Almond Chai Banana Bread

I wanted to shake it up a little bit and to play around with flavors. As wonderful as banana bread is, its flavor and texture can be a little boring.

Luckily, many other flavors complement banana well. I’ve had my industrial-sized bottle of Dona Chai chilling in the back of my fridge for a few weeks now and many sliced almonds so I opted to top my bread with them.

The result was a bread that turned out not overly sweet and a tad spicy. It’s a welcomed change! Makes one loaf.

INGREDIENTS
– 3 very ripe bananas, peeled
– 5 tablespoons butter, melted
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 1/4 cup sugar
– 1/4 cup chai concentrate
– 1 large egg, beaten
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1 & 3/4 cups flour
– Pinch of black pepper (optional)
– 1/4 cup sliced almonds

BEFORE WE GET STARTED
– This recipe will fill a standard loaf pan (8 & 1/2″ x 4 & 1/2″ x 2 1/2″).
– If you prefer a sweeter banana bread, increase sugar to 1/2 cup. Many other chai concentrates have added sugar, so read your labels to keep the sweetness of your bread where you desire.

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bread pan or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Take 1/2 banana and cut 10 – 12 slices. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, add flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, flour, and pepper; whisk until incorporated.
• In a separate large bowl, mash remaining bananas with a fork until they are as smooth as possible. Add melted butter to bananas and mix to combine; add vanilla, chai concentrate, and egg and mix until combined.
• Slowly add dry mixture into the wet mixture 1/2 cup at a time; mix until batter is uniform.
• Pour batter into prepared bread pan. Top with banana slices and sliced almonds. Bake for 50 – 55 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
• Move pan to cooling rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before removing and slicing; if not slicing, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Eat within three days.