I have entered the banana bread chat

Swirled with black sesame and dark chocolate. Toasty, moody, and just sweet enough.

There are a bajillion banana bread recipes out there, and honestly I’d say at least 80% of them are podium-worthy. That includes the health-forward ones, the easy-breezy classics, and the full Cheffy McCheffinton productions (according to my completely subjective, absolutely non-research-backed assessment).

Whenever I lock eyes with the speckled bananas on my bench, they usually get tossed in the freezer for a smoothie. But on the rare occasion that my decision paralysis takes a vacation, we make a stunning banana bread. What a nice act of self-care.

Over the years of making banana bread, I’ve realised I always hesitate when it comes to the sugar. Like… why am I suddenly acting shy? Maybe it’s because I’ve tricked myself into thinking banana bread is a healthy-ish baked good. Fruit! Fibre! Not made in commercial quantities! Made in my own kitchen!

Do you do this too lmaoooo?

In saying that, this recipe strikes a good balance - plenty of banana, a nutty warmth from the black sesame chocolate mixture, and just the right amount of sweetness so it doesn’t tip into cake territory. This recipe is NOT an official entry to the banana bread olympics but a recipe I come back to and worth sharing with people you like.

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Ingredients:

The banana bread batter:

• 4 ripe bananas, mashed

• 115g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• 50g brown sugar

• 100g maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)

• Pinch of salt

• Pinch of cinnamon

• 75g full-fat plain Greek yogurt

• 2 eggs, loosely whisked

• 165g AP flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• Sesame seeds for garnish

Choc black sesame mixture

• 60g toasted black sesame seeds

• 2-3 tbsp neutral oil / coconut oil melted

• 1-2 tbsp tahini (optional- to bring the mixture together)
  
  OR 1/3 cup tahini (or store bought black sesame paste)
  

• 100g dark choc, chopped

• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan-forced) and grease or line a 1-litre loaf tin (roughly 22 x 10 x 6 cm).

2. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas and mix in the melted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Stir with a spatula until well combined.

3. Add the Greek yoghurt and eggs, and mix again until everything is fully incorporated.

4. Fold in the flour and baking powder until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Set the batter aside.

5. To make the black sesame paste, blitz toasted black sesame seeds with a neutral oil in a food processor or high-speed blender until smooth and glossy. You can optionally add 1-2 tablespoons of tahini to help it come together and boost the creaminess.

6. For the sesame chocolate swirl, melt the dark chocolate either over a bain-marie or in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each burst. Once melted, stir in the black sesame paste (or tahini) along with the cocoa powder until smooth and glossy.

7. To assemble, layer some of the banana bread batter into the base of your prepared loaf tin. Dollop a few spoonfuls of the sesame chocolate mixture on top. Repeat the layering (batter, chocolate, batter, chocolate), finishing with a final layer of banana bread batter.

8. Sprinkle a few extra sesame seeds over the top, then bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out mostly clean (a little chocolate smudge is fine).

9. Let the banana bread cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes, then carefully transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. This helps the crumb set.

10. To store: Wrap the cooled loaf in baking paper or foil and keep in an airtight container. It’ll last up to 3 days at room temp, 1 week in the fridge, or 2 months in the freezer (sliced and wrapped for easy toast-and-go situations).