Banana bread is a staple in my kitchen, a regular rotation for those very ripe bananas that pile up on the counter. But lately, I’ve been making this Swirled Black Sesame Banana Bread. This banana bread has the sweet banana flavour with the deep, nutty swirl of black sesame. The black sesame adds a beautiful visual contrast and a grounding, toasted note that just makes it so delicious! I am honestly a little obsessed with this one.
What is Black Sesame Paste?
If you’ve never baked with black sesame paste before, prepare for a treat. It’s made from toasted black sesame seeds ground into a smooth, thick paste, very similar in texture to tahini or nut butter. The flavour is deeply nutty, a little earthy, and has a slight bitter that balances sweetness really well. It’s what gives this loaf its pretty dark swirl.
You can usually find black sesame paste at Asian grocery stores. Sometimes it’s labelled as “kuro goma paste” or just “black sesame butter.” It’s definitely worth seeking out for this recipe (and many others, once you get hooked).
The key to any truly tender loaf is in the technique, especially when it comes to mixing.
For this black sesame banana loaf, we’re starting by creaming together softened butter and granulated sugar until it’s light and fluffy. This step incorporates air, which helps with the final texture of the loaf. Then, we beat in an egg and vanilla extract.
A quick note on ingredients: make sure your butter, egg, and especially your sour cream are all at room temperature. Room temperature ingredients blend together much more smoothly and evenly, which means you get a consistently textured batter. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to seize up or become lumpy.
When you add the dry ingredients alternately with the banana-sour cream mixture, mix only until everything is just combined. This is probably the most important part for tenderness. Overmixing will develop the gluten in the flour too much, and you’ll end up with a tougher, denser loaf.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Mashed ripe bananas
- Full-fat sour cream
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated white sugar
- Large egg
- Vanilla extract
- Black sesame paste
- White sesame
*These are the main ingredients. The full list of ingredients and measurements can be found at the bottom of this post!*
Equipment
- Kitchen scale (I like to weigh out most of my ingredients for accuracy, I also think it’s more efficient when measuring things out over measuring cups!)
- Large and small mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- 9×5 inch loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Wire cooling rack
This loaf bakes for about an hour. You’ll know it’s ready when the top is golden brown and a toothpick or a thin skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
If you see any wet batter clinging to the toothpick, give it a few more minutes in the oven and check again. Trust the toothpick, it knows. Once out of the oven, let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for a bit before you try to remove it. Slicing too early can cause it to fall apart (learned that the hard way, you’re welcome).
This Swirled Black Sesame Banana Loaf is a genuinely interesting change from the usual, and I think you’re going to really enjoy it!
Tips for a Beautiful Black Sesame Banana Loaf
- Bring ingredients to room temperature: This really helps create a smooth, consistent batter. Pull your butter, egg, and sour cream out of the fridge at least an hour before you start baking.
- Don’t overmix the batter: Once you add the dry ingredients and the banana mixture, mix only until everything is just combined. Overmixing leads to a tougher loaf, and we want a tender crumb.
- Embrace the swirl (but don’t obsess): Alternate dollops of the two batters and then use a butter knife to gently swirl them together a few times. The beauty is in the contrast, not an entirely uniform pattern.
- Use ripe bananas: The browner the better for maximum banana flavour and sweetness. Those spotty bananas are exactly what you want here.
If you give this black sesame banana loaf a try, I’d love to hear about it! Tag @theflournook on socials or leave a review below to let me know what you think of the flavour combination. And to save this recipe for later, you can use the pin button on the recipe card or any of the photos in the post.
Happy baking!
Print
Black Sesame Banana Bread
- Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Description
Take your banana bread to the next level with a stunning black sesame marble! The contrast of the dark, savoury sesame paste against the bright banana batter looks as good as it tastes. Each slice is dense and moist with nutty flavour that keeps you reaching for another piece.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (5 g) baking powder
- 1 tsp (5 g) baking soda
- 1 1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (3-4 bananas)
- 1/2 cup (130 g) full-fat sour cream, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (70 g) black sesame paste
- 1–2 tbsp white sesame
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on both sides.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Mash the bananas and sour cream together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
- At low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the banana mixture to the wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined.
- Divide the batter in half into another bowl (I use the banana mixture bowl).
- Stir the black sesame paste into one half of the batter until smooth.
- Alternate dollops of the plain banana batter and the black sesame batter into the prepared loaf pan until all the batter is used.
- Use a butter knife to create swirls through the batters.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Let the loaf cool on a wire rack before removing it from the pan and slicing.
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients are important here. They blend together more smoothly, which gives you a more consistent batter texture.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter once you add the dry ingredients. Mix only until everything is just combined to keep the loaf tender.
- The swirl is mostly for looks, so don’t feel like you need to overdo it with the knife. A few passes are plenty to get a nice pattern.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hr
- Category: Loaf
- Method: Baking
did you make this black sesame banana bread?
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