Inspired by a local San Francisco coffee shop, this banana bread coffee is creamy, fruity, delicious, and spiced for the perfect blend of nostalgic flavor. It’s banana bread in a drink and reminds me of a comforting breakfast! It’s super easy to make with 4 ingredients.
Here’s how to make this delicious banana bread coffee at home!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a childhood favorite in a drink!
- Super customizable drink: add nuts, cold foam, more banana, etc.
- It’s an easy iced coffee recipe to practice at home.
- A creative twist on iced coffee with an easy recipe.
What is a Banana Bread Coffee?
This delicious banana bread coffee is actually inspired by a local coffee shop in San Francisco called CoffeeShop (ironic, right?). They serve this really delicious spiced banana coffee made with cold brew, oat milk, banana, and spices. It’s thicker and filling, with a subtly sweet banana and spice flavor.
The first time I had it, I was blown away. I didn’t realize a banana coffee could taste so good! And it’s made with real banana, not artificial flavoring! I knew I had to recreate it at home (I can’t be spending $8 on a coffee often, haha).
This banana bread coffee has real banana, spices, but uses brewed coffee instead of cold brew, and regular milk. It’s a spin-off of the ever-so-famous banana bread, but in liquid form with a coffee twist!
What is in Banana Bread?
Banana bread typically has bananas, flour, eggs, spices, vanilla, and sometimes mix-ins like walnuts or chocolate. It’s a very simple bread to make (throwback to Covid quarantine days) and tastes incredible, especially with a little bit of brown butter or flaky salt.
This coffee has a spiced banana milk made with almost all the exact same ingredients, sans flour and eggs. It tastes super similar to the real deal, but doesn’t have that light airiness or eggy quality.
Do Coffee and Banana Go Together?
Surprisingly, coffee and banana go really well together. Did you know that coffee actually comes from a fruit (the coffee cherry)? Because of how it’s processed, coffee beans take on a somewhat fruity flavor depending on how long they soak in the fruit pulp. It can taste citrusy or jammy, which pairs perfectly with a banana’s creamy and tropical vibe.
Banana also tends to be a stronger flavor than something like fig, but it holds itself well against coffee, which can overpower lighter flavors. Banana milk and iced coffee have been a thing, especially in Korea, with its famous banana milk. So, it tastes especially delicious when made with fresh banana!
What Does Banana Bread Coffee Taste Like?
Surprisingly, banana bread coffee tastes like oatmeal to me! It’s got that slightly thick texture from the mashed bananas, the cinnamon kick, and dairy. Obviously, it’s not chunky or chewy, but it has that breakfast oatmeal vibe (or even a granola bar flavor) with a nice coffee flavor.
For me, banana is a very comforting flavor because it was in a lot of desserts and breakfast goodies growing up. So, this coffee tastes very nostalgic and cozy, even when iced.
What Spices to Use
Traditionally, banana bread uses ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, but any version of these or even allspice is perfect for this recipe. Use whatever spices you like for this coffee! I recommend using more cinnamon and nutmeg in this drink since that’s what most banana breads have, but I love the kick from pumpkin spice.
I love using pumpkin spice as a spice catch-all because it already has cinnamon and nutmeg in it. The ground ginger and allspice add a nice flavor layer, which gives it a little more warmth and depth.
If you love spiced drinks, you need to try this delicious pumpkin spice milk.
How to Make Banana Bread Syrup
This recipe blends banana into milk for the best, freshest flavor and thick texture! But you can also use banana syrup for flavor. There are two ways to make banana syrup: macerated or cooked.
For macerated syrup, cut up your bananas and add them to a jar. Then, add the same amount of sugar by weight to the cut bananas. Let the banana and sugar hang out for a couple of hours until the moisture inside the fruit has drawn out. This is the liquid gold you’re looking for! The banana syrup will be pure banana juice with sugar. Then, add your spices!
For cooked syrup, you can either roast banana slices with a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon in the oven before blending them into a syrup. Roasting deepens the caramelized flavor! You can also add the ingredients to a small pot with water and simmer on the stove until thickened.
Store the syrups in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks!
How to Brew Iced Coffee
You can use any brew method you like for this recipe. If you use a pour-over method, the resulting drink will be less strong than using cold brew or coffee concentrate. It gives a more refreshing taste and is less heavy!
Cold brew is more flavorful and bold, so you’ll have a nice balance of banana to coffee, perfect for sipping. You can even use instant coffee if you’re in a pinch, so no brewing required!
How to Make Banana Bread Coffee
You’ll need:
- Banana Bread Milk
- ½ banana
- 1 cup milk
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp pumpkin spice
- Banana Bread Coffee
- 1 cup brewed coffee
- 1 cup ice
- ½ tsp sweetener (optional)
- ⅓ cup banana bread milk
Banana Bread Coffee Recipe
- Brew 1 cup of your favorite coffee using your preferred method. Cold brew or pour-over coffee works best. Cool slightly before use.
- Peel a banana and add half to a blender, with spices and milk. Blend banana milk for 10 – 20 seconds until smooth. Make sure to use a slightly larger cup so there’s space for the milk to froth up.
- Add ice and brewed coffee to a separate glass, then add banana bread milk to taste.
- Mix and enjoy!
Other Iced Coffee Recipes
This banana bread iced coffee is so good and filling when you want something healthy and energizing. There are so many amazing iced coffee recipes that feature yummy ingredients that you have to try. Here’s some inspiration for your next sip:
- Honey cold foam iced coffee
- Salted maple iced shaken espresso
- Salted maple cold foam cold brew
- Caramel iced coffee
- Vietnamese iced coffee
Easy Creamy Banana Bread Coffee
Ingredients
Banana Bread Milk
- ½ banana
- 1 cup milk
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp pumpkin spice
Banana Bread Coffee
- 1 cup brewed coffee
- 1 cup ice
- ½ tsp sweetener optional
- ⅓ cup banana bread milk
Instructions
- Brew 1 cup of your favorite coffee using your preferred method. Cold brew or pour-over coffee works best. Cool slightly before use.
- Peel a banana and add half to a blender, with spices and milk. Blend banana milk for 10 – 20 seconds until smooth. Make sure to use a slightly larger cup so there’s space for the milk to froth up.
- Add ice and brewed coffee to a separate glass, then add banana bread milk to taste.
- Mix and enjoy!
Tips:
- Use a Ripe Banana: For the sweetest drink, use a ripe banana, one that has a brown or brown-spotted peel. You’ll get the best flavor and have the most natural sweetness!
- Use Only Pumpkin Spice: If you only have one spice, use pumpkin spice. It’s technically a bunch of spices altogether for an easy way to flavor pumpkin pie filling. But it includes cinnamon and nutmeg, which are key flavors in banana bread and in this coffee!
- Blend All Together: If you don’t want to wash extra dishes, just add your brewed coffee to the spiced banana milk and blend it altogether in the blender. You’ll use fewer dishes and save yourself some time!
- Infuse Milk With Toasted Nuts: For an extra fancy touch, simmer milk with toasted walnuts or pecans for 10–15 minutes, then strain. You can even blend it slightly for an extra nutty flavor. This adds a subtle nutty richness like the real deal (the nuts are my favorite part of banana bread).
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