Tahini Banana Bread

This banana bread is fluffy, tender and moist. Packed with bananas, tahini and brown butter this bread is more cake and has a crunchy sesame seed crust that not only looks pretty but also tastes delicious! Serve it with my tahini buttercream and sea salt flakes.

Having made banana bread for over 15 years I am stunned how people are only hearing about it now. I’ve always found it to be a practical recipe as there are most often than not overripe bananas in the kitchen at the end of every other week. This recipe has tahini in it which makes for a very delicious, soft and sticky banana bread once baked that is honestly more banana cake than bread but we will call it bread. There is no better time to make this recipe than now, with Ramadan in full swing it is a simple baking recipe but feeds a crowd easily.

The addition of tahini with sweet recipes is the perfect balance of salty and sweet. Tahini is basically sesame seeds ground into a paste which you can find in all middle eastern stores but today you can find it most stores as well. The beauty about this recipe is that is actually tastes better the next day. Also, it is get even more tender and soft and delicious. I would like to take this moment and say this recipe came about because of the beautiful people from William Sonoma in Dubai Mall, when I got my hands on their golden range loaf tin I was in love! I knew from the moment I saw it what I wanted to bake. Which is how my regular tahini banana bread got the sesame seed crust upgrade.

Why does banana bread get moist?

The bananas itself add moister but also the moisture and oils come from the fat in the bread which could be form the oil/melted butter you are using. This totally depends on the kind of banana bread recipe you are using. Having a moist banana bread is good but we don’t want a dense under cooked overly sticky banana bread.

Why is banana bread so comforting?

I mean there is no objective reason for this but here are my reasons why I find it so comforting, using something that looks like its going bad and making it pretty/yummy is a winner at the outset. I also find it comforting because bananas remind me of my childhood – we would have them in milkshakes, sandwiches with peanut butter, in pudding, trifle, toast or crackers – so the flavor of bananas are nostalgic. Who doesn’t love a tender, fluffy, moist, soft and delicious cake/bread that most often than not doesn’t need any fancy equipment to make? Most recipes use a bowl and whisk or rubber spatula which we all have, making it an approachable recipe for anyone from all levels of baking.

What is tahini banana bread?

Banana bread is basically a quick style bread that is fluffy, soft and the top has a delicious crunch. It is baked in a loaf tin and typically needs a bowl and whisk to mix up. Tahini banana bread is all the above with the addition of tahini in the batter – which makes the bread extremely tender and soft as it bakes. It also tastes better the next day. I have gone step further and crusted the banana bread with sesame seeds to amplify the tahini in the recipe. I have served this banana bread with a tahini buttercream what is the perfect balance of salty and sweet.

What ingredients do you need to make this tahini banana bread?

Wet ingredients –

We obviously need ripe bananas. The riper the better. I like storing my over ripe bananas in zip lock bags in the freezer and when I need to make banana bread I have ripe bananas ready to go. I have also used brown sugar, browned butter, tahini, eggs and vanilla. Now you could absolutely use yogurt in place of the eggs to make this cake/bread eggless. If you want to swap the brown butter for melted butter or olive oil I wouldn’t be made but the flavor is untouchable with brown butter. I have used brown sugar which gives this banana bread a deep brown caramel color and the flavor is so intense and delicious as well.

Dry ingredients –

I have used all purpose flour, corn flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder, salt and milk powder – which is optional but I think it adds a richness to this recipe when baking. You could use a gluten free flour mix instead of the flour to keep this recipe gluten free.

For the tahini buttercream –

To make the buttercream we brown butter, tahini, icing sugar, vanilla. I like using warm brown butter here, it dissolves the sugar easily and the buttercream is mixed in well. You could use this as a glaze but I like to chill it for 5 minutes and spread it over the slices once the banana bread is baked and cut into.

What equipment do you need to make this tahini banana bread?

We need a mixing bowl, whisk, rubber spatula to mix the batter. I have used a fork to mash the bananas. Now this step can be done in the blender as well. However the dry ingredients need to be mixed into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula. The batter is baked in an 8/9 inch loaf tin in the oven. To make the buttercream we need a mixing bowl and whisk.

How to make this tahini banana bread?

Preheat the oven to 170℃ and line an 8 or 9 inch loaf tin with baking spray or oil. Add the sesame seeds into the tin and shake it around to give it an even coating on all edges. Set aside. In a mixing bowl add the bananas and mash them together until its a pulp. Add the brown sugar, brown butter and whisk until smooth. Add the vanilla, eggs and whisk until smooth. Add the tahini and whisk again. You could do this in a blender as well. Now add all the dry ingredients into the bowl and switch to a rubber spatula, fold together until no dry pockets of flour. Pour into the lined tin and bake for 1 hour or until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set it aside to cool in the tin for a few minutes before removing from the tin. While its cooling down make the buttercream by whisking the browned butter, icing sugar, vanilla and tahini until smooth. The buttercream will be runny, as the brown butter cools down it will become more spreadable. Remove the banana bread from the loaf tin and slice, spread the butter cream over the slices while warm so it melts into the cake.

Serving and storing this tahini banana bread?

Once the banana bread is cool to the touch, remove from the tin, slice and serve as it is, with a dusting of icing sugar or the tahini buttercream. I like spreading the tahini buttercream while the bread is still warm so the buttercream melts a little. The buttercream can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for 3 weeks. The banana bread can be sliced and stored in an air tight container/zip lock bag in the fridge for 5 days. In the freezer for 2 months. When ready to eat, warm it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds until warmed through.

Looking for more Ramadan inspired recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make this tahini banana bread, you can have a look at the video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more baking recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.