Friday, February 6, 2026

Banana Bread Recipe (Brown Butter + Chai Swirled!)

This brown butter chai swirled banana bread recipe is cozy, moist, and completely spiced. You’ll layer a brown butter chai batter layer with a lighter chai batter layer earlier than baking and it comes out swirly and lovely. It’s a scrumptious fall twist on my traditional banana bread, that I like making all season lengthy!

A loaf of spiced banana bread is sliced, topped with a light frosting and star anise decorations placed on and around the bread—a delicious twist on a classic banana bread recipe.
  • Taste depth: There isn’t a lot that provides extra taste depth to baked items than brown butter. Pair that with chai spices, and it’s chef’s kiss.
  • Chai spices: I like utilizing my home made chai spice combine for this banana bread. The flavour can’t be bead!
  • So, so moist: So long as you utilize ripe bananas for this recipe, it’ll come out so dang moist and fluffy each single time.

Key Substances

Ripe bananas: The riper the bananas, the higher! Overly ripe bananas will give this banana bread (and any banana bread!) that significantly better of taste. Inexperienced or under-ripe bananas will give banana bread a bitter aftertaste, and nobody needs that.

Chai spice: I like utilizing my home made chai spice — and maintain an enormous ol’ batch of it available always in my spice cabinet. Don’t wish to make your individual? A home made chai spice mix will completely work as properly.

Browned butter: Don’t skip the brown butter! The wealthy taste of brown butter is integral to this loaf. It’s fast and easy to make, and I’ll stroll you thru it for those who haven’t executed it earlier than ❤️.

Chai cream cheese frosting: Whereas this frosting is 100% non-obligatory, it’s simply so, so dang good! It makes the entire loaf style somewhat extra decadent, and is ideal for serving at an important day. You’ll want softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, chai spiceand vanilla extract.

Banana bread recipe essentials: bananas, eggs, flour, sugar, butter, milk, brown sugar, baking powder, vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon are beautifully arranged in bowls on a light surface.

Make This Banana Bread Recipe

  1. Make the brown butter: Warmth the butter in a skillet over medium warmth. The butter will begin to foam and bubble whereas melting. When brown specs begin to kind, flip the warmth off and switch the brown butter to a bowl.
  2. Combine the batter: First combine the dry elements, after which the moist elements. Fold them collectively with out over-mixing.
  3. Create the chai swirl: Switch ⅓ of the batter to a separate bowl and add the remaining brown butter and chai spices, and stir it collectively. It ought to be a darker brown colour — that is your chai swirl!
  4. Layer the batter: Scoop each batters into the lined loaf pan, alternating between them.
  5. Bake & cool: Bake the bread, tenting midway via. You’ll know the bread is completed once you insert a toothpick and it comes out clear.
  6. Make the frosting: Whereas the banana bread is cooling, put together the frosting. Be happy to attempt a bit 😋.
  7. Frost, slice & get pleasure from: Frost the bread, slice and luxuriate in!!
A cast iron skillet filled with browned butter and foam sits on a light textured surface, ready for your next banana bread recipe.

Ideas for Finest Outcomes

  • Use ripe bananas: Ripe bananas are sweeter, softer, extra flavorful and are a lot simpler to mash. Technically talking as bananas ripen, their starches convert to sugar, and so they turn out to be mushy and simpler to mash. Sweeter, simpler to mash, and helps create a moist bread.
  • The easiest way to mash bananas: I prefer to mash bananas with the again of a fork. It’s completely private desire for those who prefer to have small chunks of mashed banana in your bread, or if you need it to be fully blended into the batter.
  • Keep away from overmixing: When mixing the dry elements with the moist, be sure to not overmix. Overmixing can yield extra of a tricky texture, and nobody needs this.
  • Examine for doneness: You’ll tent your banana bread midway via the baking course of so the highest crust doesn’t over bake. Then, you’ll examine for doneness by inserting a toothpick and ensuring it comes out clear.
A loaf of banana bread from a classic banana bread recipe sits in a rectangular metal pan lined with parchment paper, shown from above on a light textured surface.

Variations & Add-Ins

Add chocolate chips: This banana bread can be scrumptious with chocolate chips folded into the batter or sprinkled on prime earlier than baking.

Add nuts: Chopped walnuts or pecans can be a yummy addition to the highest of this banana bread, particularly for those who’re skipping the cream cheese frosting.

Strive one other one in all my swirled banana bread recipes: I like how fairly a swirled banana bread seems to be (and tastes!), so for those who love this chai flavored bread, why not give my cinnamon swirl banana bread a attempt.

A delicious banana bread recipe loaf cake with light brown frosting, garnished with star anise, sits on parchment paper with a knife and a bowl of extra frosting nearby.

Serving Concepts

I like serving this banana bread when it’s nonetheless heat — is there something higher than heat home made banana bread with somewhat pad of melting butter? I don’t suppose so 😋. It’s additionally scrumptious with cream cheese within the morning, or perhaps a drizzle of honey.

This recipe additionally makes a superb present. I’m making a loaf for every of my son’s academics for Christmas this yr ❤️❤️.

Let the banana bread cool fully earlier than transferring it into an hermetic container resembling a gallon-size plastic bag. I like to recommend storing banana bread on the counter for as much as 3 days or within the fridge for as much as 5 days.

  1. Let banana bread cool fully after which wrap it in a chunk of plastic wrap adopted by a chunk of tin foil.
  2. Take away as a lot air as doable after which write the date on it.
  3. Freeze for as much as 3 months.
A slice of spiced banana bread loaf with white glaze on one edge, garnished with whole star anise, sits elegantly on a white plate—a delicious twist on the classic banana bread recipe.

Extra Banana Bread Recipes You’ll Love

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a normal loaf pan with parchment paper.

  • Add all the dry elements to a bowl and whisk to mix. Put aside.

  • Make the brown butter. Warmth the butter in a skillet over medium warmth. The butter will begin to foam and bubble whereas melting. When brown specs begin to kind, flip the warmth off and switch the brown butter to a bowl. Put aside.

  • Add 3 tablespoons of the brown butter to a bowl with brown sugar and maple syrup. Stir till the elements are mixed.

  • Add the remaining moist elements to the bowl and stir to mix. Then, add the dry elements to the moist elements.

  • Switch ⅓ of the batter to a separate bowl and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown butter and chai spices. Stir to mix. It ought to be a darker brown colour.

  • Scoop each batters into the lined loaf pan, alternating between them. Bake for 20 minutes, tent with tin foil, then bake for one more 20-Half-hour or till a toothpick inserted comes out clear.*

  • Take away from the oven and permit to chill fully. About 2-3 hours.

  • Make the frosting. Add the cream cheese to a bowl and use a hand mixer to whip it till easy. Add the chai spice, powdered sugar, and chai spice, and whip to mix.

  • Prime the cooled loaf with cream cheese frosting and serve.

  • Each oven bakes in a different way, so the bake time could range by oven.
  • The riper the bananas, the extra flavorful the bread might be.
  • For a stronger chai taste, add extra chai spice.
  • I used my home made chai spice for this recipe, however be happy to make use of a store-bought model.

Energy: 332 kcal, Carbohydrates: 54 g, Protein: 5 g, Fats: 11 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 32 g

Diet data is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.

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