Houjicha Banana Bread

Houjicha is made from high quality Sencha tea leaves which are carefully roasted and ground into a fine powder. Remeniscent of toasted rice with an earthy sweetness, this roasted, ground green tea adds the most welcome twist to a sweet and comforting loaf of banana bread.

Ingredients::

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons Houjicha Powder 
• ½ cup (120 ml) coconut or vegetable oil (plus more for pan)
• ½ cup yogurt (or dairy-free yogurt)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 medium ripe bananas (approximately 1 ¾ cups)
• ½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Directions ::

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).
2. Grease a loaf pan with a splash of oil.
3. Line the loaf pan with parchment paper by cutting a rectangle large enough to cover the bottom of the pan and hang over the sides. Press to flatten.
4. Into a large bowl, add 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix to combine and set aside.
5. Into a medium bowl, add ¼ cup of white sugar, ½ cup of brown sugar, and 3 tablespoons of Houjicha Powder. Mix well until the Houjicha Powder is blended with the sugar.
6. Add ½ cup (120 ml) of coconut or vegetable oil, and stir to dissolve the tea powder and sugars.
7. Add ½ cup of yogurt and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix well until no clumps remain.
8. Mash 3 medium ripe bananas with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth, and add them into the bowl.
9. Stir the wet ingredients, and add them into a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
10. Use a spatula to gently fold the batter until just combined.
11. Fold in the toasted and chopped walnuts.
12. Pour the thick batter into the prepared loaf pan, and smooth the top.
13. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out nearly clean with just a few crumbs.
14. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
15. Once completely cooled, slice and serve the freshly baked Hojicha Banana Bread with a comforting steep of Houjicha tea or latte.

What is Houjicha? Learn more here.