Chai Spiced Banana Bread

Banana bread has always been one of my favorite sides to get when I picked up my 3pm tea during the work week. I have tried a variety of them over the years, some too sweet and some not sweet enough but never thought to make my own until I was suddenly home in quarantine for 3 months. Working from home provided safety but I definitely missed my 3pm tea and snack.

When I looked up banana bread I found tons of recipes and ideas so I made a few and none of them hit the spot for me; again some too sweet and some not sweet enough. That’s when I thought I should come up with my own banana bread; one with spices that bring comfort and warmth. I hope you enjoy my “brown” version of banana bread!

PREP TIME: 15 minutes l COOK TIME: 1 hour l TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas (about 1 cup)

• 1 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour

• 3 eggs

• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground clove

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1 pinch salt

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional); you can use any nut of your choice but I’ve found walnut or pecans pair best with the bananas

• Non-stick vegetable spray

Directions

Servings: 12 slices

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray loaf pan with non-stick spray.

3. Whisk eggs, bananas, sugar, and oil in a large bowl until smooth.

   • If the bananas aren’t ripe, poke the bananas all over and microwave in 30 second bursts until they turn brown and soft.

4. In a separate bowl, sift together the spices, salt, flour, and baking soda.

5. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and stir together until just combined; do not overmix the batter.

6. Fold in the pecans.

7. Pour batter into prepared pan.

8. Bake for 1 hour (60 minutes)

   • Test by inserting toothpick into the center of the bread, it should come out clean.

Enjoy as breakfast, dessert or with tea!