Black Pepper Banana Bread with Madagascar Peppercorn Olive Oil
This isn't your grandmother's banana bread — and that's exactly the point. A generous pour of our Madagascar Black Peppercorn Olive Oil takes a beloved comfort classic and gives it a warm, subtly spicy backbone that makes every slice genuinely interesting. The pepper doesn't announce itself loudly; it just lingers in the best possible way, playing off the sweetness of the banana and the warmth of the cinnamon and nutmeg. Slice it thick, serve it with a cup of Red Rooster coffee, and watch it disappear.
Recipe: Black Pepper Banana Bread with Madagascar Peppercorn Olive Oil
Makes one 9x5 loaf
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baker's spice or ground cinnamon
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
2 large eggs, beaten
1½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
1 cup sugar
½ cup Madagascar Black Peppercorn Olive Oil
¼ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and pepper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine beaten eggs, mashed bananas, sugar, and olive oil until smooth.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients all at once. Stir by hand until just moistened — the batter should still be a little lumpy. Don't overmix.
Fold in the walnuts, then spoon batter into the prepared pan.
Bake 55–60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top begins browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 15–20 minutes.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove. Wrap tightly and let rest overnight before slicing — the texture and flavor improve significantly by the next day.
Serving Ideas:
Sliced and served alongside a cup of Red Rooster whole bean coffee
Toasted with a drizzle of honey and a thin spread of good butter
Paired with fresh ricotta and a drizzle of Fig Balsamic for a more sophisticated presentation
Makes a beautiful hostess gift wrapped in parchment and tied with twine
Why We Love It: The Madagascar Black Peppercorn Olive Oil is one of our most versatile — and most underestimated — infused oils. Most people think of it as a savory finishing oil, but in baking it adds a complexity that's genuinely hard to replicate any other way. This bread is the best proof of that we know.
