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.

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

Bread ingredients including sour cream, vanilla, and eggs.

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

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: 1 (9 x 5-in) loaf
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients 

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
  • 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 to 3 bananas
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 x 5-in (23 x 12.5-cm) 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 to 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.

Notes

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

Per serving (12 servings)Calories: 232kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 271mgFiber: 1gSugar: 19g

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.

Comments

  • 5 stars
    Lovely! Enjoyed by all.

  • 5 stars
    Delicious!! This is, by far, the best banana bread recipe I have ever made. The spices are subtle, but seem to be a perfect match for this recipe. I added just a bit more cinnamon since my family loves it, and about 150g of sugar, since we prefer a less sweet bread. Thank you so much Jenn for sharing your delicious recipes! Every one I have made so far has been wonderful! Blessings to you and your family!

    • 5 stars
      I would love to add a photo but I do not have Instagram or any of the other social media. Regretfully this also precludes me from being able to enter your contests. I have made so many of your recipes now and I love them all as they are. But I also enjoy tweaking recipes to my personal taste or to the taste of someone I am baking for. This banana bread is wonderfully moist and has a lovely flavor. I made it in a baking pan that has eight mini loaves. It was exactly the right amount of batter which makes this great for gift giving. I plan to make it again but I am going to hopefully give it a spicier flavor using a homemade blend of chai spice that is specifically for tea or coffee. I would not make it different in any other way because it is nearly perfect. Again it is a matter of personal taste.

  • 5 stars
    Great recipe. The bread was super moist and had great flavor. I didn’t have eggs so used “chia” eggs instead. Also subbed plain yogurt for the sour cream. Came out awesome!

  • 5 stars
    Wow! If you’re looking for a delicious, moist, easy banana bread look no further! This was fabulous! Don’t be afraid of the spice – it’s quite subtle, but if you want to increase the amounts it would also work. Otherwise I won’t change a thing! I’ve found the banana bread recipe I’ve been searching for all these years!

  • 5 stars
    Flipped over this recipe, best ever.

  • 5 stars
    I made King Arthur Flour’s banana bread ( recipe of the year 2018) but I used your Chai banana bread recipe. I used 1& 1/2 cups of banana and 1/2 cup sour cream. I used all the chai spices and it came out beautifully.

    • — Virginia Lehner
    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    My favorite banana bread recipe! Absolutely delicious.

  • This looks so yummy – I am wondering if doubling the recipe is recommended? I want to make a few loves for gifting this upcoming Mother’s Day. Thank you in advance.

    • Sure, Faye, you can double this. Hope your recipients enjoy!

  • Delicious! I made it in my Instant Pot. I put the batter into a sprayed 8-inch bundt pan, covered with a piece of paper towel and loosely covered with foil. 1 cup of water and the trivet. High pressure for 60 minutes, 10-minute natural release then quick release, rest in pan 10 minutes and turn out onto a cake plate. We ate our first slice while it was still warm – yum!

    • 5 stars
      Teresa, You’ve inspired me to make it in my Instant Pot. Now I’m so excited and will make it! Thank you for your detailed instruction, too!
      Janet

  • 5 stars
    Fantastic recipe Jenn! It’s a favourite! Kids tuck in before it’s cooled. I have to substitute non-dairy ingredients and it’s perfect with same measurements. Thank you! Your recipes are consistently on rotation in our house.

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