Chai Spice Banana Bread

With its mix of signature chai spices like ground cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, Chai Spice Banana Bread is packed with fabulous flavor. A chai-spiced glaze beautifully finishes off this tender and tasty loaf.

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If you're a chai lover like me, this super tasty Chai Spice Banana Bread is for you. Packed with classic chai spices in the banana bread itself and drizzled with a chai-spiced glaze, this banana bread delivers up fabulous chai flavor in every bite.

The loaf's mix of spices is inspired by my favorite chai tea lattes and our reader-favorite Chai Tea Latte mix. A classic combination of ground cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg come together to create that signature chai-spice taste. While black pepper is also traditional in chai spice, we chose to leave it out of our Chai Spice Banana Bread recipe. However, feel free to add in a small pinch of pepper if you'd like.

Chai Spice Banana Bread's mix of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg deliver up fabulous flavor in every bite.

Cardamom is the cornerstone of chai spice, building the foundation of its signature taste. If you're not familiar with it, it's a pod spice from the ginger family that has a very distinct peppery herbal aroma and flavor. Some say you can substitute a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg for cardamom, but in my opinion there's truly no way to substitute for it. Cardamom is just too unique and distinct in its flavor to replicate.

So while ground cardamom is admittedly a pricy spice (running around $10 a bottle at the grocery store), don't skip it for this Chai Spice Banana Bread to create true chai flavor.

What's to Love About This Recipe?

• Buttermilk in the batter - Modeled after our reader-favorite Buttermilk Banana Bread, buttermilk in the batter helps this banana bread bake up nice and moist.
• Tender texture - Love tender-textured banana bread? -- Well, this is one beautifully soft and tender loaf.
• Tasty - The combination of banana bread + chai spices is a tasty one, indeed. Chai Spice Banana Bread's mix of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg deliver up fabulous flavor in every bite.
• Chai-spice glaze - A drizzle of chai-spiced glaze both beautifully and flavorfully tops this tender and tasty loaf.

Chai Spice Banana Bread Ingredient Highlights:

Chai Spice Banana Bread is packed with fabulous flavor from its signature mixture of chai spices. To create that wonderful chai flavor, you'll need:

• Cardamom - A truly distinct peppery-herbal spice from the ginger family that creates the foundation of chai spice's signature flavor. Ground cardamom is pricy as far as spices go, running around $10 a bottle at the grocery store, but there is truly no substitute for its unique flavor.

• Cinnamon - Both a traditional banana bread and chai flavoring, ground cinnamon brings sweetness and warmth to the chai spice mix. 

• Ginger - Another staple spice in chai, ground ginger lends a complex sweet-spiciness to the chai spice mixture.

• Cloves - Brings richness and depth of flavor to the chai spice mixture. Ground cloves are a powerful flavor, so just a small bit will do.

• Nutmeg - Nutmeg is less common in chai, being an optional spice in the mix. Ground nutmeg is however a classic banana bread spice, and brings a nice bit of nutty earthiness to this chai-spiced banana bread version. 

How to Make Chai Spice Banana Bread:

This Chai Spice Banana Bread recipe is a straight-forward banana bread recipe, with the addition of signature chai spices in the mix and a spiced glaze drizzled on top.

To get this recipe started, first make the chai spice mixture. -- This mixture will be used in both the banana bread batter itself, and in the bread's glaze.

In a small bowl, combine some ground cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Give them a little stir to get the spices well combined, and then set the mixture aside.

In a small mixing bowl, mash three very ripe bananas with a fork. Then mash in some buttermilk and also set this mixture aside.

Then mix up the banana bread batter by first beating together softened butter and brown sugar until they're light and fluffy, and then beating in eggs and some vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, combine some all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and 2 teaspoons of the chai spice mixture. Then alternately add the flour and mashed banana-buttermilk mixture to the butter-brown sugar mixture, beating briefly after each addition until everything's just barely incorporated.

Pour the batter into a lightly-grease loaf pan.

Pop the pan in the oven and bake the banana bread for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the baked loaf in the pan for 10 minutes, and then remove from the pan to cool completely.

Once the Chai Spice Banana Bread loaf is completely cooled, mix up the glaze.

In a small bowl, whisk together some confectioners' sugar, a small bit of vanilla extract, the remaining 3/8 teaspoon of chai spice mixture, and 2 teaspoons of water. Check the consistency of the glaze, adding up to 1 more teaspoon water a little at a time, if needed, to reach the desired consistency for drizzling.

Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the top of the cooled banana bread loaf. Allow glaze to set.

When the glaze is set, slice using a serrated knife. And enjoy!

Packed with fabulous flavor from its mix of signature chai spices, Chai Spice Banana Bread is one delicious banana bread treat. Beautifully drizzled with chai spiced glaze, chai lovers will certainly adore this tender and tasty loaf.

Check out these other delicious banana bread recipes:

• Buttermilk Banana Bread
• Hummingbird Banana Bread
• Chocolate Marble Banana Bread
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• Chocolate Banana Bread
• Pumpkin Banana Bread
• Cake Mix Banana Bread
• More bread & muffin recipes

Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

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Quick Bread

American

Yield: 1 loaf

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Chai Spice Banana Bread

With its mix of signature chai spices like ground cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, Chai Spice Banana Bread is packed with fabulous flavor. A chai-spiced glaze beautifully finishes off this tender and tasty loaf.

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

Ingredients

Chai Spice Mixture:

• 1 tsp. ground cardamom
• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Banana Bread:

• 3 very ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 c. mashed)
• 1/4 c. buttermilk
• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened
• 3/4 c. light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Chai Spice Mixture, from above (2 tsp.)

Glaze:

• 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• Chai Spice Mixture, from above (remaining 3/8 tsp.)
• 2 to 3 tsp. water

Instructions

Prepare Chai Spice Mixture:

1. Combine cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a small bowl. Stir together until well mixed.
2. Set aside.

Prepare & Bake Banana Bread:

1. In a small bowl, mash bananas with a fork. Mash in buttermilk; set aside.
2. Place softened butter in a large bowl. With an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating briefly after each addition. Mix in the 1 teaspoon vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and 2 teaspoons chai spice mixture. Alternately add the flour mixture and mashed banana to the butter-brown sugar mixture, beating after each addition until just incorporated.
5. Lightly grease a loaf pan. Pour batter into prepared pan.
6. Bake at 350℉ for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and cool completely.

Prepare Glaze:

1. Once banana bread is completely cooled, whisk together confectioners' sugar, the 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, remaining 3/8 teaspoon chai spice mixture, and 2 teaspoons water.
2. Check consistency of glaze. Add up to 1 more teaspoon water a little at a time, if needed, to reach desired consistency for drizzling.
3. Use a spoon to drizzle glaze over cooled loaf. Allow glaze to set.
4. Slice with a serrated knife.

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Buttermilk Banana Bread

Hummingbird Banana Bread

Chocolate Banana Bread

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