The bitterness of matcha and the sweet fudgy red bean paste is a pairing that's simply meant to be! This unique matcha banana bread recipe has a delightful twist – a luscious red bean paste filling. The earthy matcha flavor pairs perfectly with the sweet and nutty red bean paste, creating a fun and delicious treat.
Perfect for breakfast and dessert, this recipe is eggless and dairy free, too! The addition of almond flour and cornstarch is my secret for making a tender moist homemade vegan loaf without eggs, dairy or butter.
Step by step recipe is below, so keep reading and learn how to make your day a little sweeter.
Ingredients Used to Make This Matcha Banana Bread
**I've linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com. They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
Banana Bread Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour - You can use any brand of All-Purpose Flour. I haven't tried this recipe with whole wheat flour, oat flour or other gluten-free flour blends, so substitute at your own risk!
- Almond Flour - Almond flour contributes to a softer, more tender texture in this banana bread recipe. Because it's naturally gluten-free, the almond flour helps reduce overmixing and minimizes gluten-formation in the bread.
- Cornstarch - the addition of cornstarch is NOT REQUIRED, but it acts as a binding agent (it's sometimes used as a vegan alternative to eggs) and makes a softer, more tender textured bread that retains more moisture. Fun fact: cornstarch is the main ingredient in pudding mixes 🙂
- Salt - any kind. I used Pink Himalayan Salt
- Baking Powder - many banana bread recipes use baking soda, but I like using baking powder in my eggless bread recipes because the results are more consistent (baking soda is activated by acid while baking powder does not). If you want to use baking soda instead: 3 tsp of baking powder is approximately equate to 1 tsp of baking soda plus 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar.
- Matcha Powder – preferably ceremonial grade matcha powder for the best color, but any kind works. Sold in Asian grocery stores, or online, below:
- Sugar of choice – You can use any sugar you have at home. If you want a low-sugar and low carb option, I recommend this monk fruit sweetener.
- Mashed Bananas - mash ripe, peeled bananas with a fork until it reaches a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Light Olive Oil - I like using light olive oil since it has a neutral flavor, but you can also any cooking oil of your choice like coconut oil, or avocado oil instead
- Milk of Choice – I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk (dairy or dairy free) works in this recipe.
Filling Ingredients (Optional)
- Sweetened Red Bean Paste (a.k.a. Koshi An): Red bean paste (also called Koshi An) is a thick and smooth sweet paste made from cooked adzuki red beans that’s been pureed and then cooked down with sugar. The sweetened red bean paste has a sweet almost syrupy flavor with mild earthy notes. It has a creamy and hearty texture that pairs perfectly with East Asian dessert recipes, especially those made with rice flour. You can find Sweetened Red Bean paste in most Asian grocery stores, and online (Amazon).
Icing (Optional)
Banana Bread Add In & Filling Variations:
- Banana bread can be wonderfully versatile, and I've gathered some add in and filling ideas to take your baking to the next level. Here's the FULL POST
Step by Step Guide
How to Make Matcha Banana Bread
STEP 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a standard loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
STEP 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients
STEP 3
In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients
STEP 4
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once. Stir gently until the batter comes together.
STEP 5
The batter will be thick, but if there are still dry ingredients remaining, you can add 1-2 Tbsp more almond milk.
STEP 6
Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Drop spoonfuls of red bean paste filling into the center of the batter inside the pan
STEP 7
Carefully spoon the remaining banana bread batter over the red bean paste, covering it completely.
STEP 8
Bake the Banana Bread in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
STEP 9
Once baked, remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Glaze with Simple Matcha Glaze, if desired. Enjoy!
How to Store Matcha Banana Bread
- You can store any leftover banana bread covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours. For longer storage, you can place them in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 5-7 days, or freeze up to 4 months.
More Frosting & Glaze Ideas for Banana Bread
Get creative with these scrumptious glaze and frosting ideas to upgrade your banana bread to the next level! Here's a List of Topping Ideas to Try
Final Tips
- Use batter right away after prep. The batter will deflate over time, so I've found that you don’t want the batter sitting out on the counter for too long.
- Prevent Over-browning - Depending on your oven or where your bread is placed inside the oven, the top of your bread may start to brown. Check 40 minutes into baking to see if this is the case, and gently cover the top of the bread with aluminum foil. This helps prevent excessive browning while the bread continues to bake.
- Turn them into muffins! You can also bake this in a muffin pan instead of a cake pan. To adjust, reduce the cooking time from 50-60 minutes to 30-40 minutes.
Matcha Banana Bread with Red Bean Paste Filling
Equipment
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 180g
- ½ cup almond flour 60g
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ cup sugar of choice , use monk fruit sweetener for lower sugar option
- 1 Tbsp matcha powder
- 1 ½ cups mashed banana 337g, from about 3 medium fully ripe bananas
- ½ cup melted coconut oil , or light olive oil
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
Filling:
- 1 cup red bean paste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a standard loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, almond flour, salt, baking powder, and matcha powder until well combined.
- In another bowl, mash the ripe bananas until smooth. Add the melted coconut oil (or light olive oil) and almond milk. Mix until the wet ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Pour half of the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly.
- Drop spoonfuls of red bean paste filling into the center of the batter inside the pan
- Carefully spoon the remaining banana bread batter over the red bean paste, covering it completely.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once baked, remove the loaf from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Slice and enjoy
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