This espresso banana bread recipe adds a hint of espresso to the classic comfort food, making it the perfect breakfast for those mornings that require a little extra something.

Espresso Banana Bread | Kita Roberts PassTheSushi.com

Looking for an easy espresso banana bread recipe?

Try an espresso version! It adds a subtle coffee kick that complements the banana perfectly, making it a delicious and slightly more grown-up breakfast treat.

This recipe combines the comforting sweetness of our chocolate banana bread with the beautiful texture of our chocolate chip banana bread , but with a caffeine kick. Introducing espresso banana bread: It’s got all the deliciousness of classic banana bread you know and love, but with a surprising kick of espresso flavor to keep you awake on even the most mundane days.

What Is Chocolate Espresso Banana Bread?

Instead of relying on vanilla extract for depth, this recipe throws in espresso powder. This adds a complex hint of coffee that complements the sweetness of the banana. It’s not overpowering, but it definitely elevates the flavor profile.

Think of it this way: you love a good banana bread for breakfast, but sometimes you need a little pick-me-up to start your day. The espresso in this recipe gives you that extra boost without going overboard.

What you’ll love about this recipe:

COMPLEX-YET-FAMILIAR – Craving a twist on a classic? Espresso banana bread takes your beloved banana bread and elevates it with a subtle coffee kick. The espresso powder adds a surprising depth of flavor that compliments the sweetness of the bananas, making it a more complex and exciting breakfast (or snack!) experience.
GROWN-UP-GOODNESS – Looking for a breakfast that’s both delicious and sophisticated? Espresso banana bread strikes the perfect balance. It retains the comforting sweetness and moist texture of classic banana bread, but the hint of coffee adds a touch of grown-up flair.

What You Need to Make Espresso Banana Bread

Ripe Bananas: They add sweetness, moisture, and that irresistible banana flavor we all love. Make sure they’re nice and ripe for the best flavor.
White Sugar and Brown Sugar: White sugar makes things smooth, while brown sugar adds a touch of molasses for a deeper, richer taste.
Butter: Room temperature butter gets creamed with sugar to trap air bubbles. These bubbles make your bread light and fluffy, so don’t skip this step!
Milk: Milk adds moisture and helps hold everything together. It’s like the glue that makes your bread soft and tender.
Egg: The egg acts like a handshake between all the ingredients, keeping them together and giving the bread some structure.
All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure for the bread.
Espresso powder: This is our secret ingredient. Espresso powder adds a deep coffee flavor that goes hand-in-hand with the banana and chocolate chips. It also provides a richer, more complex flavor profile.
Baking Soda: This baking soda is like a tiny party popper. It creates carbon dioxide bubbles that make your bread rise nice and high.
Salt
Chocolate Chips: These melty chocolate chips add pops of chocolate flavor throughout the bread. You can use dark chocolate chips for a more intense chocolate flavor. You can also use chocolate chunks.

How to Make Espresso Banana Bread

Heat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two bread pans (about 8×5 inches each).
In a large bowl, mash those bananas with the sugar, egg, milk, and softened butter until smooth and creamy.
Whisk together the flour, espresso powder, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet banana mixture with your mixer on low speed (or just stir by hand!). Mix just until everything is combined – don’t overdo it!
Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
Pour the raw batter evenly between your greased pans.
Pop it in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 35-40 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick is inserted in the center of the loaf out clean.
Take the pans out and let them cool for 15 minutes before carefully flipping the loaves onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Resist the urge to dig in right away! Let the bread cool for at least 30 more minutes before slicing and enjoying.

Expert Recipe Tip

If you do want to add nuts to this recipe, then by all means, go for it. Let us just recommend hazelnuts. Hazelnuts have a long and cherished history of going well with coffee. But you can do walnuts, pecans, or even almonds.

Espresso banana bread recipes uses up frozen bananas, chocolate chips and walnuts!

How to Store Leftovers & Reheat

Espresso banana bread stores really well in an airtight container in the fridge. It can even be stored for a couple of months without issue.

Wrap it up tightly in foil, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Finally, pop it into a freezer bag and put it in the fridge or freezer.

When you take it out, let it thaw, and we recommend toasting a slice. Simply amazing.

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This espresso banana bread is the perfect answer to the monotony of mornings. It’s the perfect paradox – comforting and familiar yet surprisingly sophisticated, sweet and satisfying with a hint of edge. So grab a slice, raise a cup of coffee (because, let’s be honest, you probably still need it), and savor this little taste of grown-up indulgence. If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe card and leave a comment down below to help out the next reader!

Recipe FAQs

Sure. Well. Ish… We always thaw our frozen bananas when we use them to bake.

We never bake from frozen as that affects the overall temperature of the recipe while in the oven and can create soft or soggy spots.

However, frozen bananas are perfect for blending in smoothies, ice cream, and slow cooker oatmeal right from the freezer.

The first thing you need to know is that you can use any kind of instant coffee powder. But not every instant coffee is the same. So, if you really want to get the most coffee flavor into the bread, then I have a few we recommend.

Espresso powder should have that nice dark and earthy roasted taste, a little bit of bitterness, but not too much. Some espresso powders have a chalky flavor to them or just don’t taste strong enough.

The two that we recommend are Illy Classico Espresso Instant Espresso Powder and the other, surprisingly, King Biscuit Espresso Powder. One you will find on the coffee aisle and the other is going to be found in the baking section.

That might sound a bit strange, but ground espresso bean powder is actually used in a wide variety of baked goods.Indeed, you can even use it in other things like sauces and dry rubs too.

“Cowboy” dry rub for ribeye steaks is phenomenal. So, even if you are not a coffee drinker, the stuff comes in handy.

5 Comments

Abbe@This is How I Cook says:

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Love this yummy take on banana bread! Sounds like a great slice!

Felice Geoghegan says:

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I would like to try this recipe but I don’t see nuts listed as an ingredient or where to add them?

1. Kita says:
  
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  Ah! thanks for noting that, Felice! I toasted them and added them into the batter before dividing into the pans. I will add that instruction and update. 😀
  
  1. Felice Geoghegan says:
    
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    Mahalo nui loa!
    
Harini says:

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Love a slice of good banana cake any day. These look so well done and perfect!

4.37 from 11 votes (11 ratings without comment)

Espresso Banana Bread