Whenever I buy bananas, I go out of my way to ensure that a few of them remain untouched until they’re nice and spotty and brown, only to have an excuse to bake banana bread.
This particular recipe incorporates Choco Loco tea for a touch of cacao sweetness, along with coconut and walnuts for just the right amount of crunch and nuttiness. Enjoy a slice as a special breakfast or tea time treat.
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- 1½ tbsp Choco Loco tea leaves
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup low-fat sour cream
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour (or one of these flour alternatives)
- 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 tbsp coconut (plus a big pinch for garnish)
- 3 tbsp walnuts, broken into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350*F.
- In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat and add loose leaf tea. (Tea can be steeped in a tea filter or tea ball for convenience.) Allow the tea to steep for 5 minutes, then strain (if needed) and discard tea leaves.
- Combine brewed tea, honey, brown sugar and butter in pan and return to the heat. Cook until the butter, honey and sugar have melted into a thick syrup, about 2 minutes. Let cool.
- Combine sour cream and baking soda in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the cooled tea syrup and the eggs. Sift in the flour and fold gently to combine. Fold in the mashed bananas, walnuts and coconut.
- Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Sprinkle the tops with a pinch or two of shredded coconut.
- Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before slicing. Serve with your favorite tea and enjoy!