You know those questionable-looking bananas that are sitting on your counter? Prepare to use them to make a loaf of decidedly delicious banana bread. Banana bread can literally fit into any meal category you want—breakfast, snack, dinner, dessert— so the options are endless! Furthermore, you can argue that it’s healthy because, duh, it has fruit in it. But plain banana bread is so boring—so prepare to step up your game with our best friend, chocolate. Then you can argue that it’s even more healthy because chocolate has antioxidants. You’re welcome.
You can find the original, boring banana bread recipe here. Below are the more exciting and delectable steps that will lead you to 14 servings of bliss.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
3 mashed, very ripe bananas
⅓ cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
½ cup chocolate chips (or more, depending on your preference)
Cooking spray
With this recipe structure, you have several deviations you can choose:
- Make half the flour you use whole wheat flour for an added fiber boost. You can jump all in and use all whole wheat flour, but it might be more dense than you prefer.
- Decrease the sugar to ¾ cup, if you want to make it a little healthier. It won’t make a difference because the bananas sustain the sweetness of the bread.
- Substitute ¼ cup softened butter for the ¼ cup vegetable oil
- Use whatever type of yogurt you want. Greek, full-fat, vanilla, blended fruit variety, or whatever takes your fancy… or what’s in your fridge.
- You don’t have to use the cinnamon or vanilla. You don’t even have to use the chocolate if you don’t want to, although you’ll break my heart.
- Use different types of chips: butterscotch, semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate, peanut butter, etc
- Make muffins instead of a loaf
Preparation
In a medium-sized bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cocoa powder, stirring with a whisk.
Place sugar and oil in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer (or your hardworking manual whisk), until well-blended. Add the eggs, and beat to combine well.
Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla, and beat until blended.
Add flour mixture and combine until everything is evenly combined and moist.
Spoon batter into an 8 ½ x 4 ½-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Even if the pick is moist at the 1 hour mark, I usually still go ahead and take it out and let it sit for about 10 minutes in the pan, and then it’s just fine.
Remove from pan, cool on wire rack, and then dig in, darlings.
