Taking the humble banana bread to the next level with the addition of Biscoff – drum roll please for Biscoff Banana Loaf!
How can you make banana loaf a million times better?
Impossible, you may say.
Take your humble but oh-so delicious banana bread, add a swirl of Biscoff spread, and top it with some crushed Biscoff biscuits… Now you’re talking! An instant hit with all the family.
Biscoff is always a winner in our house. Be it the classic speculoos biscuits, or the spread which finds its way onto everything – toast, pancakes, ice cream, waffles… My kids can’t get enough!
And my husband. Because fun fact, Biscoff biscuits and Biscoff spread are both accidentally vegan! However, generally speaking, Granny’s banana bread recipe isn’t vegan because it includes an egg, but if you scroll down to the Free-from & Vegan tips, you’ll see some easy swaps you can make to turn this into a vegan Biscoff Banana Bread too.
Ingredients for Biscoff Banana Bread:
Bananas
Perhaps an obvious ingredient in any banana bread, but your choice of bananas can make or break your bake. Ideally, you want over-ripe bananas for the best flavour and texture. A slightly dotty banana skin at least. But a completely black banana will give you the very best banana loaf!
Caster Sugar
Don’t let the fact that fruit is in this recipe fool you. This is by no means a healthy cake! Caster sugar is preferable as despite often being dubbed as a “bread” banana loaf is actually a cake. And like any good cake, you want finer sugar in the batter.
Butter or Margarine
Either works well in this Biscoff Banana Loaf; the choice between the two is personal preference. Generally, I use a soft margarine as it mixes the best, without having to worry about allowing it to soften before mixing (butter must be soft before starting, or you’ll struggle to get it to mix through the batter evenly). Taste-wise, there’s enough going on with the flavours of the banana and the biscoff that you won’t really notice any difference in taste with butter vs. margarine in this bake.
Free-range Egg
Like many cake batters, this banana bread uses an egg to help bind the ingredients together. The size of your egg isn’t particularly important; just be sure you are using free-range, and ideally have your egg at room temperature before starting.
Vanilla Extract
Vanilla complements banana perfectly. Vanilla extract is my go-to, but using vanilla paste, or even a fresh vanilla pod, is a great way to take this biscoff banana bread to more of a luxury bake.
Self-raising Flour
Cakes in general will be made with self-raising flour, as this contains some raising agents within, which allows your cakes to rise as they bake. As I say, banana loaf is technically a cake and is no exception.
Baking Powder
Self-raising flour allows some rise to occur whilst baking, but baking powder gives your loaf an extra little lift, allowing a lighter texture overall.
Biscoff Spread
This is where we get the majority of our biscoff flavour from. You can use a smooth biscoff spread or crunchy biscoff spread, whichever you have or prefer.
Biscoff Biscuits
To finish off your Biscoff Banana Loaf, I like to sprinkle some crushed Biscoff Biscuits over the top before baking. Not only does it make it look irresistible, but it also adds a little extra texture and Biscoff flavour.
Tips for easy Biscoff Banana Bread:
• For the best banana flavour, use over-ripe bananas. The blacker the better!
• Banana breads always taste better when left to mature for a day or so. If possible, try to let your banana loaf sit (in an airtight container) for a day before enjoying.
• Banana loaf can also be frozen. Make in batches, keep within its grease-proof lining, wrap in tin foil and freeze for up to a few months. If you plan to freeze your biscoff banana bread, I would skip the crushed biscuits on top (or be prepared that they will lose their crunch during the defrost).
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Bananas
- 140 g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
- 55 g Butter or Margarine softened
- 1 Free-range Egg beaten
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 170 g Self-raising Flour
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- 3-4 tbsp Biscoff Spread
- 2-3 Biscoff Biscuits optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 190°c (170°c for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 5 or 375°F) and grease & line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with grease-proof paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Add the sugar, butter/margarine, egg & vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Gradually add the flour and baking powder, mixing until all combined.
