Banana Bread
Have you ever opened your fridge and found those overripe bananas staring back at you, their speckled skins making them look less than appealing? Instead of tossing them out or forcing yourself to eat them while holding your nose, why not transform them into something magical? This Banana Chocolate Loaf is the perfect way to give those neglected bananas a delicious new life.
In our household, my wife, Natasha has a charming habit of buying bananas and then conveniently forgetting about them. So they end up looking like this—brown, mushy, and seemingly unappetizing. But over time, I've learned that these overripe bananas are actually a blessing in disguise.
Recipe
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 2 cups)
½ cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the pan
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
Add-ins:
100 grams dark chocolate, chopped and divided
½ cup chopped walnuts, plus 2 tablespoons for topping
Method
Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 175°C. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with a bit of vegetable oil or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
Mash the Bananas: In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas thoroughly with a fork until smooth. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your loaf will be.
Combine Wet Ingredients: Add the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the mashed bananas. Whisk everything together until well combined and smooth.
Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and sea salt.
Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; this ensures a tender and moist loaf.
Fold in Chocolate and Nuts: Fold in half of the chopped dark chocolate (50 grams) and the ½ cup of chopped walnuts into the batter.
Pour into Pan: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the remaining dark chocolate and the 2 tablespoons of walnuts evenly over the top.
Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few melted chocolate streaks are okay).
Cool and Serve: Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy!
