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Justine Doiron

just real good food

Baking + Sweet, Bread, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian · January 13, 2022

Brown Butter & Black Sesame Banana Bread

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finished Brown Butter & Black Sesame Banana Bread

I keep saying to myself, “I need to make you all a proper, basic, banana bread.” And then I keep doing stuff like this where I make another elaborate (but doable) and weirdly unique version of the recipe because I can’t help myself!

So I present to you, dear reader, the best Brown Butter & Black Sesame Banana Bread on the internet.

My reasoning behind this recipe is banana bread is such an amazing blank canvas that it’s just ASKING for us to riff on it. And what better way to update banana bread than with nutty black sesame, rich brown butter and dark brown sugar? Like seriously, this is the loaf I think about in my sleep.

And don’t worry, you can easily make it vegan (we love Miyokos here!) as well as gluten-free (we also love King Arthur’s gluten-free blend!) because bread belongs to us all. Especially this bread.

finished Brown Butter & Black Sesame Banana Bread

Table of contents

  • What is the benefit of using brown butter?
  • How to make the brown butter for this banana bread
  • The ingredients you will need for this black sesame banana bread
  • A sample schedule for how to make this brown butter banana bread
  • How to layer the black sesame into this banana bread
  • FAQ
  • Looking for other bread recipes?
brown butter in pan

What is the benefit of using brown butter?

Brown butter is an amazing ingredient, especially in baked goods like this banana bread. It adds a rich, deep, caramelized flavor that you can’t get with normal butter, and that’s because we are essentially “toasting” the milk solids in brown butter as we cook it.

What happens when we brown butter, is that the butter separates into water and milk solids. Butter is actually about 22% water and 78% milk solids (baking math is fun!) and the milk solids are what create the dark, rich tones of brown butter.

When you cook down butter the milk solids begin to toast, caramelize and develop in flavor. The darker the color the deeper the flavor notes. So we love our brown butter dark, dark brown in this banana bread!

sugar added to butter

How to make the brown butter for this banana bread

Brown butter seems tricky, but it’s really just a stir-watch-and-wait process.

Begin by putting a pan or sauce pot on medium to medium-low heat, you don’t want it to be any higher than that.

Add the butter in a big clump and stir it with a wooden spoon until it melts. This is my favorite part. It’s so supremely satisfying.

Let the butter hang out until it starts slightly fizzing and foaming, I keep stirring it occasionally to prevent it from scorching, the whole process happens quite fast!

You’ll start to see light brown flecks, and when that happens begin to stir constantly. When the flecks deepen to a nice golden brown, turn off the heat. Let the butter continue to darken in the pan just a bit, then it’s time to pour into a bowl and begin step #2!

I’ll have all the steps listed below so we don’t need to cover them up here.

sugar and butter combined

The ingredients you will need for this black sesame banana bread

And what would a recipe be without ingredients? I have everything listed out by cups and grams, but I always suggest using weight measurements if you can!

  • 113 grams unsalted butter or vegan butter, will then cook down to 95 grams (1/2 cup)
  • 400 grams banana (3 large bananas)
  • 99 grams dark brown sugar (1/2 cup, lightly packed)
  • 2 large eggs (flax egg will also work here)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 180 grams all-purpose flour (1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 95 grams black sesame seeds (2/3 cup)
banana added to wet batter

A sample schedule for how to make this brown butter banana bread

This bread is all about timing. I wrote the instructions in the order I would suggest doing them. Here’s the step-by-step:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Add the brown sugar to a large bowl.
  • Add your butter to a skillet on medium heat. Stir until it is melted. Continue to stir as it begins to foam slightly. When you see light brown flecks begin to appear at the bottom of the butter, continue stirring and keep an eye on it. Things will happen fast at this point. When the flecks turn golden brown remove the butter from the heat and continue to stir.
  • When the flecks are a deep brown, pour the butter into the bowl with the brown sugar. Immediately whisk to combine.
  • Let this mixture cool for 5-10 minutes while you mash the bananas.
  • Once it is cool, whisk in the eggs and vanilla first, then add the bananas. Stir well.
  • Directly add the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir with a spatula to combine.
  • Split the batter into two bowls now. Use a small blender or food processor to blend the sesame seeds into a sand-like texture and add them to one half of the batter and mix.
  • In a parchment-lined loaf pan, add about 1/4 of the banana batter to the bottom and spread it out thinly. Then add a layer of the black sesame batter and spread it out. Repeat this process until all the batter is used up.
  • Insert a long skewer into the bread and swirl to create a marble pattern (optional, but fun!)
  • Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes or until the loaf is a deep golden brown.
  • Let cool, then slice and serve!
black sesame seeds added to wet batter

How to layer the black sesame into this banana bread

Layering the sesame is one of the trickier parts of this bread because you want to make sure you get a nice, even swirl and some cute marbling.

I like to make sure that each layer completely spreads to the sides of the loaf pan, and then when everything is layered I swirl with a long skewer to create a marble effect.

