I feel like I say this almost every time I write about baking, but the truth is, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the occasional cookie or brownie, but overall I’m not that person that craves candy or cake. In reality, I’d take a wheel of cheese over something sweet any day my lactose intolerance be damned.
But banana bread holds a special place in my heart. I’m the weirdo who will intentionally buy more bananas than I know I’ll eat in a week so I can make banana bread later on. Chef is the same way–his favorite ‘cake’ is strawberry shortcake, but when it comes to banana bread or zucchini bread he can eat half a loaf in one sitting.
To me, banana bread is one of those perfect snacks to have on hand. It’s not overly sweet-so I can justify eating it for breakfast or putting some Nutella on it for dessert, It’s super quick to make-which makes me a happy camper, especially since you can make this recipe using just one bowl, and it stays fresh for days…not that it ever lasts that long.
This recipe also doesn’t require anything that you wouldn’t have on hand to begin with. Butter? Check. Flour? Check. Sugar? Check. Leaveners? Check. Eggs? Check. Bananas? Heck yes. Don’t worry though, that doesn’t mean that this your average dried out banana bread either. For such a simple recipe you end up with a very tender loaf that stays fresh for days instead of crumbling apart.
I decided to try baking these in a normal loaf pan, I decided to use these adorable mini Dutch ovens that my mom got us for Christmas and they came out better than I could have imagined. Each round is equal to about 4 pieces of bread from a regular loaf. If you are going to bake in a normal loaf pan, just add 10-15 minutes onto the cooking time.
So if you’ve got some bananas sitting around that are rapidly losing their yellow peels for a spottier brown peel, give this recipe a shot! I promise you won’t be disappointed!
Here’s what you’ll need (recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)
2 cups (280 g) All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking power
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 extra large egg, 1 extra large egg yolk
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 4-5 medium sized bananas or 3 large bananas)
1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (112 g) melted butter
1 cup chocolate chips
Here’s what you do:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease four large ramekins or two loaf pans with butter and flour and set aside.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. (If you’re feeling lazy and only want to use one bowl, you can add this into the banana mixture at the end.)
Combine the mashed banana, sugar, butter, and eggs in a large bowl and whisk until combined.
Add the dry ingredients into the banana mixture (this is where you would measure the ingredients into the bowl if you wanted this to be made all in one bowl), and mix.
As the batter comes together add the chocolate chips. Continue to fold the batter until no lumps remain and the batter is smooth (aside from any banana chunks).
Divide the batter into the ramekins or loaf pans evenly. I placed my ramekins on a sheet tray that I had lined with aluminum foil to make transitioning the pans from the counter to the oven and back easier. Place in the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. When the bread gets golden brown on top, use a toothpick to check the if the bread is cooked through. If only a few crumbs stick to the toothpick it’s ready to come out of the oven. If it’s covered in batter still, give it some more time.
Let the banana bread cool completely and remove from the loaf pan or ramekins.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease four large ramekins or two loaf pans with butter and flour and set aside.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. (If you’re feeling lazy and only want to use one bowl, you can add this into the banana mixture at the end.)
Combine the mashed banana, sugar, butter, and eggs in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Add the dry ingredients into the banana mixture (this is where you would measure the ingredients into the bowl if you wanted this to be made all in one bowl), and mix. As the batter comes together add the chocolate chips. Continue to fold the batter until no lumps remain and the batter is smooth (aside from any banana chunks).
Divide the batter into the ramekins or loaf pans evenly. I placed my ramekins on a sheet tray that I had lined with aluminum foil to make transitioning the pans from the counter to the oven and back easier. Place in the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. When the bread gets golden brown on top, use a toothpick to check the if the bread is cooked through. If only a few crumbs stick to the toothpick it’s ready to come out of the oven. If it’s covered in batter still, give it some more time. Let the banana bread cool completely and remove from the loaf pan or ramekins.