Spent Grain Banana Bread: Moist, Malty, and Baked With Brewday Depth

Spent Grain Banana Bread is rich, soft, and loaded with flavor — a cozy bakery classic leveled up with the nutty texture and subtle malt sweetness of spent brewing grain.

It’s perfect for using up extra mash from a brew day, overripe bananas on the counter, and a morning or midnight slice that tastes like it came from a craft beer kitchen.

Ingredients (Makes 1 standard loaf)

Dry Mix

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup spent grain (wet, well-drained, finely chopped if coarse)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)

Wet Mix

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup melted butter or neutral oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Optional: 2 tbsp beer (amber ale or brown ale — smooth and malty)

Optional Add-ins

• ½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans)
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• ¼ cup shredded coconut or dried fruit

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat & Prep

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or line a standard loaf pan.
• In one bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
• In another, mash bananas and mix with sugar, butter/oil, eggs, vanilla, and optional beer.

Step 2: Mix the Batter

• Stir spent grain into the wet mix.
• Fold in dry ingredients until just combined — do not overmix.
• Add nuts, chips, or extras if using. Batter will be thick.

Step 3: Bake

• Pour into loaf pan and smooth the top.
• Bake 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serving Suggestions

Serve With

• Whipped butter or IPA peanut butter
• Toasted with honey or cream cheese
• On a brunch board with fruit, nuts, and a beer jam
• As French toast with a bourbon-barrel stout drizzle

Storage

• Keeps 3–4 days covered at room temp, up to 1 week in fridge
• Slices freeze well — toast straight from frozen

Beer Pairing

In the Loaf

• Optional splash of brown ale, amber, or cream ale
• Avoid IPAs or sours — bitterness and acid clash with banana and malt

In Your Glass

• Brown ale or porter for full nutty, malty match
• Blonde ale or wheat beer for a light contrast
• Milk stout with a chocolate-chip loaf
• Vienna lager or doppelbock with a nut-filled slice

Final Thoughts

Spent Grain Banana Bread is everything great about baking and brewing coming together — moist, flavorful, and just rustic enough to remind you it started with a bucket of barley.

It’s easy, flexible, and the perfect way to give your grains (and bananas) a second life. Cheers to toasty crumbs, golden crusts, and beer in every bite! 🍌🍺🔥

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