Moist, chocolatey, and lightly nutty, this Tahini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread elevates the classic banana loaf. Tahini in the batter adds a rich, sesame-nut depth that pairs beautifully with banana and chocolate. Mini chocolate chips are folded into the batter and the loaf bakes up tender and full of flavor—an irresistible twist on traditional banana bread.
What is Tahini?
Tahini is a paste made from toasted sesame seeds. You can make it at home or buy it at most grocery stores. Its flavor is concentrated sesame—earthy, slightly bitter, and pleasantly nutty. At first, sesame in banana bread might sound unusual, but tahini’s savory nuttiness melds surprisingly well with the sweet, warm flavors of banana bread. Think of tahini much like unsweetened peanut butter: on its own it leans savory, but when combined with sugar and other baking ingredients it becomes a perfect dessert component. In this recipe, tahini acts like a bolder, more sesame-forward counterpart to Nutella, adding complexity and depth to the banana-chocolate pairing.
Tahini and chocolate are natural partners. The sesame notes enhance the chocolate without overpowering it, creating a slightly grown-up, nutty twist on the classic chocolate chip banana bread.
How to Make the Tahini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
1. Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, combine melted butter, tahini, dark brown sugar, eggs, mashed bananas, and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is very smooth.
2. Combine the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and optional cinnamon until thoroughly mixed.
3. Combine wet and dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir or beat until just combined—avoid overmixing to keep the loaf tender.
4. Fold in sour cream and chocolate chips: Gently fold the full-fat sour cream and mini chocolate chips into the batter so they are evenly distributed.
5. Bake: Pour the batter into a prepared 9×5″ loaf pan lined with parchment or well-greased. Top with extra mini chocolate chips if you like. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool completely before slicing.
How Ripe Should the Bananas Be?
Use very ripe, spotty-to-black bananas. Overripe bananas are sweeter and softer because the starches have converted to sugars and the fruit has broken down—exactly what you want for moist, flavorful banana bread. If your bananas aren’t ripe enough, placing them in a brown paper bag speeds ripening by trapping ethylene gas while allowing moisture to escape. Freezing bananas will halt ripening, and baking the peel to darken it won’t increase sweetness, so those are not effective shortcuts. Patience yields the best results for flavor and texture.
Smooth Bananas for a Smooth Texture
For an even, uniform crumb, mash your bananas to a smooth paste before adding them to the batter. This minimizes banana chunks in the baked loaf and yields a consistent texture throughout.
Get the Recipe:
Tahini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
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Ingredients
- 5 tbsp Tahini (if separated in jar, stir before measuring)
- 3 tbsp Unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup Dark brown sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 3 Overripe bananas, mashed very smooth
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour, measured correctly†
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Full-fat sour cream
- 3/4 cup Mini chocolate chips, plus more for topping
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, tahini, dark brown sugar, eggs, mashed bananas, and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer or whisk until smooth and well combined.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined—do not overmix.
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Fold the sour cream and mini chocolate chips into the batter until evenly distributed.
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Transfer the batter to a 9×5″ loaf pan lined with parchment or greased well. Sprinkle extra mini chocolate chips on top if desired. Bake for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before slicing.