Published on June 19, 2025

When cleaning out my freezer recently, I found a ziplock bag stuffed full of frozen peeled bananas. The freezer is the place where my good food intentions often go to die. I store all kinds of things in there with well-meaning plans to reheat and eat that rarely come to fruition. But this time, I wasn’t going to let those bananas go to waste. After I brushed off the ice crystals, it was time to bake some bread.

I pulled up my go-to recipe and started pulling out the ingredients. This recipe is as simple as it gets, and I usually add a splash of vanilla extract, a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a handful or two of chocolate chips or walnuts, depending on my mood. But this time, I felt like spicing up my usual loaf a little bit more.

Then I remembered a tip from New Orleans pastry chef Bronwen Wyatt of Bayou Saint Cake. In her Substack newsletter, she included a recipe for an incredible Sweet Potato Flan that I made last fall. The flan, like my banana bread, is made with cinnamon and other warm spices. Wyatt said that coffee pairs well with flavors like these, and suggested adding a little espresso powder to the custard. I filed this gem away in the back of my brain and somehow it resurfaced right as I was stirring up the banana bread batter.

“Why not?” I thought. I added to the batter, and crossed my fingers. I typically use the ingredient to enhance chocolate desserts, like brownies, and I didn’t know what it would taste like paired with bananas.

Espresso powder is made from strong brewed coffee that has been dehydrated and ground into a powder, so that it can dissolve in hot water. Instant coffee is different because it comes in granules and is less intensely flavored. If you thought it was finely ground espresso beans, you’re not alone.

I let the freshly baked loaf cool a bit before I cut off an end piece to try. At first, I didn’t detect the flavor of espresso, but I noticed that the bread tasted a little less sweet. After a few more bites, I got a hint of it, along with the cinnamon. It wasn’t a prominent flavor, but it was there in the background.

I love banana bread, but no matter how many ingredients you add to it, banana is a dominant flavor, which makes the bread a little one-note. Espresso powder gave it a little complexity and depth that wasn’t there before. And more importantly, it made the banana bread—which is typically very sweet because of the overripe fruit and sugar—taste totally balanced.