In 2018, I had some of the best banana bread from @auntysandys along the Road to Hana in Maui. On my flight home, I started looking up recipes— including one from @foodlandhi— and baked a loaf as soon as I got back.

I had a specific texture and flavor in mind, but the results didn’t quite match, likely because I didn’t have access to the local bananas the recipe called for. So, I began tweaking—adding Greek yogurt, adjusting the butter, incorporating olive oil for extra moisture, and making other small refinements until I landed on a version I loved.

Once I had the base recipe down, I experimented with black sesame, which added a nutty depth to the classic banana bread. This is one of the pastries that I whipped up for my bakery popup in February 2025.

Black Sesame Banana Muffins with browned butter cream cheese frosting topped with a plantain chip

If you like black sesame, give these recipes a try:

banana and black sesame chiffon — Black Sesame Banana Chiffon

black sesame lady fingers — Black Sesame Banana Chiffon

Black Sesame Banana Muffin with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

A rich, nutty twist on a classic! These moist banana muffins are infused with earthy black sesame and topped with a luscious browned butter cream cheese frosting. Perfectly balanced between sweet and savory, they’re an elevated treat for any time of day.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 22

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 6 muffins

Equipment

muffin tin or baking pan
muffin liner or silicone baking cups

Ingredients

Banana Muffin

70 g unsalted butter room temperature
50 g cane sugar
50 g brown sugar
170 g very ripe bananas
10 g extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
30 g plain greek yogurt like the Fage brand
1/4 tsp kosher salt
20 g black sesame powder or seeds, toasted & ground to a powder
120 g all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

110 g unsalted butter room temperature
55 g Philadelphia cream cheese room temperature
160 g powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch fine salt

Toppings

dried plantain or banana chips
black sesame seeds, toasted

Instructions

Make the muffins

Cream together butter and sugars. Add in egg and beat until light and fluffy. Roughly mash in the bananas with a fork and then mix in oil, vanilla extract, greek yogurt, and salt.
Combine together the dry ingredients: flour, black sesame powder, baking powder, baking soda. Fold it into the wet mixture until evenly combined. Cover, and let the batter rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Prepare a muffin pan by lightly greasing the top surface and placing liners in every other cup to allow room for generous muffin tops.
Fill each liner with 85–90g of batter. Bake until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean– about 22 minutes.
Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wired rack to cool completely.

Make the frosting

Brown the butter and let it cool. Beat together with cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth and fluffy.
Generously spread frosting over each muffin, sprinkle with black sesame seeds, and finish with a crisp plantain chip on top.

Keyword cake

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