Spice Tea Banana Bread with Cinnamon & Sugar

Moist banana bread that comes with a spice tea twist, and layers of cinnamon and sugar inside and out.

The tea I’m using in this recipe was given to me by Adagio Teas however the content and opinions in this post are my own.

Banana bread is a delicious treat year-round.

It falls in the category of a “quick bread” which includes any bread with leavening agents (ingredients to make the bread rise) that are not yeast or eggs.

One of the great things about quick breads is that they can be prepared quickly without having to master the skills needed for traditional yeast breads.

About this Recipe

In this recipe, the leavening agent that makes the banana bread rise is baking soda which is activated as soon as it becomes moist.

So, it’s a good idea to get the batter in the pan and into the oven as soon as possible.

This is why I need to make 2 batches when posting a quick bread recipe.

Because the first batch is for the step-by-step pictures all the way up to the point where I put it in the oven.

And since the batter sits out while I’m taking step-by-step pictures, the baked banana bread is a little dense.

But the second batch of banana bread batter goes directly in the oven.

And as a result, it rises nicely and has a lighter texture (this is the bread I use for the final end product pictures).

This banana bread recipe has 2 twists to it.

The first twist is that brewed spice tea is included in the batter which adds moisture to the bread and a very subtle spice flavor.

I used decaf spice tea that was given to me by Adagio Teas.

The second twist is that the banana bread has a layer of cinnamon and sugar in the middle and on the top which adds a sweet cinnamon swirl and light crunch that’s reminiscent of coffee cake.

It tastes so good.

Let’s check out the ingredients.

Hot water, a spice tea bag, very ripe bananas, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar, butter, eggs and ground cinnamon

Equipment– a one-pound loaf pan (8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inches; or 9 x 5 inches).

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

A printable recipe with the measurements and instructions is located at the bottom of this post.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease the inside of a one-pound loaf pan (bottom and sides) with softened butter, or nonstick spray.

Set aside.

For the Bread Batter:

For the Spice Tea – In a heat resistant cup, add 1/3 cup hot water.

To the cup add a spice tea bag.

Let steep in hot water for 20 minutes.

For the Dry Ingredients – In a medium size mixing bowl, add…

…flour…

…salt…

…and baking soda.

Whisk or stir together with a spoon and set aside.

For the Batter – In a small microwave-safe bowl, add butter.

Heat the butter in the microwave for just 30 seconds (not any longer so that the butter doesn’t get too hot for the batter).

Once out of the microwave, stir the butter until it’s completely melted.

To a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter…

…granulated sugar…

…and…

…eggs.

Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).

After the tea has steeped for 20 minutes, discard the tea bag and…

…to the large mixing bowl,

add the tea.

Beat the ingredients until combined.

To the large mixing bowl, add the flour a little at a time while mixing the batter on the lowest speed (this should help prevent the flour from flying out of the bowl).

Beat until combined (don’t overmix).

Set the batter aside for just a moment.

In a small bowl, add the peeled bananas.

With a fork, mash the bananas so that there are still some small pieces of bananas.

To the batter, add the mashed bananas.

Next,

…with a mixer (set on low speed), mix just long enough to combine the bananas in the batter (don’t overmix).

To the prepared pan, spoon in 1/2 of the batter.

With a soft spatula spread the batter evenly so that it’s level in the pan.
Set aside for a moment.

For the Layers of Cinnamon and Sugar:

In a small bowl, add granulated sugar and ground cinnamon.

Stir together.

Sprinkle 1/2 of the sugar mixture evenly over the batter in the bread pan.

To the bread pan, spoon in the remaining batter.

With a soft spatula spread the batter evenly so that it’s level in the pan.

Sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture evenly over the batter.

Bake in a preheated oven (at 350 degrees F.) until a toothpick (or thin wooden skewer) comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the bread (about 55 to 56 minutes).

Set the pan on a rack and let the bread cool completely before removing it from the pan.

Once the bread has cooled, carefully remove the banana bread from the pan (it’s best to do this over a large plate in case a little bit of the cinnamon and sugar mixture comes off of the top of the bread).

Just before serving, cut slices of banana bread for each serving.

TIP – It’s best to keep the loaf whole rather than slicing it in advance of serving so that it doesn’t dry out.

Serve at room temperature, or warm with butter or…

…just by its delicious self.

Enjoy this banana bread for breakfast, dessert or a snack anytime of the day.

TIPS for making Moist Banana Bread:

1. Use bananas that are very ripe.
2. As soon as the batter is mixed put it in a loaf pan and into the oven as soon as possible.
3. Don’t use the measuring cup to “scoop” out flour from the bag or canister because scooping compacts the flour. Instead, use a spoon to transfer the flour into the measuring cup/cups.

Thank you so much for stopping by CCC!

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