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Baking · Vegan · Two-Loaf Recipe

Zesty chai signature banana bread

Deeply spiced, incredibly moist, and layered with cozy warmth in every bite. Strong brewed chai tea, molasses, and the classic chai spice rail bring richness and depth — while dark chocolate, candied ginger, and walnuts turn a humble loaf into something worth making two of.

By Ashley Crawford, NTP

Makes

2 loaves

Prep

20 minutes

Bake

45–55 minutes

Slices of banana bread with walnuts on a wooden cutting board
Serving inspiration. Photo by Diego Arenas de Rodrigo on Unsplash.

This is a big-batch loaf, and that is the point — four and a half bananas, two pans, one afternoon. The chai is brewed strong and cooled before it goes in, so the spice reads as warmth rather than tea. Molasses does the heavy lifting on depth and keeps the crumb tender for days.

Ingredients

The base (wet)

  • 4½ overripe bananas, mashed
  • 1½ tbsp ground flaxseed + 4½ tbsp water (mix and rest 5 minutes)
  • 6 tbsp strong brewed chai tea, cooled
  • 1⅛ cups light brown sugar
  • 1½ tbsp molasses
  • ¾ cup neutral oil
  • 1½ tsp vanilla extract

The structure (dry)

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tsp baking soda
  • ¾ tsp salt

The spice rail

  • 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¾ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground cardamom
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves

The fold-ins

  • ½ cup dark chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup candied ginger, finely diced (tossed with 1 tsp flour)
  • ¾ cup chopped walnuts

The zesty glaze

  • 1½ cups powdered sugar
  • 2–3 tbsp almond milk (add ½ tsp at a time to consistency)
  • ½ tsp molasses
  • ½ tsp fresh lemon juice
  • Dash of vanilla extract
  • Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), for topping

Instructions

1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8.5 × 4.5-inch loaf pans.
2
Prepare the flax egg by mixing the ground flaxseed with water; set aside 5 minutes until a gel forms.
3
Whisk all wet ingredients together — mashed bananas, flax egg, cooled chai, brown sugar, molasses, oil, and vanilla — until smooth.
4
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
5
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Do not overmix.
6
Toss the candied ginger with 1 tsp flour to coat, then fold in the chocolate chips, floured ginger, and walnuts.
7
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans.
8
Bake 45–55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Tent with foil if the tops brown too fast.
9
Cool completely before glazing.
10
Whisk the glaze ingredients until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over the loaves and immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Notes

Make ahead

Airtight at room temperature up to 3 days. For longer, slice and freeze with parchment between the slices — they go straight from the freezer to the toaster.

Let them cool

The bananas and molasses keep these loaves very moist, so let them cool fully before glazing. Glaze a warm loaf and it will slide right off.

For educational purposes only. Not medical advice.

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