If you love green tea flavor, you need to try this easy and delicious matcha banana bread recipe. It’s as simple as mixing everything together and baking! No special equipment required. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.

I can’t count how many matcha recipes I have on this blog, but I never get tired of them. Matcha is surprisingly a super easy flavor to add to most baked goods. Just add a little bit of the matcha powder to your dry ingredients, and there you go! No real need to modify existing recipes, really. So if you have favorite banana bread recipe, go ahead and just add a few tablespoons of matcha to it, and you’re golden. If you don’t have a favorite recipe, then scroll down below to use mine!

What Matcha Should I Use For Baking?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions I get about my matcha recipes, and I am here to help. For baking, I highly recommend using a very strong and bitter matcha blend. Did you know that matcha comes in different blends with different flavor profiles, just like coffee? I tend to use lighter blends for drinking, as I don’t add any sweetener. To combat all the sweetness of baked goods, though, you really need a strong blend. I almost always use Maeda-en Universal Quality Matcha, which can probably be found at your local Japanese grocery store or on Amazon. It’s too bitter for me to drink but is perfect for baked goods.

This Maeda-en ceremonial matcha is also great for baking but it’s verrrry expensive

Please note that labels like “culinary” or “ceremonial” matcha don’t mean much, as they aren’t regulated at all. In fact, they’re not even labels used in Japan. You really have to go by taste (and potentially color) when it comes to matcha. For more information, check out my Ultimate Guide to Matcha post.

Options for Baking: Loaf Tin vs. Square Baking Tin

It’s pretty common to see banana bread baked in a loaf tin, and that’s what I’ve done for this recipe. I used an 8×4″ tin, but you could also use a 9×5″ as well. Please note that baking in a loaf tin takes a looooong time, about an hour. Be sure to test for doneness by sticking a toothpick or other skewer in the middle of your bread and seeing if it comes out clean.

Another option, though, is to bake your banana bread in a 9×9″ square baking tin. This is actually what Joanna Gaines does  in her first Magnolia Table cookbook. This would cut down on baking time by maybe 15 minutes.

Options for Ingredient Substitutions:

One thing to know about this recipe is that despite the strong matcha, this banana bread still turns out more brown than green. Typical banana bread is normally pretty brown from the oxidation of the bananas and brown sugar.

If you’re trying to get a more green bread, you can substitute all white sugar for the brown sugar. It still will be somewhat brown from the bananas, but it may lighten the color a little. I personally just prefer the taste of brown sugar for banana bread.

Another ingredient substitution you can make is plain yogurt for the sour cream. Either Greek yogurt or regular yogurt should work!

Sour cream or yogurt makes the texture suuuuper soft and moist

More Matcha Recipes

Looking for more matcha recipes? Check these out:

matcha banana bread
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Matcha Banana Bread

This matcha banana bread is just as easy as your typical banana bread recipe but with the added green tea flavor of matcha!
Servings: 1 8×4 inch loaf
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all purpose flour, 250g
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2-3 tbsp matcha, 12-18g
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 very ripe bananas, mashed, 400g
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, 142g
  • 1/2 cup melted butter, 113g
  • 1/3 cup sour cream, 80g
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 8×4" loaf pan can sub 9×5"pan as well

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8×4" loaf pan. Line with parchment paper if you want to remove bread completely from the pan after baking.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking soda, and 2-3 tbsp of very strong matcha. Use 2 tbsp for a mild flavor and 3 tbsp for a more prominent matcha flavor.
  • In a separate bowl, mix your wet ingredients: mashed bananas, eggs, brown sugar, butter, sour cream, and vanilla bean paste.
  • Mix wet and dry ingredients together until you have a batter with no dry lumps remaining.
  • Transfer batter to your greased and lined baking tin and bake for one hour. Check for doneness by sticking a wooden skewer down the center of your bread. If the skewer comes out with wet batter, continue baking until the skewer comes out clean, up to 10-15 minutes more.
  • Allow banana bread to cool to room temperature, then slice and serve.

Notes

  • white sugar can be subbed for brown sugar
  • plain yogurt or plain Greek yogurt can be subbed for the sour cream
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