If you have it, King Arthur white whole wheat flour is best.

  • I’m giving this five stars because it’s just delicious (and addictive). I could eat the whole loaf by myself and the cardamom and other “chai spices” add a unique character without overpowering this bread. But mine, for the first time since trying your recipes (every day for the last couple of weeks), didn’t turn out like yours in the pictures. It looks and probably tastes a little drier. It didn’t have that uniform brownness, but got slightly burnt on the bottom and about half way up the sides, then very light colored on top. Any ideas on where I went wrong? I’d like to try again, but want that beautiful browned loaf like yours!

    • Hi Jane, Sorry you had trouble with the bread. It sounds like it was cooked too long or your oven was too hot. Did you cook it in a convection oven by chance?

      • Wow, Jenn–you’re a genius. I thought that unlikely since I never cook on convection (I can’t quite figure it out). But I checked and you’re right–my husband had cooked something recently, changed the setting to convection and never changed it back. The bread was still absolutely wonderful, just not looking much like the pretty picture. (I had checked it 5 min. earlier and a toothpick still came out wet and gooey so I cooked a little more). I gave some to my daughter and her boyfriend, who both loved it and didn’t care it wasn’t really pretty. I’ll make again and make sure the convection setting is off and hopefully it will be as gorgeous as yours! I’m impressed you knew exactly what I’d done wrong!

        • Great, glad the problem is solved 🙂

          • I made this again (making sure the oven was on bake, not convection this time:-)) and this time it came out gorgeous and delicious–probably my favorite banana bread ever. I made it in three mini loaves instead of one loaf and baked it about 45-50 minutes. (I started checking after 30, but it took a while longer to be golden and cooked all the way through).

            • — Jane W
  • I wonder if I could substitute the butter with olive oil. Has anyone tried this? Thanks!

    • Hi Ariane, You might try coconut oil over olive oil; I worry the flavor of the olive oil would be too strong.

  • has anyone tried baking this recipe in a 8×3 pan? if so, how long did you let it bake for?

  • Does this pair well while drinking chai tea? Or is this more of a standalone treat? Thanks!

    • Hi Mario, Yes I think it would pair well with chai tea but it is also delicious on its own.

  • Followed every step of the recipe and I got great comments from my friends and family. This is my “first ever” venture on the use of spices. It’s amazing to see and “taste” how all these ingredients work together to make 1 great – tasting bread….love it!!!

  • I agree with all the other reviewers.. one of the best banana bread recipes ever! Never thought cardamom will add so much subtle taste! Loved it.

  • I baked this recipe today and it was the best banana bread I have ever tried ! Thank you so much for the amazing recipe. This will be a regular at my house. I replaced the sour cream with an extra banana because I am allergic to milk and it worked great.

  • What can I use for a substitute if I don’t have sour cream? Could I use low-fat yogurt maybe?

    • Hi Austa, Yes, I think low fat plain yogurt will work.

    • Hi Austa. I replaced the sour cream with 2% Greek yogurt and it came out perfectly—light and delicious!!! I happen to use a lactose-free Gr. yogurt.
      Happy New Year!
      Marcie

  • We’re a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community.
    Your website provided us with valuable information to work
    on. You have done a formidable job and our entire community will be thankful to you.

  • This is officially my favorite banana bread recipe. Thanks!

  • I’ve made this recipe twice now, once as a loaf and once as muffins. Both turned out great. For the muffins, I baked them at 350F for about 17 minutes.
    Have to say this is the best tasting banana bread/muffins I have ever made.
    I ended up buying green cardamon seeds and grinding up the insides myself, a slightly cheaper option as lots of reviews have mentioned how pricey ground cardamon is!
    Thanks for the great recipe!

    • Well! I finally invested in Cardamom ;-). Today I had all my ducks in a row and decided to bake this bread. The other thing I decided to do – was – make muffins instead of a loaf. Mistake #1.

      I am soooo NOT a baker! One of the reviewers said she made muffins instead of a loaf and I think she said she baked them for 17 minutes. Don’t quote me. Anyhow that’s what I did. They were mucky inside. I put them back in the oven until the toothpick came out clean. They were still not baked properly. I eventually lost track of how many minutes they travelled from counter to oven and back ;-).

