This vegan chocolate tahini banana bread comes together quickly and is easy to make. Decadent, satisfying, and topped with chocolate chips, it is perfect anytime, whether you want it for breakfast, a snack, or dessert!
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What inspired me to make this particular banana bread is an abundance of ripe and spotty bananas and a jar of organic black sesame butter. I purchased the Eden Foods black sesame butter, and I love it! Whichever tahini you have on hand is fine, although I recommend runny tahini that is not bitter. Some brands of tahini are stiffer than others. Experiment with different brands to find out what you like.
About tahini
In case you haven't baked or cooked with tahini before, it is ground sesame paste. If you cannot find black tahini, which is ground black sesame seeds, you can use regular tahini, which is yellow. The black tahini gives this banana bread a slight nuttiness and depth of flavor. If you use regular tahini, this banana bread will not be as dark. Whichever tahini you use, the runnier it is, the better.
What ingredients do I need to make chocolate tahini banana bread?
- whole wheat pastry flour
- arrowroot powder or organic cornstarch (optional)
- baking powder
- baking soda
- sea salt
- organic cane sugar
- ground cinnamon
- freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 very ripe bananas, so that they are sweet enough for this recipe
- soy milk or cashew milk
- applesauce
- cashew or soy yogurt, or vegan sour cream, with fresh lemon juice mixed in
- black tahini
- vanilla extract
- vegan chocolate chips - a lot of brands are accidentally vegan. Read the label to ensure it is free of dairy.
Why whole wheat pastry flour and arrowroot powder?
I usually keep whole wheat pastry flour in the pantry for use in baked goods and pancakes. It's perfect for this vegan chocolate tahini bread. This 100% stone-ground whole wheat pastry flour has a lower protein content, which is ideal for whole-grain baked goods like this banana bread. The wheat germ contributes to the nutrient density of this bread.
I added arrowroot powder for additional tenderness and softness to the flour. If you do not have it, you can use organic cornstarch, or you can omit it.
Tips to make this bread
Be sure to use the ripest bananas you can find, the spottier and darker, the better. At this point, the bananas will start to soften inside. These sweet bananas are perfect for this banana bread. It's worth the wait to set some bananas aside until they ripen fully. Once your bananas are ripe, keep them in the fridge while you're waiting for them to turn dark.
Have the yogurt, bananas, and applesauce at room temperature or close to it, otherwise it will take longer for the banana bread to bake.
How to tell when the chocolate tahini banana bread is done
Press the top of the bread gently, and it should spring back. Another way of checking is to put a wooden toothpick into the middle of each loaf. If raw batter comes out with the toothpick, keep baking and check it every five minutes. I usually turn off the oven at this point. The heat inside the oven will continue baking the banana bread for the next five or ten additional minutes if needed.
Remove the banana bread from the oven when it is done and let cool for 20 minutes on a rack before serving.
If you wish, you can freeze the second loaf. You can store this bread, wrapped well, at room temperature for three days. It can be refrigerated up to five days or frozen for one month.
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Recipe adapted from the Easy Vegan Baking cookbook.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Tahini Banana Bread
Equipment
- potato masher or large fork
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or organic cornstarch, optional
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 very ripe medium bananas spotty are best, almost turning black
- 1/2 cup soy milk at room temperature or cashew milk
- 1/3 cup applesauce
- 7 1/2 oz cashew yogurt with 1 teaspoon lemon juice stirred in soy yogurt, or vegan sour cream, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup black sesame butter/tahini or regular tahini, a runny type is preferred
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups dairy-free chocolate chips divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 5x9 baking dishes with coconut oil or organic all-vegetable shortening.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, arrowroot powder, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cane sugar. cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the very ripe bananas with a large fork or potato masher. Add soy milk, applesauce, cashew yogurt with lemon juice stirred in, black sesame butter, and vanilla extract. Stir together well with a spatula.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir and fold the mixture until combined. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips.
- Pour the mixture into the 2 baking dishes. Top with additional 3/4 cup of chocolate chips
- Bake in two 9x5 inch loaf pans at 350 F for 50-60 minutes. Check at 50 minutes. Press the top of the bread gently and it should spring back when the bread is done. Also, insert a wooden toothpick into the middle of each bread. The bread is done when moist crumbs or no crumbs come out. If raw batter comes out with the toothpick, keep baking and checking for doneness every 5 minutes.
- Remove the banana bread from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes on a rack before serving. Approximately 16 slices from 2 loaves.
Notes
- Be sure to use the ripest bananas you can find, the spottier and darker, the better. At this point they will start to soften inside. Perfect! Otherwise the banana bread will not be as sweet as it could be. It's worth the wait to set some bananas aside until they ripen fully. Once your banans are ripe, keep them in the fridge while you're waiting for them to turn dark.
- Press the top of the bread gently and it should spring back when the bread is done. Also, insert a wooden toothpick into the middle of each bread. The bread is done when moist crumbs or no crumbs come out. If raw batter comes out with the toothpick, keep baking and checking for doneness every 5 minutes.
- If you wish, you can simply freeze the second loaf. You can store this cake, wrapped well, at room temperature for three days. It can be refrigerated up to five days, or frozen (airtight) for one month.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!