Try not to over-swirl though, because that might cause the colors to mix too much, and then you won’t get much definition at all.

batter in baking tin

FAQ

What is the best way to make this gluten-free?

I recommend using a 1:1 GF flour blend, my favorite is by King Arthur Baking.

How do you store this black sesame banana bread?

I recommend storing it wrapped in either foil or cling wrap, or in an airtight container. To maintain moisture don’t slice off a piece until you want to eat it! This will keep on the counter for 5-6 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Can I make this without the black sesame?

Absolutely! It’s delicious, but by no means mandatory. 🙂

Looking for other bread recipes?

Here are the best on the blog!

Brown Butter Banana Bread
This banana bread is the most moist, tender and delicious banana bread out there. It uses brown butter and chunks of banana to make the magic happen, and it comes together with just a bowl and a whisk!
Check out this recipe
Honey Pumpkin Bread
This classic pumpkin bread recipe uses only pumpkin, almond butter and honey as the fat and sugar. It is so moist, so dense and so good. The perfect way to kick off fall baking.
Check out this recipe
The Best Gluten Free & Vegan Zucchini Banana Bread
This zucchini banana bread will change your life. It is as moist as can be, so soft, so sweet and filled with wholesome ingredients. Like for real, ingredients you would not expect. It's just a bonus that it happens to be vegan and gluten free, because once you serve it, it'll still outrank all the recipes you've tried 😉
Check out this recipe
finished Brown Butter & Black Sesame Banana Bread

And that’s everything for this Brown Butter & Black Sesame Banana Bread!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Brown Butter & Black Sesame Banana Bread

This banana bread is one of my all-time favorites. It's rich and nutty from the black sesame and packed with brown butter flavor that is just heaven. Make it on a weekend and snack on it all week.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:15 minutes mins
Cook Time:1 hour hr
Total Time:1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: banana, banana bread, black sesame
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 113 grams unsalted butter or vegan butter 1/2 cup (that will then cook down to 95 grams)
  • 400 grams banana 3 large bananas
  • 99 grams dark brown sugar 1/2 cup, lightly packed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 180 grams all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 95 grams black sesame seeds 2/3 cup

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Add the brown sugar to a large bowl.
  • Add your butter to a skillet on medium heat. Stir until it is melted. Continue to stir as it begins to foam slightly. When you see light brown flecks begin to appear at the bottom of the butter, continue stirring and keep an eye on it. Things will happen fast at this point. When the flecks turn golden brown remove the butter from the heat and continue to stir.
  • When the flecks are a deep brown, pour the butter into the bowl with the brown sugar. Immediately whisk to combine.
  • Let this mixture cool for 5-10 minutes while you mash the bananas.
  • Once it is cool, whisk in the eggs and vanilla first, then add the bananas. Stir well.
  • Directly add the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir with a spatula to combine.
  • Split the batter into two bowls now. Use a small blender or food processor to blend the sesame seeds into a sand-like texture and add them to one half of the batter and mix.
  • In a parchment-lined loaf pan, add about 1/4 of the banana batter to the bottom and spread it out thinly. Then add a layer of the black sesame batter and spread it out. Repeat this process until all the batter is used up.
  • Insert a long skewer into the bread and swirl to create a marble pattern (optional, but fun!)
  • Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes or until the loaf is a deep golden brown.
  • Let cool, then slice and serve!

Posted In: Baking + Sweet, Bread, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pris says

    January 17, 2022 at 7:39 am

    Hey there! I love both banana bread and black sesame, so this recipe completely stole my heart- thank you so much for putting this up! Can’t wait to try it out.
    Do you think it’ll work if I used olive oil in place of the butter? Trying to watch my diet a little closer… but if this really calls for an indulgence I’ll gladly do so :_D

    • Justine says

      January 17, 2022 at 11:42 am

      Hi there! If you use olive oil in place of butter, use about 95 grams total. It will be slightly drier but should still come out well!

  2. Gwen says

    January 17, 2022 at 11:57 pm

    This was the best banana bread I have ever made!! Super moist and full of nutty flavor that makes it unique and fun. Am absolutely making this again as soon as this loaf runs out (which is only a matter of days😂)

    • Justine says

      January 20, 2022 at 12:33 pm

      I’m so so glad you liked it!

  3. Sinds says

    January 27, 2022 at 9:14 pm

    Made this and LOVEDD it! I bought black sesame seeds just for this and unknowingly only got like 1/4 of a cup. So I mixed it with less batter and still turned out really great – didn’t get that rich, black color above but the nutty taste is definitely there and is an incredible compliment to the bread. Not too sweet, soft, nutty – Justine you nailed it!

    • Justine says

      January 28, 2022 at 12:41 pm

      This makes me so happy! So glad you liked it!!

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Hey! I'm Justine. A recipe developer, highly dedicated eater, and bread enthusiast with an archive of both savory and sweet. This is where I store all my recipes, feel free to take a look around!
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