      The taste is really nice. Perfect for tea with a friend. Next time (and there WILL be a next time) I will do as I was told and use a loaf pan!

  • I don’t usually bake, but I’ve made this bread 3 times in two weeks! It tastes great…and is apparently quite forgiving.

    Round 1 – I forgot the baking soda. Thought I was doomed to a brick of bread. It didn’t rise as much, but it still tasted great. I had to try it again.

    Round 2 – Remembered the baking soda! Fluffier, but I think I should try 3 bananas rather than the two I’d used previously. I’m rather proud of this one.
    Very fragrant recipe, helps I like chai!

    Round 3 – I got cocky. And. . . accidentally combined the sugar in with the ‘dry’ ingredients, instead of mixing it with the eggs first with the kitchen-aid. Salvaged what sugar I could trying to spare the flower and other spices. . .then added more to whisk to the consistency I remembered from previous attempts.
    STILL TURNED OUT! This recipe even stands up to MY baking.

    It’s a keeper

  • This is my kids favorite banana bread. Every time we have overripe bananas, they beg me to make it. So different, and so delicious!

  • oops … forgot to ask: Those three black bananas I thawed out today are now very gooey and languishing in the fridge. Do I have to toss them out now that they’ve been thawed for so many hours???

    • Hi Shae, No worries, the bananas will be absolutely fine to use. As for the cardamom, you can leave it out and the bread will still be delicious, but it really does add that distinct chai flavor. I wouldn’t use the black cardamom though — as you read online, it’s better used in savory dishes. If you could find a small bottle of ground cardamom, that would be ideal. Hope that helps, and please let me know how it turns out. Good luck!

  • Two things I really enjoy: Chai Tea Lattes from Starbucks and Banana Bread! I was all set to make a 3rd recipe of yours this afternoon after having huge success with two of your salads the past two days … until I got to Save On and discovered Cardamom is $10.00 a bottle! Yikes! So, knowing absolutely nothing about Cardamom I selected six nasty-looking black nut-like things from the bin section, took them home and opened them … after reading about Cardamom on the net and realizing black was the wrong choice for my task … I should have picked green. I borrowed a spice grinder and was almost ready to start my task when I realized I’d forgotten to buy sour cream! So much for making the recipe today :-(. Having said that … I still plan to make it. I didn’t like the smell of Cardamom. Would it spoil the recipe if I left it out? I know the black is said to be “smoky” and more for heavy Indian dishes etc. I’d appreciate a heads up on this spice and what changes it would make to your recipe if I left it out. I am somewhat … (read totally) OCD about following recipes to a “T.” I don’t know about you, but always find it rather off-putting when I read recipe reviews where people have made several alterations to a professional’s creation … and then give it a mediocre review. Is it just me?

  • Hi Jenn,
    I just wanted to say that I LOVE your site. This is the third recipe I’ve made (I also made the morning glory muffins and chocolate chip scones) and all three were EXCELLENT! I definitely plan on making more of your awesome recipes. Thanks for doing what you do! 🙂

    • So glad you’re enjoying the recipes, Sandy 🙂

  • This is the best banana bread I ever made. thanks

  • the best so far

  • I came across this recipe last week and have been “stewing” a bunch of bananas with much anticipation. I did add some ground black pepper for a little more chai heat. The only thing it was missing was a glob of honey-mascarpone smeared on top. Thanks for the recipe!

  • Sounds luscious! Buy the needed cardimom at a spice shop or a natural foods store that sells spices by the pound and get just the amount you need. It is much cheaper that way.

  • We love this recipe! We are big fans of quick bread and this is now my husband’s favorite. I divided the batter into two pans instead of one – it baked a little more evenly for me. The first time I only made it into one loaf and it took a lot longer to bake in the center, but the top was browning faster than I wanted it to, so now I make two smaller loaves and only fill both pans half-way full. Delicious!

  • Hmm.. I dont know what happened but my banana bread never cooked properly on the inside and
    overcooked on the outside

    I did use chia seeds and a bit of apple sauce to replace the eggs..did that screw it up?

