Chai spiced banana bread with walnuts

Name: Chai spiced banana bread with walnuts
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 12 servings

Posted: 30/01/2026Updated: 30/01/2026

Infused with warm chai spices - cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and a hint of cloves with pieces of walnut throughout. Crème fraîche and oil keep the crumb soft and rich.

Spread it with butter or nut butter, like almond or cashew, or add cream cheese or mascarpone for a smooth, tangy contrast. For a lighter option, serve it with yogurt or coconut yogurt.

Active prep: 25 minutesPassive cooking: 60 minutes

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Ingredients

Adjust servingsServings

230 grams Plain flour
5 grams Baking soda
4 grams Ground cinnamon
2 grams Ground ginger
1 gram Ground cardamon
0.5 gram Ground cloves
2 grams Fine salt
120 grams White sugar
100 grams Dark brown sugar
2 large Eggs
80 millilitres Vegetable oil
40 millilitres Strongly brewed chai tea
340 grams Bananas, very ripe
30 grams Crème fraîche, full-fat
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
75 grams Walnuts

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 180°C (conventional). Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamon and cloves.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy.
Slowly pour the vegetable oil into the sugar and eggs, while gently whisking throughout.
Mash the bananas and add to the sugar and eggs along with the crème fraîche, vanilla extract, cooled chai tea. Mix together until just combined.
Gently fold in the dry ingredients and roughly chopped walnuts until no streaks remain.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Leave space for the bread to rise. Pour any extra into a separate dish.
Bake for 60–75 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil halfway through baking. Check at 50 minutes.
Let the bread cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before removing. Then transfer to the wire rack to cool completely (at least another 45 minutes).

Helpful notes

Cooking tips

Crème fraîche adds richness and moisture to banana bread, similar to sour cream, while contributing a subtle, creamy tang that deepens the flavour of the bananas. Its mild acidity also helps tenderise the gluten in the flour, resulting in a soft, tender crumb that keeps the bread moist.
For a sweeter loaf user bananas that are heavily spotted with brown - overripe bananas are naturally sweeter and more aromatic..
Drizzle oil gradually into the whipped eggs and sugar to retain the air you’ve beaten in, keeping the bread light.
Smooth, well-mashed bananas distribute sweetness and moisture evenly, giving a uniform texture.
Once you fold in the dry ingredients, mix just until combined. Over-mixing can make the bread dense and tough.

Alternative ingredients

Use fresh ginger instead of ground ginger. About 3 grams finely minced.
If you don’t have any chai tea, slightly increase the amount of dried aromatics (ginger, cardamon, cinnamon and cloves) and slightly increase the amount of vegetable oil. Conversely, if you don’t have all the dried aromatics, you can brew slightly more chai tea however you will need to decrease the amount of vegetable oil.
All spice can be used instead of ground cloves.
Sour cream (or yoghurt as a last resort) can replace the crème fraîche.
Pecans, almonds or hazelnuts are all alternatives to walnuts.
Vegetable oil can be replaced with olive oil for a slightly fruity and deeper flavour which can work well with the spices. It is personal preference but vegetable oil is neutral in flavour. Butter can also be used instead but isn’t preferable as it will become dense and less springy. Unlike butter, oil remains liquid at room temperature, which helps the loaf retain moisture longer, keeping it soft and flavourful even several days after baking.

Storage instructions

Room temperature: Wrap cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container to maintain softness. Keeps fresh for 2–3 days.

Refrigeration: Can store for up to 1 week in the fridge, tightly wrapped. However, the fridge can dry out the bread slightly.

Freezer: Individual slices freeze well for quick snacks. Wrap in plastic wrap and then foil, or place in a freezer-safe bag. Keeps up to 3 months.

Re-heating instructions

If you don’t want it toasted, thaw frozen slices overnight in the fridge.

Oven: Warm at 160°C for 5 minutes (or 10–15 minutes from frozen).

Microwave: Heat for 20–40 seconds per slice.

Nutrition and dietary facts

Vegetarian

Per serving:Calories: 223kcal (10%), Protein: 3.3g (6%), Fat: 10g (13%), Saturated fat: 1.5g (10%), Carbohydrates: 32g (12%), Sugars: 18g (72%), Fibre: 2g (7%)

NOTE: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is an estimate based on ingredients and cooking instructions as described - it is intended for informational purposes only.