This is a recipe for chillier days, something to bake on a rainy day. It’ll heat your home as it bakes and give it a cozy scent of cinnamon and nutmeg. If you need comfort food but don’t want to go too far right into cake, this is a good one. It’s dairy and egg-free so it’s a good pantry recipe.
I make this type of whole grain, higher protein tahini banana bread about once a week during autumn and winter and leave a loaf on the counter for quick breakfasts or snacks. Top it with extra nut or seed butter to make it even more filling, and add a little honey or maple syrup if you like a touch more sweetness.
Don’t be turned off by the long ingredient list, it’s mostly seeds and spices. You can use the seeds you have in your pantry and the ingredients in this recipe are easy to find.
For some more great banana bread recipes, try this vegan gluten free banana bread, spelt banana bread, or date-sweetened coconut banana bread.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Spelt flour: as always, wheat flour, either all-purpose white or whole wheat, can be substituted in place of spelt if you don’t have any on hand. The recipe calls for whole-grain spelt but light works just as well.
- Tahini: any type of tahini will work, as long as you like the way it tastes. And although the recipe is for tahini banana bread, you could sub another nut or seed butter for the tahini, like peanut butter or sunbutter.
- Add-ins: try using a mix of chopped nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews) instead of the seeds, sub sesame or hemp for the seeds that are used, or mix in a little dark chocolate to the batter. You can also use a different dried fruit instead of dates, like blueberries or cherries.
Recipe Notes
Make sure to wait until your bananas are turning brown and spotty before using them as you need the natural sweetness from the overripe fruit. (This is key. If you write me that the loaf wasn’t sweet enough, I will blame your bananas.)
Several readers have emailed me saying that they’ve made this recipe successfully with buckwheat flour in place of spelt. Please note that if you would like to make it gluten-free, buckwheat flour is an excellent substitution and a 1:1 gluten-free blend should be pretty much foolproof.
How to Store
Storage: in a cool home, the bread will last for a few days, either well wrapped in beeswax wrap or in a sealed container, at room temperature. For a warmer space, store it in the refrigerator.
Freezing: freeze the whole loaf or individual slices in an airtight container for up to three months.
Expert Tips
- Don’t over-mix: spelt flour contains less gluten than plain wheat flour, and if over-mixed, it becomes tough. Mix until just combined and no further.
- Grease the dish: if your bread tin is in good condition, grease it with coconut oil rather than lining with paper. The resulting loaf will have a nice outer crust and good flavour.
- Add milk: it’s best to use runny tahini, but if yours is a bit hard or stiff, add a tablespoon or two more milk to make up for that loss of moisture.
More Banana Recipes
Vegan Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Peanut Butter, Banana, and Chocolate Popsicles
Chocolate Banana Babka
Gluten Free Banana Pancakes
If you make this Olive Oil Banana Bread or any other vegetarian quick bread recipes on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.
Tahini Banana Bread with Sunflower Seeds
Description
Ingredients
- 300 grams (2 cups) whole-grain spelt flour
- 80 grams (½ cup) raw sunflower seeds plus extra for topping
- 40 grams (½ cup) pumpkin seeds
- 50 grams (¼ cup) chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fresh-ground nutmeg*
- 60 grams (¼ cup) semi-dried dates chopped
- 400 grams (3 medium sized) overripe bananas, mashed weighed without skin
- 120 ml (½ cup) non-dairy milk
- 60 grams (⅓ cup) runny tahini
- 60 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil
- 60 ml (⅓ cup) maple syrup or honey if not vegan
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line or grease a standard loaf tin (I use coconut oil).
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, seeds, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add the chopped dates and stir to coat them in the flour mixture. Make a well in the centre of your dry ingredients.300 grams (2 cups) whole-grain spelt flour, 80 grams (½ cup) raw sunflower seeds, 40 grams (½ cup) pumpkin seeds, 50 grams (¼ cup) chia seeds, 60 grams (¼ cup) semi-dried dates, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon fresh-ground nutmeg*
- In a shallow bowl, mash the bananas. Add the milk, tahini, olive oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Use a fork to gently mix the wet ingredients together until incorporated.400 grams (3 medium sized) overripe bananas, mashed, 120 ml (½ cup) non-dairy milk, 60 grams (⅓ cup) runny tahini, 60 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil, 60 ml (⅓ cup) maple syrup, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add the banana mixture to the large bowl and use a wooden spoon to stir until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and gently tap the tin on the counter to settle it. Leave the centre higher than the edges. Top the batter with another handful of sunflower seeds.
- Place in on the middle rack in your oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the loaf is golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. If your oven runs a little hot then make sure to check the bread at about the 40 minute mark.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool in the tin on a cooling rack for ten minutes, then gently remove it and let it cool completely before storing. Eat at least one slice warm if you can. It keeps for 3-5 days on the counter, wrapped well, and may be frozen.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
This post was originally shared in December 2017. It has been updated with improvements to the text and recipe as of April 2020.
