If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably got at least two really dark bananas adorning your kitchen counter right now.
I always buy bananas with the best intentions… eating them when they reach the perfect shade of yellow (which, according to Dole’s ‘Greengrocers Guide to Bananas’, is Pantone color 12-0752, otherwise known as ‘Buttercup’ yellow.) This almost never happens.
More often than not, I split a perfectly ripe banana between my kids at breakfast and they conveniently overlook it and go for the peanut butter toast and/or silver dollar pancakes instead. What to do, what to do?
Make. This. Banana. Bread.
I’ve experimented with a crap-ton of banana bread recipes over the years, with varied results. This particular combination of cinnamon and dark chocolate compliments the sweetness bananas perfectly. I’ve also found that using brown sugar, rather than granulated, produces a moister bread with a slight ‘molassesy’ flavor.
In my opinion, banana bread perfection, folks.
Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Bread
(makes one 9 x 5″ loaf)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 ‘overly’ ripe bananas (mashed with a fork to smooth consistency)
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I’ve also had great results with coconut oil)
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs (room temperature)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (or chunks)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5″ loaf pan with butter and set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, oil, almond milk, honey and eggs and beat until combined. Add the mashed banana and stir until just combined.
Add the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined (don’t over mix). Gently fold in the chocolate chips, and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour – 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for around 20 minutes, then gently remove it by inverting it on to a plate or cutting board. Allow the bread to cool to room temperature before slicing (If you can wait that long. It smells pretty amazeballs.)
My kids devour this banana bread. Odd are, yours will too.
If you’re feeling generous, spread on a little peanut butter. They’ll probably offer to feed the dog, help fold laundry or even wash your car afterwards.
OMFG. SO GOOD.
omfg. so good. 