Banana Coffee Bread
A Banana Bread for Banana Bread Haters
I hate banana bread. The feeling is that strong, but I had to come out and say it. Maybe the versions I have tried through my life haven’t been the best ones, but there’s something about the texture and aftertaste that it’s hard for me to stand.
Given that traditional banana bread is such a beloved confection and everyone around me absolutely loves it, I decided to give it a try and make amends with it. I developed this recipe for me, addressing the things I don’t like in traditional banana bread.
The first issue is the banana aftertaste, especially when they’re on their peak of ripeness. That aftertaste of fruit fermentation really puts me off. That’s why I decided to use regular bananas instead of ultra ripe bananas. They were at the perfect point to eat, bright yellow and with some barely there black spots. My second issue is the texture. That fibrous soggy flesh is not my jam, much less mixed in a batter of flour and eggs. I decided to add some skyr yogurt (you can substitute with Greek yogurt for sure!) to add some creaminess and sourness to the banana bread. Problem solved so far!
To add an extra twist, I made a coffee swirl to marble the banana bread and a coffee sugar for dusting. Happy to report that was a genius move. The earthy warm notes of the coffee go so well with the mild sweetness of the banana bread. You end up with a rich and kind of decadent bite even if it’s the simplest of things. If you think about it, this has fruit, coffee and yogurt. It’s absolutely the perfect breakfast! In my case though, it has been lately the perfect midnight snack (insert here emoji of eyes wide open face).
Recipe notes
For this banana bread you may use super ripe bananas as well. It’s just a matter of personal preference.
If you don't find skyr, you may substitute with plain organic Greek yogurt. Just add a few extra drops of vanilla and an extra teaspoon of sugar.
You may slice the whole bread and freeze half of it. When you need a quick breakfast or snack just thaw on the counter or, even faster, defrost it in the microwave by heating it 20 seconds.
Banana Coffee Bread
Ingredients
Banana Coffee Bread
◯ Coconut oil – 6oz
◯ Natural granulated sugar – 1 cup
◯ Unbleached all purpose flour – 2 cups
◯ Baking Soda – 1 Tsp
◯ Ground cinnamon – ½ Tsp
◯ Bananas, mashed – 2 large
◯ Vanilla Extract – 1 Tsp
◯ Fine sea salt – ½ Tsp
◯ Vanilla skyr or organic Greek yogurt – 4 to 5 oz
◯ Eggs, at room temperature– 2 extra large
◯ Espresso powder – 1+ TBSP
◯ Hot water – ½ TBSP
Coffee Powdered Sugar
◯ Confectioner’s sugar – ½ cup
◯ Espresso powder – 2 TBSP
Steps
To make the cake:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Spray or grease a springform pan or 9” cake pan.
In the bowl of a standup mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with an electric hand mixer with the whisk attached start whipping the oil and the sugar in medium speed (#4 in the Kitchen Aid) for about two minutes so the sugar dissolves in the oil.
In the meantime sift the flour with the baking soda and the cinnamon with a hand whisk.
Incorporate the bananas, vanilla extract, salt, and skyr (or yogurt) to the oil and sugar mixture and whisk for an extra minute. Add the eggs, one at a time and waiting for the first to incorporate before adding the second one. Lower the mixer speed and incorporate ⅓of the flour and mix until just incorporated, repeating this step with the rest of the flour.
In a small bowl combine the espresso powder with the hot water to dissolve it. Scoop about ⅓of the bread batter and mix with the coffee mixture. Transfer the banana batter to the baking pan. Pour the coffee batter in five different spots (4 around and one in the center) and using a chopstick or thick wooden stick swirl until just marbled. Do not over mix or you will loose the marble effect. Place in oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top looks yellow golden and when you insert a toothpick through the center it comes out clean. Sprinkle with the coffee powdered sugar.
To make the sugar:
In a bowl of a food processor already attached to the base mix the sugar with the coffee and mix for a few seconds.
