Chocolate Banana Bread

Oooey-gooey opulent with pockets of melted chocolate or a simple chocolate banana loaf...delicious either way

Classic banana bread, but with a chocolate twist. You can load up a loaf of this with chocolate chips, chocolate wafers, or a roughly chopped good chocolate bar, and nuts if you want something really opulent with gooey pockets of chocolate, but it’s also lovely as a simple chocolate banana loaf. I started adding cocoa powder to my banana bread to tempt my banana hating daughter to try it. It didn’t work (she’s a stubborn one) but I loved it. There’s something about that banana-chocolate combo that really works. And it doesn’t make it too sweet. All I do is add unsweetened cocoa powder to my classic banana bread - no extra sugar needed. So… maybe it’s even healthier? I mean, unsweetened cocoa powder has lots of antioxidants and is rich in flavonoids, which can help lower blood pressure…

If you’re going the add in route, you could go with any type of chocolate chip (dark, semi-sweet, milk, white.…) Chocolate wafers will give you nice big pockets of chocolate. I like these Guittard ones. For nuts, I would go with pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts. If you want to be really extra, you can roast them in a 350 oven for about 10 minutes before adding them to the batter (let them cool first) to bring out their nuttiness.

chocolate banana bread with Guittard wafers

Either way it’s a perfect way to put sad bananas to good use. The kind of thing you can bring to a neighbor’s house or to work that feels like a special homemade treat… or keep it on the counter for an afternoon snack - no one will ever be mad about chocolate banana bread.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 very ripe bananas (about 1.5 cups)

• 3/4 c sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 c unsalted butter, melted

• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 c flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (1/4 cup for a more subtle chocolate flavor)

• 1 cup chocolate chips/wafers and/or nuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and butter or oil a loaf pan. I like to also line the bottom with parchment with tow ends hanging out for easy removal…like this:

2. In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas with a potato masher or fork.

3. Stir in sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla and salt.

4. Add flour, cocoa powder and baking soda and stir until combined. Don't over mix.

5. If adding chocolate chips and/or nuts, gently stir in until just combined.

6. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for about 60 minutes. If you stick a tooth pick or knife in the center it shouldn't be wet when you pull it out.

7. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from pan and slicing.