Never let those overripe bananas go to waste. I freeze them and use them for smoothies instead of ice or as in this case, use them for a chocolate chip banana bread. I am still learning but I really try to use the food before it goes to waste. Now bananas are not much of a stretch. Chocolate chip banana bread is probably one of the desserts that most people should start with as they learn to cook. It is pretty hard to screw this up. It is a very forgiving recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 large, very ripe bananas
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup butter
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9″ × 5″ × 3″ baking pan well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and cinnamon.
Melt the butter in the microwave until it’s thoroughly melted. Set it aside at room temperature to cool, but don’t let it solidify again. Using a potato masher, mash the bananas in a mixing bowl.
Add the vanilla extract to the mashed bananas. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and then add to the banana mixture. Pour in a little bit of the melted butter at a time into the egg mixture.
Stir well. Repeat all the butter is all incorporated. Side note, do n0t add the butter while hot to the banana mixture or the butter will cook the eggs. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ones and mix briefly. Do not over-mix. The batter will be visibly lumpy. That is the design. Fold the chocolate chips into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake 50 minutes. Use a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf to see if it comes out clean.
Once cool, the cake should drop out when inverted. You might need to take a knife along the outside to loosen a little.
Cut, serve and enjoy!
Karen @ The Food Charlatan
I freeze old bananas too! we’re geniuses.
Chef Peter Block
I will accept your assessment of our smarts and I am going to show this to my wife. 🙂