I’ve never liked bananas- it’s something about the texture of the fruit and the sound that people make when they eat bananas that turn me off. Don’t even get me started on how I think a banana overpowers a smoothie. But for some unexplainable reason, I love banana bread. Banana as natural sweetener, in a nutty, dense, and moist bread is a perfectly satisfying, low-guilt dessert (and then sometimes, breakfast). Living in southern China, tropical fruits are abundant, and none are more ubiquitous than the tropical banana at every stand, grocer and market than the banana.
As a result, despite my dislike of the fruit, I always manage to find a small bunch of bananas that have infiltrated our fruit basket. Correction- I always find a small bunch of half-rotting bananas at the bottom of our fruit basket.
Any home cook knows there is one remedy to a banana-gone-brown: Banana bread.
Banana bread was the first baked good I produced when I set off on my solo cooking adventures in the fifth grade. I proudly used a recipe procured from a summer camp cooking class held in the Home Ec classroom of a local middle school. I must have made banana bread fifteen times in that one year, alone. But after recently losing the decaying notecard containing the recipe scribbled in my pre-teen flowery handwriting, I have been trying various recipes to find a suitable replacement.
I’ve found that recipe, courtesy of Nigella Lawson’s cookbook How to be a Domestic Goddess. After some time, a slew of additions from my kitchen cabinets have found their way into the batter. In goes chocolate powder. A dash of allspice. Look, there’s an orange, so now I’m adding orange zest. You can’t have a banana bread in my house without walnuts, and hey, we have golden raisins that look a little shriveled so they are going to get plumped up with some bourbon and will make the cut, as well.
This is banana bread either produced by a glutton or someone with culinary Tourette’s. Don’t be turned off by the long list of ingredients; if you do any baking you will likely have all the ingredients already stocked in your cabinets. If you don’t like walnuts or raisins, omit those from the recipe. If you are out of vanilla or allspice, the recipe will be fine without those. If you are a chocolate chip fiend, those are a mighty fine addition. After all, it’s called Kitchen Cabinet Banana Bread for a reason.
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Spiced Chocolate Banana Bread with Walnuts and Bourbon-soaked Raisins
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Description
This Kitchen Cabinet Banana Bread is a delightful twist on the classic, featuring cocoa powder, orange zest, and bourbon-soaked raisins for a rich, flavorful loaf.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (110g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (40g) whole wheat flour
- 2 tbsp. (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. allspice
- 1/4 cup (100g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 cup (240 ml) golden raisins
- 4 tbsp. (60 ml) bourbon or other alcohol for soaking raisins
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Place 1 cup of golden raisins into a small saucepan with 4 tbsp. of bourbon. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Cover with a lid and let the raisins soak for one hour, then drain.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a loaf pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and allspice.
- In another bowl, beat together the sugar and melted butter until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract, mashed bananas, and orange zest.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the soaked raisins and chopped walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- The alcohol from the bourbon will burn off during cooking, making it safe for children.
- Feel free to omit or substitute walnuts and raisins if desired.
- Chocolate chips can be added for a sweeter variation.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 20
- Sodium: 250
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 60
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Fannie Farmer’s Banana Bread
- Patrick’s Banana Bread Loaf
- Easy Homemade Banana Loaf – The Ultimate Classic Recipe
- Perfect Banana Nut Muffins
Frequently Asked Questions
What does soaking the raisins in bourbon do, and is it safe to eat?
Bring the raisins to a boil with 4 tbsp of bourbon, then cover and leave them to soak for one hour before draining. This plumps them and infuses a subtle boozy richness into the bread. The alcohol burns off during baking, making it safe for children.
Why does this banana bread include cocoa powder, allspice, and orange zest alongside the bananas?
These ingredients accumulated from my kitchen cabinets over time — the 2 tbsp of cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp of allspice, and zest of one orange each add a layer of complexity that elevates the bread beyond a basic banana recipe. Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients; all of it is likely already in a baker’s pantry.
Can I leave out the walnuts and raisins?
Yes — omit the walnuts or raisins if you don’t like them, or substitute chocolate chips for a sweeter variation. Both are optional add-ins rather than structural ingredients.