I made this bread today; have already tried it and OMG, it’s amazing. This is the best banana bread recipe I’ve tried. Soo good and delicious. I’ll definitely make it again. Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I used spelt flour for the first time and the combination with tahini, banana, maple and cinnamon is super unique and delicious! Also replaced the oil with applesauce and it came out perfect after 50 minutes. I am used to many of my vegan breads being quite heavy and dense but this one is super light and fluffy. It will for sure become one of my go to banana bread recipes and I cannot wait to share it with friends and family.❤️
This bread is sooo good! I made it yesterday and I’m enjoying a slice right now. I actually used whole wheat flour and it worked perfectly. I added a little glug of apple cider vinegar for some acidity, and a little bit more oil (I used sunflower for a more neutral flavor) because the dough seemed a bit dryer than normal quickbread texture. I didn’t have vanilla powder so I used about 2 teaspoons of extract, and I used maple syrup, not honey, to make it totally vegan.
Because there were so many ingredients this bread took a teeny bit longer to make than simpler banana breads, but I 100% believe it was worth it! It has such satisfying texture, and such a complex depth of flavors that’s truly more of a treat than a more basic bread. I do really appreciate how you listed ingredients in grams. I love when I can just put the mixing bowl on my scale and pour stuff in without using measuring cups.
Thanks so much! I’ll definitely make this bread again.
This bread is sooo good! I made it yesterday and I’m enjoying a slice right now. I actually used whole wheat flour and it worked perfectly. I added a little glug of apple cider vinegar for some acidity, and a little bit more oil (I used sunflower for a more neutral flavor) because the dough seemed a bit dryer than normal quickbread texture. I didn’t have vanilla powder so I used about 2 teaspoons of extract, and I used maple syrup, not honey, to make it totally vegan.
Because there were so many ingredients this bread took a teeny bit longer to make than simpler banana breads, but I 100% believe it was worth it! It has such satisfying texture, and such a complex depth of flavors that’s truly more of a treat than a more basic bread. I do really appreciate how you listed ingredients in grams. I love when I can just put the mixing bowl on my scale and pour stuff in without using measuring cups.
Thanks so much! I’ll definitely make this bread again.
Is it normal that it actually tastes much more like a cake than a bread? I was even unable to slice it properly and it is very sweet for a bread.
Hi Daniel – banana bread is a quick bread, so calling it ‘bread’ is a bit idiomatic. It’s not going to be like a yeasted bread and is more like a muffin than something like a sandwich bread.
I made the bread exactly how you wrote it (except I used 400 g of peeled bananas, oops) and it turned out absolutely delicious!! Yum yum. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I haven't tried making this without banana as it's a banana bread, so I can't give you solid advice, but you could try with a smaller amount of applesauce as it tends to be more liquid and see how it goes. I think the chia will still hold everything together but if you use too much I think it'll go soggy – maybe a cup of applesauce.
I wonder if I can substitute the bananas for apple sauce(unsweetened). My hubby and my son are allergic to bananas. Thank you!
I figured as much. Didn't have any spelt on hand. Will definitely try this again. Made the spicy carrots/lentil/tahini as well. Had much greater success with that and it was a hit with my company! Happy to have found your blog!
Changing the flour makes a big difference, I'm afraid! Coconut flour is particularly absorbent so it sounds like it sucked up too much of the moisture. I know readers have had good results subbing buckwheat flour.
Well….Yours look stunning. I just put mine in the oven, but something just doesn't seem right. You say "pour" the batter? My batter wouldn't pour if I turned the bowl completely upside down:0! Very think? Check and follow the recipe exactly with the exception of flour. I used a combination of buckwheat, coconut, almond and oat.
I love that you're doing practical substitutions! That addition of coffee sounds awesome, and I'm so happy you like the bread. Thanks, Chien-Hui!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made it over the weekend and it came out perfectly. Since spelt flour is not available in taiwan, i used whole wheat and replaced part of it with rolled oats. I threw in sesame, flax and hemps seeds, and subbed coffee for the non-dairy milk, and sunflower seed butter instead of tahini. It is so good, and sweet enough just with the bananas and the honey. Makes a wonderful treat, spread with black sesame butter or coconut oil. Thank you!
Thanks Heather! It's the banana with peel, like how you'd weigh them at the market.
Great recipe! I'm making it now. Does 400g mashed bananas mean 400g bananas with peel, and then mash, or after peeling, measure 400g bananas? Thanks!
I love loaves with lots of seeds and fruit like this! This would be great to have on a regular basis as you do. I'm sure the recipients will be most appreciative!
Wow this bread is perfection, that crust!! I love, love the smell of banana bread baking, I find it so comforting.
I love the sound of this – something that can be eaten at any time of day. Seeds always make me feel so healthy!
Looks great! I make a similar recipe and it's always a success, I love mixing nuts and seeds too. I mean, why not? It's so thoughtful of you to make your gifts, edible or not. I bet your friends and family appreciate it that much more!
Awesome