Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This one’s for you banana bread lovers out there…

…of which I am not one. It’s one of my shameful foodie secrets. I’ve tried loving banana bread, I really have. And I don’t hate it. I just don’t LOVE it.

So when I saw this recipe that includes cinnamon and chocolate chips (two of my favorite things!), I thought that this would be the open door into me loving all banana baked goods…muffins, breads, and cake, oh my! (well, actually I love banana cake, so that doesn’t really count.)

Overall this cinnamon chocolate chip banana bread had awesome texture and flavor, and the whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat) made it dense (read: hearty and filling) without being heavy.

The cinnamon almost made it a touch too intense—in some ways, I felt like the recipe would be better with EITHER the chocolate chips or cinnamon—but both worked really well with the banana. So while it didn’t change my mind, it IS probably the best banana bread I’ve had.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and butter and flour or spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan or mini loaf pan.

Peel and mash your bananas. I’ll spare you the picture of the mashed bananas.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the egg, mashed bananas, yogurt, and vanilla, and stir everything together.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones, until just combined, all wet and shaggy-like.

Stir in the chocolate chips. Your batter will be thick and lumpy and messy, which is totally normal.

If you’re using nuts, stir them in here as well. I’m just not a big nut person in desserts.

Pour the mixture into the pan and level off with a spatula. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

If the top of the loaf cracks down the middle, this is probably a sign the bread is done. If you’re using a mini loaf pan, you’ll want to reduce the baking time, more like 35 to 45 minutes.

Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. If the top of the loaf cracks down the middle, this is probably a sign the bread is done.

If you’re using a mini loaf pan, you’ll want to reduce the baking time, more like 35 to 45 minutes.

That looks pretty much perfect.

Allow the bread to cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool. Since I needed to take it to work the next day, I just left it in the pan and served it that way—easier to transport.

Even though it still didn’t bowl me over, I definitely can’t deny that this was a great recipe. The flavors were subtle and the whole wheat flour gave it such a great texture and also made it heartier.

Other twists on banana bread you’ll love:

Yields 1 loaf (or 4 mini loaves)

2 cups of whole wheat or white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, at room temperature & cut into cubes
1 large egg, beaten
3 large, overripe bananas, mashed
3 tablespoons of plain yogurt
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
Optional: 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour or spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan or mini loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Then mix in the beaten egg, mashed bananas, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones, until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick and lumpy, which is totally normal.

Scrape the mixture into the pan and level off with a spatula. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. If the top of the loaf cracks down the middle, this can be a sign the bread is probably done. If you’re using a mini loaf pan, you’ll want to reduce the baking time, more like 35 to 45 minutes.

Allow the bread to cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. I just left the bread in the pan and served it that way, since it was easier to transport.

Original recipe from Pastry Affair

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