Dark Chocolate and Walnut Tahini Banana Bread
It’s quite fitting that one of the first things I made in my functioning kitchen was a loaf of banana bread, since it was the last thing I made in the old kitchen! The photos I saw of this recipe looked so yummy - a little gooey with big chunks of dark chocolate! I love baking with butter, but a good-old oil based banana bread is classic, and good to have a go-to version which I did not. This may be it! It uses vegetable oil, but also adds a little tahini for more fat which I love. The flavor of the tahini is super strong. The recipe did call for adding 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil as well which would be lovely and I’m sure would bring out the tahini/sesame flavor. I did’t have any though so I just skipped it. Next time!
Brown sugar, buttermilk, a couple of eggs, round out the main ingredients. She calls for dark chocolate as the mix in. I used a combo of dark chocolate and walnuts which I think was great, but I would probably add a bit more chocolate next time. I used about 1/2 of the amount called for, and substituted the other 1/2 with the walnuts. I think next time I will leave the amount of walnuts the same, but amp up the chocolate.
Mine baked a little longer (I think!) than the recipe said, and it was fairly well cooked other than the very center of the top which was still a bit gooey. I like that part the best so I’m always okay with that in banana bread! The rest was well cooked but not dry which is nice. I think my pan was a bit smaller than what the original recipe calls for so that may be why.
Final verdict: Recommended!
Dark Chocolate and Walnut Tahini Banana Bread
From Butter and Brioche
Ingredients
2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
350 grams ripe bananas
1 cup (200 grams) brown sugar - I used 150 grams, 3/4 cup
100 ml neutral vegetable oil
70 g tahini
1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract
½ teaspoon sesame oil - I didn’t have any so I just skipped it
2 large eggs, at room temperature
190 ml buttermilk, at room temperature
125 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped - I used about 65 grams dark chocolate and 65 grams chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for sprinkling on top
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and line a 9 x 5 1/2 inch loaf tin with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper. Let the paper slightly over-hang the sides.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, sift together the flour, powder, soda, and salt. Set aside until needed.
Add the bananas into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment. Beat until roughly mashed, about 30 seconds. Pause mixing and add in the light brown sugar and vegetable oil. Beat, on medium speed, until light in color and well combined, 3 more minutes. Add in the tahini, vanilla bean extract and sesame oil until incorporated. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Set the mixer speed to low and slowly stream in the buttermilk. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated, no more than 15 seconds. Some dry flour pockets should remain throughout the batter. Add in the dark chocolate chunks (and walnuts if using), then, using a large wooden spoon, gently fold them throughout the batter until evenly incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Scatter the granulated sugar on top.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until risen, golden brown, and fragrant (I believe mine took a little long, 55-60 minutes or so, although I can’t remember for sure!). A skewer inserted into the middle should come out with a few moist crumbs attached. Remove from the oven and leave the bread to cool in its pan for 15 minutes before transferring it out and onto a wire rack to cool further before slicing and serving.