- Pour half the batter into your pre-lined loaf tin and smooth into the corners.
- Warm your Biscoff spread in the microwave for about 10-20 seconds to soften it slightly. Drizzle a couple of spoonfuls over the batter in the loaf tin before adding the remaining batter on top.
- Drizzle the remaining Biscoff spread over the top of your loaf, before stirring the batter with a skewer to create the marbled affect. Crumble a few broken Biscoff biscuits on top.
- Bake in your preheated oven for about 40 minutes until golden on top. Leave to cool in the loaf tin and serve in slices.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won’t always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
RECIPE NOTES:
- If you think your Biscoff Banana Loaf is looking a little brown on top towards the end of its baking time, simply pop a little tin foil over the top of your tin. This will stop it from baking more on top while letting it continue to bake inside.
Biscoff Banana Loaf is a super tasty treat that the whole family will love. Like our Nutella Banana Loaf, this recipe follows the basis of Granny’s famous banana bread. But we make it that little bit more special with a swirl of Biscoff spread and a Biscoff biscuit topping.
We start with the usual routine for making any good banana bread. You mix all your wet ingredients into a large bowl – mashed bananas, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, as well as your sugar. Once mixed, you add your flour and baking powder, mixing together to make a banana cake batter.
Then comes the fun Biscoff bit! You add half of your batter to your loaf tin, before swirling through some Biscoff spread, then repeat with the remaining banana cake batter and Biscoff spread, giving a nice layered swirl effect. Then, for the ultimate biscoff banana bread experience, top with some crushed biscoff biscuits before baking to perfection.
It seems like Biscoff spread has really taken off in the UK, with it now being available at all big supermarkets and many smaller ones too. You’ll find it in the same place you find Nutella, usually by the jams and peanut butter.
Aldi also does their own version called “Biscuit Spread” and I have to say it really is just as good, at a fraction of the price. A great option if you’ve never tried Biscoff before and aren’t sure if you will ever finish the jar.
Alternatively, you can, of course, order Biscoff spread from Amazon.
Free-from & Vegan:
Nut-free: No nuts are used in this recipe, but I would always recommend double-checking the individual ingredients when baking for those with nut allergies, particularly your Biscoff spread and biscuits.
Dairy-free: To make this a dairy-free Biscoff Banana Bread, simply use a dairy-free margarine. There is no dairy in Biscoff biscuits or spread that you need to worry about.
Egg-free: Granny does use an egg in her banana bread recipes, but this can be omitted without it affecting the bake too much. You could use an egg substitute in its place, but given that the bananas also work as a binder, it isn’t entirely necessary. If anything, I would recommend adding an additional banana or a spoonful of yoghurt, but this isn’t essential.
Vegan: To make this a vegan Biscoff Banana Bread, simply follow the tips above for dairy-free and egg-free. Biscoff biscuits and spread are both accidentally vegan, so no extra steps are required for these.
N.B. Any advice or suggestions to make recipes “free-from” or vegan are purely that – suggestions. Please be careful to double-check all ingredients individually, taking extra caution when serving to those with allergies & intolerances.
For more info on common food allergies, please see food.gov.uk | For more info on coeliac disease, please see coeliac.org.uk | For more info on a vegan diet, please see vegansociety.com
4 responses
I have been using a banana loaf recipe from a lady I worked with in Toronto, many years ago. This is when banana loaf was unheard of in the UK. I agree with your tip – the blacker the better. I don’t buy many bananas but when my banana is “going”, I pop it into the freezer. I don’t peel it, as it already has a protective coat and when I have three in there, I can make the banana cake! When thawed, the banana will squish out like toothpaste!!
This was delicious, a definite hit with the family.
Although it didn’t rise as much as I expected or as in the picture.
Perfect! This is lovely and my family ate tne whole thing in 10 minutes! Will be a favourite . Thank you!
How can you make this gluten free please I would love to have a go at it.
I totally love all your recipes.
Merry Christmas