Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Hello, Cravers!

Intro: An emerging Fujairah based food blogger, exploring the spice of adulting while being a housewife and a mom. Like other moms always in a rush trying out easy food recipes and giving my family cooked-at-home wonders while making my Insta family crave at Craving Zone (the_cravingzone on IG).

Chocolate banana bread is one of the quickest recipes. Overripe bananas are simply mixed with some pantry staples you already have in your hands and Voila! your super moist and mildly sweet banana bread is ready.

What do you do with bananas that are ripening right before your eyes? Here is an easy way to use up the bananas that are getting black on the countertops of your kitchen or those brown one thrown in the back of the fridge. So just peel them off and start mashing them for making the delicious banana bread from scratch.

Mix-ins & options for Banana Bread:

• Chocolate chips
• Dried and roasted fruits
• Coconut flakes
• Some spices like cinnamon or nutmeg
• Colorful sprinkles or powdered sugar
• Butterscotch chips
• Cinnamon chips
• Nutella
• Peanut butter
• Zucchini
• Frozen or canned berries
• Pecans, raisins, and walnuts

Quarantine Baking:

During this ongoing pandemic all around the world we try to make sure that our families have a clean and safe environment and especially the food being prepared at home. Hence my choice while being quarantined at home now a days is only home-made comfort food for my family. The Chocolate Banana Bread despite being low-key still seemed to be the comfort food to have it on a rainy day with some combination of Dalgona Coffee alongside or hot chocolate drink, whichever you prefer to calm the depressed era now a days in this quarantine 2020.

How to ripen bananas fast:.

• Microwave: One way to quickly ripen your bananas is to put them in the microwave with the peel for about 30 to 40 seconds, let it cool it must be hot.
• Warm places: You can simply put bananas at warm temperature area of your house for couple of days.
• Paper bag: Using paper bag can also help in ripen bananas just put them in the bag with loose top fold and leave it for few days.
• Oven: Putting bananas in the oven can help you in developing the natural sweet flavor of overripe bananas.

Banana bread storage:

Chocolate chip banana bread recipe makes one loaf. This recipe is so friendly that you may use three or four bananas according to your family’s love for bananas. Also, you have liberty to use either white or brown sugar to make it extra healthy. Whatever combo you choose, this bread would finish so fast that you could consider doubling the recipe specially if you want to freeze it or share it. Banana bread freezes beautifully in individual slices by wrapping them with some cling film and placing them into an airtight container in the fridge and can be stored for up to 3 months. This is my forever go to recipe when I need some banana goodness.

Ok, let’s move onto the recipe of this marvelous bread which comes with some simple ingredients already in your pantry. Enjoy!

Chocolate chip banana bread

• Course : Breakfast
• Prep Time  : 15 minutes
• Total Time : 1 hour 15 minutes
• Servings : 8 servings
• Author : Craving Zone

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (125g)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (60g)
• 1 tsp baking soda (6g)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (2g)
• 1/2 tsp salt (3g)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (150g)
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature (113g)
• 3 or 4 ripe bananas (1^1/4 cup puree about 300g)
• 4 oz sweet chocolate chip (120g)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (5g)

Garnish:

• chocolate chips/chunks

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a 9” x 5” (23cm x 13cm) loaf pan. Line the bottom and sides with butter paper.
2. In a bowl mix flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
3. In a small bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork or beater.
4. In a large bowl, using an electric handy mixer, mix butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs and mix well. Add vanilla extract in the mashed bananas.
5. With mixer on low speed or with the help of spatula add the flour mixture from step2. Add and stir chocolate chips.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips on top. Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes and then cool completely onto a cooling rack or just enjoy the hot slices.

 Pro Tips:

• As with the quick breads do not over mix.
• Make sure your bananas are fully ripped (black banana).
• Be careful with your oven temperature as it varies according to oven type.

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