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Black Sesame Banana Bread

This ultra-moist banana bread features a dramatic swirl of nutty black sesame paste running through every slice. The roasted sesame flavor pairs beautifully with ripe bananas for a bakery-style loaf that’s rich, fragrant, and strikingly marbled.
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Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:50 minutes
Total Time:1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 1 Loaf (8-10 Slices)

Ingredients

Banana Bread Batter

  • 3 very ripe bananas mashed
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ½ cup melted butter or neutral oil avocado, algae, or melted coconut oil
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon optional

Black Sesame Swirl

  • ½ cup sweetened black sesame paste
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons milk to loosen (mixture should be thick but pourable)
  • pinch salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  • Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • Make the Sesame Swirl
  • In a small bowl whisk together: black sesame paste, milk, pinch salt and stir until smooth and slightly pourable. Add a little more milk if needed.
  • Mix the Wet Ingredients
  • In a large bowl whisk together: mashed bananas, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil
  • Then Add: eggs, vanilla, Greek yogurt
  • Whisk until smooth and glossy.
  • Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
  • Drizzle half of the black sesame mixture over the batter.
  • Use a knife or skewer to make large, deep swirls.
  • Add the remaining batter.
  • Drizzle the rest of the sesame paste over the top and swirl again, dragging the knife deeper to create dramatic marbling through the loaf.
  • Bake 50–60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
  • If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil after 40 minutes.
  • Let the bread cool in the pan 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
  • Cool at least 45 minutes before slicing so the swirl sets.

Notes

Tip for beautiful slices:
Use very ripe bananas and let the loaf rest an hour before cutting—this keeps the crumb moist and shows off the stunning black sesame swirl.