Meghan Markle's Zesty Twist on Banana Bread Inspired Our New Favorite Recipe

Not only is Meghan Markle a proud feminist and fashion icon, but she’s also a whiz in the kitchen. As part of their royal tour, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had afternoon tea with a family of fifth-generation farmers in Dubbo, Australia, and Meghan baked a fresh loaf of banana bread in the Admiralty House kitchens to bring as a gift.

Since then, the world has gone bananas! But according to The Australian Women’s Weekly’s food director Frances Abdallaoui, the global banana bread craze was in full swing even before Meghan’s humble home-baked offering. “Banana is, after all, the world’s No. 1 fruit, and making banana bread is the perfect use for over-ripe bananas. The reference to bread is somewhat misleading though, it’s really just a cake in a loaf pan, albeit not quite so sweet,” she says. And if Meghan’s baking has inspired you, we have the perfect recipe for you to try.

Like many things she does, Meghan put her own spin on banana bread with some additional ingredients. “The Duchess of Sussex’s version of banana bread is a triumph,” says Frances. “I love that she’s added chocolate chips and a hint of ginger, which I’m sure our Aussie ginger farmers would be applauding.”

She added, “The Australian Women’s Weekly test kitchen has nailed the perfect banana bread recipe and to emulate the Duchess of Sussex, stir through two tablespoons of finely chopped, crystalized ginger (or one to two teaspoons of ground ginger) and ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips into the batter.” Check out the full recipe below.

Ingredients

4 oz. butter, softened
1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 2/3 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt flakes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted walnuts
2 Tbsp. of finely chopped crystalized ginger (or 1 to 2 tsp. of ground ginger)
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8-cup loaf pan; line with baking paper.
Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until paler and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until just combined, and then mashed banana and maple syrup.
Sift over flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the walnuts, chocolate chips, and ginger, and stir with a large spoon until combined.
Spoon into pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave in pan for 10 minutes before turning top-side up onto a wire rack to cool.