Equipment
Ingredients
Bread Batter
- 100 g virgin coconut oil, unrefined
- 2 banana
- 280 g all-purpose flour
- 65 g tahini
- 80 ml milk
- 5 ml almond extract
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 4 g salt
- 200 g brown sugar
- 20 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 9 g baking powder
Optional Topping
- butter
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 349 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 50 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 23 g
- Sodium
- 178 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 4 mg
- Potassium
- 305 mg
- Calcium
- 82 mg
- Iron
- 2.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 32 mg
- Phosphorus
- 171 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 14 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.34 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.18 mg
- Niacin
- 2.3 mg
- Folate
- 64 mcg
- Water
- 29 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
- Caffeine
- 5 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease the loaf pan with coconut oil and line it with parchment paper.
Wash the bananas and trim the ends. Remove the peels and slice them crosswise into 6mm (1/4-inch) strips. Toss the peel strips in a small bowl with 5g of the measured flour.
In a large bowl, mash the banana fruit with a fork until mostly smooth. Whisk in the coconut oil, tahini, milk, almond extract, vanilla extract, and salt until a thick batter forms.
Stir the brown sugar into the banana mixture. Sift the remaining flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder directly into the bowl.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula until just combined. Gently fold in the floured banana peels.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 55 to 65 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
Cool the bread in the pan for 15 minutes. Lift it out using the parchment paper and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Chef's Notes
- Ensure your bananas are very ripe for maximum sweetness and moisture. Overripe bananas with plenty of brown spots will yield the best results.
- When tossing the banana peels with flour, ensure an even coating. This helps them integrate better into the batter and prevents them from becoming gummy.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter once the dry ingredients are added. Overmixing can develop the gluten too much, leading to a tough bread.
- The banana peels will soften considerably during baking. If you're concerned about texture, you can finely chop the peels after boiling or steaming them briefly.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. This is crucial for the structure to set, ensuring clean slices and preventing a crumbly texture.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container to maintain moisture.
Freezer: 3 months — Slice before freezing for easier thawing.
Reheating: Warm individual slices in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or toast lightly.
Troubleshooting
Bread is gummy or sunken in the middle
Cause: Underbaking or using excessively large bananas which added too much moisture.
Fix: Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes if the bread has not cooled yet.
Prevention: Check the internal temperature (93°C/200°F) or ensure the cake tester is completely dry.
Cultural Context
Quick breads, like this banana bread, evolved from the American tradition of using readily available ingredients and simple baking techniques. The inclusion of the entire banana, peel and all, is a modern approach to reduce food waste and enhance the bread's nutritional profile and moisture content, aligning with contemporary sustainability trends in home baking.
