Make this chocolate-chunk banana bread with a spicy kick
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So, it looks like you have a bunch of overripe bananas on your countertop, brown spots all over, maybe even a solid brown or black. This is banana bread gold, especially paired with the star ingredient in this particular banana bread: the Korean chile paste gochujang.
At the point of banana overripeness, not only is the sugar content higher but the flavor of the fruit is far more enunciated, richer and slightly fermented. It’s in a perfect state to balance with gochujang.
The Korean condiment contains fermented soybeans and glutinous rice and is made using gochugaru, a dried Korean red chile ground into flakes. The result is an ultra-special flavor bomb of a paste that boasts a sweet and tangy nose, and spicy, sweet and sour umami flavors. Gochujang is a key ingredient in staple savory Korean dishes such as kimchi, bibimbap, soondubu jjigae and more.
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However, its notes of sweet and tangy are delicious in not only savory dishes. When used in sweet applications these add depth, richness and flavor. In this recipe, when paired with maple syrup, light brown sugar and ultra-ripe banana, the sweet and sour work together to create a unique caramel-like note.
Sweetness also subdues the heat, so that it waves softly and warmly in the back of the throat. This low trickling heat is also complemented by a touch of cinnamon that bounces off the sweet and bitter dark chocolate chunks.
The saltiness and tanginess of the miso paste enhances the mellow funk of fermented flavors that work in the background, and the olive oil with its savory grassy notes and fatty nature marries them all together.
The result is a perfectly moist and unexpectedly spiced banana bread for this fall season. When making this recipe, consider using Grade A maple syrup, a delicious extra-virgin olive oil, and a good-quality Korean gochujang. Allow to fully cool before slicing, and remember: the darker the banana, the better.
Here’s the recipe for Gochujang Banana Bread along with other extra-ripe-banana favorites.
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Gochujang Chocolate-Chunk Banana Bread
A chocolate-chunk banana bread with a kick — the star ingredient here is the Korean chile paste gochujang, which melds with the bananas, brown sugar, vanilla, white miso, maple syrup, cinnamon and olive oil. Spicy-tangy gochujang gives this banana bread a warming heat that gently builds and plays off the other sweet and umami flavors.
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Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes plus resting time. Makes 1 (9- by 5-inch) loaf.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread With Peanut Crumble
With lots of banana flavor, this not-too-dense, not-too-fluffy, not-too-sweet banana bread from Valerie Gordon of Valerie Confections is a showstopper, and it’s vegan. It has flecks of dark chocolate and a surprising sweet, salty, crunchy peanut topping. Former Times Cooking editor Genevieve Ko described the texture as “almost creamy like banana pudding but with the fine firm crumb of pound cake.”
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Cook time: 2 hours. Makes 1 (9- by 5-inch) loaf.
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Bon Temps Banana Bread
The proportion of banana in this banana bread batter is higher than usual, so it has a very tender crumb. Chef Lincoln Carson, at his former restaurant Bon Temps, used completely black, slightly fermented bananas. Let your bananas turn as dark as possible so they have that slightly fermented, super-sweet flavor. Carson glazed this loaf with a floral honey ganache, which is optional. But if can transform a traditional breakfast bread into a stunning cake. Note: Make the bread a day before you plan to serve it; it gets even better overnight.
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Cook time: 2 hours. Makes 1 (9-by 5-inch) loaf.
Butter Pecan Banana Muffins
Want to use up your bananas for fluffy, tender breakfast muffins topped with toasted pecans, instead of banana bread? These muffins are great as they are, or you can switch up the additions with the suggested variations.
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Cook time: 30 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.
Vegan Carrot Banana Cake
Again, use bananas whose peels have turned black for the best flavor. The amount of sugar gives the cake balanced sweetness, but if you prefer a less sweet cake, use ¾ cup total, or for a sweeter crowd-pleaser, use 1 cup. Working within this small range won’t affect the cake texture. Lime zest finishes the cake, so grate it into a bowl before juicing the limes for the cake batter.
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Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes. Serves 8 to 12.
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