I feel like I’ve made about 20 different variations of banana bread, but I just can’t help it! I feel terrible pitching bananas into the trash when they’ve gotten too ripe so I always wind up making bread and trying to put a new spin on it. This combination is probably my favorite so far!
When I picked up a seasonal pack of Blue Moon and spotted the new Chai Spiced Ale, I knew it would be perfect for an autumn flavored banana beer bread. I brought out the chai flavor even more by adding cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. It’s not overly sweet, which makes it perfect to enjoy any time of day. The banana flavor is subtle and works great with the beer to produce a fluffy and moist (my least favorite word) loaf of bread.
(makes 1 loaf of bread)
Ingredients:
1 Tbs unsalted butter (for pan)
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup Blue Moon Chai Spiced Ale
1 Tbs brown sugar (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9″ by 5″ bread pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Add the mashed bananas, melted butter, and beer. Slowly stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and combine until just mixed.
I wanted a bit of crunch to the top of the bread and sprinkled brown sugar across the top about halfway through the baking process, but this can also be done right before you pop it into the oven.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Place pan on a cooling rack for 5-7 minutes then carefully turn pan over and lightly shake bread into your hand or onto a plate. Place directly on the cooling rack right side up and allow it to cool another 5-10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cover any leftovers with plastic wrap or in a sealing container. Bread will keep for 4-5 days.
Enjoy!
