Unbelievably Moist Chai Spiced Banana Bread

Unbelievably Moist Chai Spiced Banana Bread - Banana bread was one of the first recipes I learned to make. At that time, however, I used to make it with butter, eggs and refined sugar.

I didn’t know that one of the purpose of using bananas in baking goods was to replace or reduce butter, eggs and sugar. In fact, bananas, just like applesauce or other purées, are a great substitute for butter and eggs in vegan recipes. They are the key ingredients to achieve a moist and fluffy texture in cakes and they allow to reduce the amount of added sugar.



Chai spice is my favorite spice mix. It’s a simple combination of grounded spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. You can also add some black pepper if you like. It’s a very good mix for colder months.

To get more flavor from the spices, you can grind whole spices in a grinder. If you don’t have much time, you can buy ground spices and simply combine them to get the chai mix.

This recipe is very easy and versatile. If you’re not a spice person, just leave the spices out. Or replace with your favorite spices. I am obsessed with cinnamon, so I won’t recommend you to leave it out, but again, it’s up to you.



Instead of mashing the bananas with a fork or potato masher, I recommend using a blender to get a smoother and more even mixture. This will help achieving a fine crumb texture. The other secret to the perfect texture is to use room temperature ingredients and to sift the dry ingredients.

I topped the banana bread with a plant-based glaze made of cashews, pure maple syrup and chai spice. You can also make a regular powder sugar-milk glaze or enjoy it without toppings.

This recipe is very easy to make and I really hope you guys will give it a try!

Unbelievably moist chai spiced banana bread - plant-based, vegan-friendly, refined-sugar free

Equipment

One 22×10 cm loaf pan

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

• 220 g ripe bananas about 2 medium
• 150 ml non dairy milk soy or almond best
• 1/2 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 60 g vegetable oil

Dry Ingredients

• 210 g spelt flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 140 g light brown sugar
• 8 g / 1 tbsp chai spice

Ingredients For The Chai Spice

• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 4 tsp ground ginger

Ingredients For The Chai Glaze

• 60 g cashews soaked overnight
• 1/2 tsp chai spice
• 1,5 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• pinch pink salt

Instructions

To Make The Chai Spice

1. Mix all ingredients together. Store in a small spice container.

Make The Banana Bread

1. Preheat the oven to 175C degrees.
2. Grease and line a 22×10 cm loaf pan.
3. In a small bowl, combine vegan milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle for 5 minutes.
4. Blend the bananas in a food processor until completely smooth.
5. In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
6. Pour the wet mixture over the dry and whisk until just combined.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
8. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
9. Make the glaze: combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until completely smooth.