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 it’s 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 sere some easy swaps you can make to turn this into a vegan Biscoff Banana Bread too.
What is Biscoff Banana Loaf?
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.
How do you make Biscoff Banana Loaf?
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 affect. Then – for the ultimate biscoff banana bread experience – top with some crushed biscoff biscuits, before baking to perfection.
Where can I buy Biscoff spread?
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 do 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 tired Biscoff before and aren’t sure if you will ever finish the jar.
Alternatively, you can of course order Biscoff spread from Amazon.
Ingredients:
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 a 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 compliments 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, that allows your cakes to rise as it bakes. 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 over all.
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.
Granny's Top Tips
• 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 and 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 it’s 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).
Love this? Try this:
Ingredients
- 2 Bananas
- 140 g Caster Sugar
- 55 g Butter or Margarine ((softened))
- 1 Free-range Egg ((beaten))
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 170 g Self-raising Flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 3-4 tbsp Biscoff Spread
- 2-3 Biscoff Biscuits ((optional))
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 190°c (170°c for a fan-assisted oven) and grease & line a 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 second to soften it slightly. Drizzle a couple of spoonful's over the batter in the loaf tin before adding the remaining batter on top.
- Drizzle the remaining Biscoff spread to 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 pre-heated oven for around 40 minutes until golden on top. Leave to cool in the loaf tin and serve in slices.
Notes
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 it’s 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 accdientally vegan, so no extra streps are required for these.
2 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.