Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
I stopped mashing my bananas smooth a while ago. Lazy at first, then on purpose. A few lumps the size of a fingertip turn into soft, jammy streaks in the crumb, and the loaf stays tender for days instead of going dense in the middle. The bananas have to be really freckled, almost black in spots, or the bread tastes flat no matter how much sugar you throw at it.
The other thing I learned the hard way: don’t slice it hot. I did once, and the knife dragged melted chocolate through the whole loaf and squashed the center flat. Give it an hour on the rack. The chips pressed on top stay glossy, and the edges get crackly and caramel-brown. We eat it for breakfast with coffee, sometimes toasted with a little butter.
This chocolate chip banana bread is a one-bowl loaf. No mixer needed. Melted butter and brown sugar give it a soft, close crumb and a deep golden top, and it bakes in about 55 minutes in a standard 9x5 pan. Wrapped tightly, it keeps 3 days on the counter or 3 months in the freezer, already sliced.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment paper, leaving the ends hanging over the long sides so you can lift the loaf out later.
- Peel the bananas into a large mixing bowl and mash them with a fork. Stop while there are still a few small lumps; they turn into soft banana streaks in the baked loaf.3 medium very ripe bananas
- Pour in the melted butter, then add the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture looks glossy and the sugar has mostly dissolved, about 1 minute.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Sprinkle the flour, baking soda and salt over the wet mixture. Fold with a rubber spatula just until no dry streaks remain. The batter should be thick and a little lumpy; overmixing makes the loaf tough.1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- Fold 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips into the batter. Scrape it into the prepared pan, smooth the top, then scatter the remaining 1/4 cup of chips over it and press them in lightly.3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- Bake on the center rack for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (melted chocolate doesn't count). If the top browns too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it after 40 minutes.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out by the parchment and set it on a wire rack. Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing into 10 pieces.
Nutrition
Notes
Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off; scooped flour packs in and makes a dry, heavy loaf. Milk chocolate chips or chopped walnuts can stand in for half of the semisweet chips.
You might also like our Easy Homemade Pound Cake.
used 3 bananas that were basically black and left them lumpy like you said. those little banana streaks are the best part. loaf was gone in two days at our house