    • Hi Daisy, It was definitely the apple sauce. The bread won’t rise and bake properly without the eggs.

  • LOVE this recipe. I make it once a month and I have a friend at work that begs me to make it all the time! Best banana bread recipe. I have also made it with margarine instead of butter and it makes it more fluffy!

  • Delicious! Made for the first time today and loved it. Will be one of my main go-to banana bread recipes in the future. The only substitute I made was using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour to make it gluten-free. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised, since I didn’t expect it to be very good with the gluten-free flour 🙂

    • Good to know it worked with the gluten-free flour. Thanks, Barbara!

  • Delicious as-is! Very moist and just enough spice. I look forward to stockpiling enough overripe bananas so I can make it again!

  • I have loved your recipes since I happened upon you a couple of years ago. This is certainly no exception. I made it last night after everyone was asleep and the house was filled with such a wonderful aroma that I was sure was going to wake everyone, including the neighbors! By the time the kids and I left for school (them) and work (me) we had only a tiny slice remaining.

    With your consent, I would love to share this on my blog!

    • Hi Christina, I’d be honored to have you share it on your blog. So glad your family enjoyed it!

  • I used to have a favorite banana bread recipe…until I tried this one. Absolutely delicious! I used yogurt instead of sour cream since that’s what I had and it tuned out great! My old recipe has now been replaced 🙂

  • I didn’t know one can freeze bananas. How many people is this cake for? ?

    • It depends, Judy…my family of four goes through it pretty quickly 🙂

  • Another recipe for my ripe bananas. Awesome!

  • I have made this recipe over and over again. My family loves it. Delicious!!

  • This is our favorite banana bread. So moist–added a little more cardamom (since its our favorite)–and wonderful with a cup of tea or coffee. No sour cream? Yoghurt works well too.

  • Can’t wait to try this recipe. I love banana bread and chai spices, so I’m sure it will be great. Thanks for the wonderful expertise and recipes!

  • Love, love, love this recipe! This banana bread is the best. So moist and flavorful. I have made this several times now.

  • i made this today. So YUMMY!!!!!!!

  • I didn’t realize how expensive it would be to buy cardamom, but it was worth it for this recipe! I’ve been holding on to some overripe bananas in the freezer and was waiting for the right recipe to use them in. This was definitely it!

  • Mmmmmm. Chai anything!

    • — Charlene Wheeler
    • Reply
  • This bread is the best banana bread I’ve ever had! I wouldn’t change a thing!

  • Made this for a meeting at work. Everyone loved and it one colleague keeps asking me to make it again!

    I didn’t have a loaf pan, so I made it in my bundt cake pan. Came out perfect!

    Love this site! Love the pictures for each step!

  • Love, Love. Love this recipe.
    We always end up with overripe bananas that I freeze and use for baking. I’m really glad that I do.
    I left out nuts (not everyone is a fan). Warm with a cup of tea and I am transported to my peaceful place.
    Keep the recipes coming.

  • Great recipe, and I loved it! I also used nutmeg instead of cardamom, and upped the cinnamon. Still turned out tasting fantastic. 🙂

    • — Heather Winfield
    • Reply
  • What can I say – so far all the recipes are perfection ! However, I added 1/2 cup dry coconut and dark chocolate chips !!

  • Made this yesterday afternoon and the house smelled like Fall. I omitted the nuts and made my own allspice mixture by combining equal parts ground clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. The bread was moist and delicious.

  • Don’t have sour cream, any substitute for it. Love ur recipes. Thanks

  • Have made this many times I love it!

  • This is absolutely the best banana bread I have ever made. I have strict instructions from my husband and kids to never make any other kind.

  • This is indeed a good recipe. The following day I sauteed a slice in a frying pan with a little smart balance. Yum!

    • — Jenifer Harman
    • Reply
  • This is the best banana bread I have ever made! Very moist, and light! I will definitely make it again.

  • This is an excellent recipe! I am enjoying a slice now with a cup of tea. I sprinkled some chopped walnuts on top for an extra crunch. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!

  • Loved this!! I used greek yogart instead of sour cream.

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