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Halva Banana Bread
By: Layla Khoury-Hanold
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
1.75 c
all-purpose flour
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1 tbsp
all-purpose flour
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2 tsp
baking powder
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0.25 tsp
salt
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0.33 c
plain Greek yogurt
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2 lg
eggs, lightly beaten
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1 c
mashed ripe bananas
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0.33 c
tahini*
Not all tahini is created equal. My favorite is by Soom Foods, a company founded by three Israeli-American sisters who operate out of Philadelphia and sell their tahini via Amazon. Their product is far superior than any other I have tasted and is exceptionally creamy, owing to the use of plump, singled-sourced Ethiopian White Humera sesame seeds. They also make a chocolate version that is incredible—it could be delicious in this bread recipe too, though in that case I’d suggest omitting the chocolate chips and doubling up on the halva crumbles.
*Show Note
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0.5 c
semisweet mini chocolate chips
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0.5 c
crumbled plain sesame halva*
Look for halva at specialty food stores or Middle Eastern grocery stores. Chef Philippe Massoud from Manhattan’s ilili restaurant recommends Alkanater, which is widely distributed in U.S. and available for purchase online. It does not need to be refrigerated after opening.
*Show Note
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Halva Banana Bread

Since tahini is to Lebanese what peanut butter is to Americans, I started thinking about my favorite peanut butter recipes and flavor pairings. Chocolate and banana are natural partners with peanut butter, so I decided to update my grandma’s banana bread recipe by adding tahini, halva, and chocolate chips. The overall flavor is balanced and harmonious, with no one flavor outshining the other (except for the decadent melting nuggets of halva strewn throughout). If you already know and love the taste of halva, try making the recipe with one full cup of halva crumbles and omitting the chocolate chips.

1 loaf

  1. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter and preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Sift dry ingredients together—1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt—together in a large bowl.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, eggs, bananas, and tahini until combined.
  4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Stir together until just combined (don’t overmix!); the batter will have a sticky, dough-like texture.
  5. In a small bowl, toss chocolate chips and halva crumbles with remaining 1 Tbsp flour, then gently fold them into the bread dough (tossing the chips and crumbles in flour helps prevent them from sinking).
  6. Using a nonstick spatula, spread the dough into the prepared loaf pan in an even layer, ensuring that it reaches the corners as well. Holding the pan with both hands, shake the pan side to side to even it out, and lightly tap the bottom of the pan on the counter to help remove air bubbles.
  7. Bake in 350° oven on middle rack for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  8. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn out loaf onto wire rack and let it cool for 10 minutes more.
  9. Serve warm with a cup of good, strong coffee or black tea.

Recipe by Layla Khoury-Hanold

Layla Khoury-Hanold

Layla Khoury-Hanold is a freelance food writer, avid home cook, and lifelong professional eater. She has contributed to Saveur, Food Network, Drinks International, CheeseRank, and Clean Eating. Follow her eating and cooking adventures on her blog, Glass of Rosé, and on Instagram (@theglassofrose) and Twitter (@glassofrose).

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