Chocolate Tahini Banana Bread

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Up your banana bread game with this chocolate tahini banana bread. It is rich, smooth and fulfils all the promises of a delectably chocolate-filled banana bread, with a nutty undertone sure to excite even the most discerning of tastebuds.

WHAT YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT THIS CHOCOLATE TAHINI BANANA BREAD

Honey Sweetened: We’ve used a liquid sweetener for our recipe! Although we’ve chosen honey, maple syrup or another liquid sweetener should work just as well.

Make it Vegan: I used one egg in this recipe. This can easily be substituted for chia or flax egg. You can even leave the “egg” out altogether and add more banana and tahini to the recipe.

Tahini Makes it Divine: Yes, you’ve had banana bread before. You’ve even had chocolate banana bread or chocolate peanut butter banana bread…but have you had a chocolate tahini banana bread?! If you have, you’ll understand the creamy undertones that your tastebuds embrace in this bread.

I hope you’ve got your pedestal ready to sit this chocolate tahini banana bread upon!

Pecans and Chopped Chocolate: Just like the indulgence that a brownie brings, this banana bread is made even more delicious with the addition of pecan bits and chopped dark chocolate. I usually use roughly chopped pieces of chocolate instead of chocolate chips because I often have homemade chocolate stored in the fridge. Feel free to use whichever you have at hand.

Have a look at other recipes for more inspiration. Want to try another banana bread? Our honey sweetened banana bread is made with Kamut flour.

Ingredients

Bananas: Many persons smash their bananas with a fork or masher, but I prefer a smooth banana puree in this recipe. To be honest, the wet ingredients from this chocolate tahini banana bread usually get blended into a smooth mix then poured into a mixing bowl. 2 large bananas usually do the trick to get 3/4 cup of puree.

Coconut Oil: The neutral taste of coconut oil is always a plus for baking. Sweet dishes are not tainted with any savoury undertones when you opt for coconut oil versus other types of vegetable oil.

Tahini: The selling point of this recipe is this baby right here..tahini! If you think of it as sesame seed puree, then you’re sorely mistaken.

Without overpowering the chocolate banana bread with a heavy taste, the tahini manages to make the result a silky breath of fresh chocolate, banana, pecan filled bread.

Be sure to source a good quality tahini (smooth, runny and simply sesame seeds pureed). It makes the world of a difference.

Egg: One egg or egg equivalent is all you need. Chia egg or flax egg work just as well, but your bread will not rise as much. Feel free to exclude “eggs” altogether and simply increase the amount of banana puree and tahini.

Honey: When I looked for a recipe to make something similar, all I could find was sugar-sweetened chocolate tahini banana bread. I often use coconut sugar as a refined sugar free substitute, but I had none in the pantry. Also, I like to bake with raw honey when given the opportunity as I like the versatility of a liquid sweetener.

For a vegan recipe, substitute honey for maple syrup or your liquid sweetener of choice.

Vanilla Extract: Because, come on, which dessert is complete without a dash of vanilla?

Almond and Coconut Flour: We kept this recipe completely grain and gluten free. Almond meal/ almond flour creates a perfect texture in this banana bread.

Topped up with some coconut flour, the gluten free mix pairs perfectly to add slight flavour as well as eliminate the need for regular flour.

Cacao Powder: I usually use unprocessed, raw cacao powder to create recipes. It is more bitter than dutch processed, but most times, there is little difference beyond the fact that the colour is different and you’d need a slight tweak to the leavening of the bread.

Baking Soda: Baking soda is usually the leavening agent of choice for banana bread, this one being no different. (Do not confuse with baking powder).

Chocolate pieces and Pecans: Which banana bread is complete without a crunch and a bit of chocolate? Not one. Not a single one.

 

How To Make Chocolate Tahini Banana Bread

Preheat the oven. 300-325F works well. A lower temperature will work better for this recipe as it contains more liquid than a regular banana bread.

Honey tends to brown quicker when baked, not that a chocolate bread could be too brown, but it would be wise to avoid a burnt taste.

Lower temperatures mean that the baking time may increase. But a little patience goes a long way.

Line a loaf tin: As unnecessary as this step may seem, trust me, line that baking dish with some greaseproof paper. When using almond flour or coconut flour, it is especially important to be able to lift your chocolate banana bread out of the loaf tin without leaving half of your hard work behind.

Blend liquid ingredients: Blend together your liquid ingredients (excluding the egg) until smooth. Add egg last and blend. (I literally blend these, you can too. Or you can mix by hand or electric mixer).

Add dry ingredients: Pour in all dry ingredients (minus the heavy pecans and chocolate pieces). Fold together the mix until combined.

Add pecans and chopped chocolate: Fold in the pecans and chocolate piece to the mix.

Bake: Pour the batter into your lined loaf tin and bake for 47-50 mins.

When the top is cracked and edges pull away from the tin you’ve got yourself a delicious chocolate tahini banana bread!

LET IT COOL: Leave this wonderful creation to cool completely in the tin before removing. Let it sit for a few hours before enjoying. If you attempt to eat it too soon, you’d be left with the deflated taste of poorly textured banana bread.