Chai Spiced Banana Bread

Mallory Harr
Nov 27, 2022
2 min read

A fall twist on a classic recipe.

Fall might be my favorite season. The colder weather is perfect for a walk with my dog, the colors of the trees bring life to the city, & the flavors of fall are just unmatched. One of my favorite drinks to order from my local coffee shop in the fall is a chai latte. The spices warm you up and make you feel at home. This drink inspired me to remix my classic banana bread recipe. The added chai flavors pair beautifully with the banana & chocolate chips. This bread tastes like fall.

What stage of banana is best for this recipe?

For any banana bread, you want to use an overripe banana. The more ripe the banana, the sweeter the bread. In the chart below, I usually make my banana bread during the last stage of the ripeness scale. This is the perfect time because the banana is very sweet and it is right before it goes bad. If you ever find your bananas in this stage, but you do not have time to make bread, you can freeze them! When I freeze them, I just let the banana thaw out on the counter for a few hours or I pop it in the microwave.

What is Chai?

Chai tea is a brewed black tea prepared with multiple aromatic spices (cardamom, allspice, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves), milk, and sugar. This flavor profile is the perfect blend of creaminess and spices.

What is a Chai Blend?

I used a pre-made chai blend for this recipe because it is easier. For this, I used the Chamberlain Coffee chai blend. This blend contains all of the beautiful chai spices & sugar. If you want to make it yourself, I recommend making the blend of 1/3 spices & 2/3 granulated sugar.

Want to make this recipe vegan?

Swap out the eggs and butter for flax eggs and vegan butter/coconut oil.

Want to make this recipe gluten free?

Swap out the flour with your favorite gluten free flour (oat, almond, coconut, or gluten free blend).

Not a big chocolate fan?

You are crazy!! I am joking, this bread is delicious without the chocolate chips. You can leave it plain or add in your favorite nut, with chocolate, or top with a cinnamon streusel.