Matcha Banana Bread

Matcha Banana Bread is soft, moist and marbled with earthy green tea swirls – and it’s much easier than it looks. The trick is to dissolve the matcha in a little buttermilk before stirring it into half the batter, so you get smooth, clear marbling with no lumps. Bake it in the oven or the air fryer!

You’ll also love my Air Fryer Banana Bread!

Banana and matcha might not sound like natural partners – until you try them together. Starbucks clearly agrees: their Iced Banana Bread Matcha was one of the most talked-about drinks of 2026. In cake form it’s even better. The sweetness of ripe bananas rounds off matcha’s slightly bitter, grassy edge, and every slice looks different.

This is my go-to banana bread batter with one small change. Half of it stays plain, and the other half gets a spoonful of matcha whisked into buttermilk. That’s it – no second recipe, no extra bowl of dry ingredients.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One batter, two colors: you only make one banana bread batter, then flavor half of it.
• No matcha lumps: dissolving the matcha in buttermilk first means it blends in smoothly, so you don’t have to over-mix.
• Oven or air fryer: I’ve included instructions for both.
• Stays moist for days: the oil and buttermilk keep the crumb soft.

Here’s What You Will Need

I bake this in a 2 pound (900g) loaf pan. If you’re using the air fryer, check that it fits comfortably in the basket before you start. Wider pans will give you a flatter loaf which may suit your air fryer better.

• Matcha powder – use a good quality, unsweetened matcha powder. Culinary grade is fine for baking.
• Buttermilk – this dissolves the matcha smoothly and adds just enough liquid to keep both batters the same consistency, so they marble evenly. No buttermilk? See the variations below.
• Bananas – the riper the better. Brown, spotty bananas are sweeter and mash easily.
• Vegetable oil – keeps the loaf moist for days. Melted butter or coconut oil work too.
• Large eggs – at room temperature, so they mix in evenly.
• Sugar – I’d recommend granulated or superfine (caster) sugar here. Brown sugar tastes great but darkens the batter, so the marbling won’t stand out as much.
• All-purpose flour (plain flour) – weigh it on digital scales if you can. Too much flour makes the loaf dry.
• Baking powder – make sure it’s fresh, especially if you don’t bake often.
• Vanilla extract or real banana extract for flavor.
• Pandan extract or green food gel – to boost the green color of the matcha (optional).

How to Make Matcha Banana Bread

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

Make the batter

1. Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl until smooth or blend in a food processor. Add the oil, eggs and vanilla and mix well, then stir in the sugar.
2. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt then fold the dry ingredients into the wet until no dry streaks remain. Don’t over-mix – use a light touch.
3. Divide the batter evenly between two bowls. If you want to be exact, weigh it.

1. Place the buttermilk in a small jug. Add the matcha powder and use a coffee frother or small whisk to combine.
2. Fold the matcha buttermilk into one bowl until the batter is an even green.

1. Spoon or pipe the two batters into a lined and greased 2 pound (900g) loaf pan, alternating the colors, then swirl. I’ve explained exactly how in the next section.

Bake in Oven or Air Fryer

1. Oven: preheat to 340°F (170°C). Bake on the middle shelf for 50–60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
2. Air fryer: preheat to 320°F (160°C) for five minutes. Bake for 45–50 minutes. Air fryers vary, so start checking after 40 minutes. Fill the pan no more than three-quarters full and make sure there’s clear space between the top of the pan and the heating element.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the internal temperature reaches 200–205°F (93–96°C). Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

Glaze and serve

1. The glaze is optional, but it makes the loaf look really special. Sift 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar (= icing sugar) with 1½–2 tbsp milk, a little at a time, until it’s thick but pourable.
2. Drizzle half of the glaze over the banana bread. Tint the remaining glaze with half a teaspoon matcha powder, whisking to dissolve.
3. Add the matcha glaze over the loaf and let it drip down the sides.

How to Get the Best Marbling

Marbling isn’t difficult, but a few small things make the difference between clear, bold swirls and a loaf that’s just vaguely green. Here’s what works.

• Dissolve the matcha first: matcha clumps when it hits batter. Whisking it into buttermilk means it blends in with just a few folds, so you don’t knock the air out of the batter or end up with dark green specks.
• Split the batter evenly: equal amounts of each color give you the most contrast in every slice.
• Use big spoonfuls: drop the batter in large scoops, alternating plain and green like a checkerboard. Alternatively, add the two batters in piping bags and pipe straight lines, alternating colors, in the pan.
• Build two or three layers: on each new layer, put green on top of plain and plain on top of green. This is what gives you color all the way through the slice, not just on top.
• Don’t over swirl!: push a skewer or butter knife right down to the bottom of the pan and draw two or three slow figure-eights along the length. Then stop! The batter keeps moving as it rises in the heat, so it does the rest of the work for you.

Matcha’s bright green softens in the heat of the oven, and the crust will always brown. For the best color, use a good quality matcha, choose white sugar over brown and don’t over-bake the loaf. If you’re after a really vivid green, add a tiny drop of green gel food coloring to the matcha batter.

Serving Suggestions

This is perfect with a cup of tea or an iced matcha latte. It’s also great lightly toasted and spread with butter – toast unglazed slices only, or the glaze will melt.

If you love baking with matcha, try my Double Berry Matcha Chiffon Cake or my Matcha Cake. And for another gorgeous green loaf, there’s my Pistachio Bread.

Variations

• No buttermilk: stir ¾ tsp lemon juice into ¼ cup (60ml) milk and let it stand for five minutes. Plain yogurt thinned with a little milk also works.
• All-matcha loaf: don’t divide the batter – just stir the matcha buttermilk into all of it. The flavor and color will be milder.
• White chocolate: matcha and white chocolate are lovely together. I’d add it as a drizzle on top, not as chips in the batter, so you don’t overfill the pan.
• Muffins: any batter that doesn’t fit in your pan can be baked as a few marbled muffins.

More Banana Bread Recipes

• Air Fryer Banana Bread
• Biscoff Banana Bread
• Chocolate Banana Bread
• Sourdough Discard Banana Bread
• Banana Bread Muffins

Frequently Asked Questions

It tastes like classic banana bread with a gentle, earthy green tea note. Because only half the batter is flavored, the matcha isn’t overpowering.

A good quality, unsweetened culinary grade matcha is ideal. You don’t need expensive ceremonial grade, but avoid sweetened matcha latte mixes. A brighter green powder gives a better color.

Matcha loses some of its brightness in the oven, and low quality or old matcha bakes to a dull olive. Use fresh, bright green matcha, choose white sugar over brown and don’t over-bake the loaf.

Drop large alternating spoonfuls of the two batters into the pan in layers, then swirl a skewer through in two or three figure-eights. Don’t overdo it or the colors will blend.

Yes. Bake it in a 2 pound (900g) loaf pan at 320°F (160°C) for 45–50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Yes. Stir ¾ tsp lemon juice into ¼ cup (60ml) milk and let it stand for five minutes, then use it in the same way.

Yes, a small amount, as matcha is powdered green tea. One tablespoon is shared across the whole loaf, so each slice has very little.

Troubleshooting