top of page
Search

Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

  • Writer: Hunnie
    Hunnie
  • Aug 27, 2024
  • 4 min read

Updated: Mar 16



I never made banana bread during the pandemic. Wasn’t that a phase before sourdoughs and keeping the yeast alive? I don’t see myself diving into that one either. Mainly because I kill every house plant, and I think keeping yeast alive would fall in a similar bucket for me. But hopefully, enough time has passed since the banana bread moment, and you’ll want to try out my chocolate chunk banana bread.

 

For the bananas, they need to be ripe. I'm talking about brown-black ripe. Someone might not even realize they’re bananas anymore if they didn’t look close enough for the small amount of yellow that’s left. Use those kind of bananas. Ripe bananas are softer and sweeter, which is essential since we’ll be relying on them for sweetness.

 

I wouldn’t say this recipe is the healthiest thing to eat. But a nice little “treat yo self” and things could definitely be worse. We are using bananas and whole wheat flour, so that’s a win. I like to fold in some dark chocolate and pieces of a dark chocolate with nuts too (going with the Trader Joe’s dark chocolate hazelnut bar here).

 

But before the recipe let’s talk coconut oil, dark chocolate and bananas, shall we?



 

Coconut Oil

Oil from a fruit, so totally fine, right? Not exactly. Coconut oil is about 90% saturated fat, which is more than butter (about 64% saturated fat). Too much saturated fat is unhealthy because it raises “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. However, coconut oil also raises “good” HDL cholesterol, but it really isn’t as healthful as other plant-based oils such as olive oil or soybean oils, which are mainly made up of unsaturated fats. 

 

Dark Chocolate

Compared to milk chocolate (and white chocolate), dark chocolate has less sugar and fat. Dark chocolate also has flavanol antioxidants. Studies also show that dark chocolate enhances your mood. I wouldn’t say eating dark chocolate is healthy, but it is a healthier option if you want a sweet treat.

 

Bananas

We’ve all been there – mid-workout, suddenly struck by a muscle cramp. And then we’re told to eat a banana. Why? To boost your potassium intake, which will help stop future muscle cramps. Bananas do have potassium, but they would not even be on the medal stand for high potassium foods. According to the USDA, bananas don’t even crack the top 1,000 foods with the most potassium; they’re chilling at number 1,611, right behind Reese’s Pieces. Yes, Reese’s Pieces. So you are actually way better off eating beans or sweet potatoes to increase your potassium intake. Isn’t that a weird thing for the banana PR team to lie about? Bananas are fruit, so by no means am I saying they are “bad”. They have fiber that will improve digestion, vitamin C for immune health, and vitamin B6 for improved metabolism and nervous system health. One banana will give you about a fourth to a third of the vitamin B6 you need in a day, so it looks like B6 should be the angle bananas should be using to promote their health benefits…and definitely not potassium.

 

Now for the recipe.



 

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium ripe bananas (the darker, the better)

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil

  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter

  • ¼ cup honey

  • 2 eggs, room temperature

  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1.5 cups whole wheat flour

  • ½ tsp baking soda

  • 3 tsp ground cinnamon

  • ½ tsp non-ionized salt

  • ½ cup of a nut dark chocolate bar, chopped (I love using Trader Joe's dark chocolate with hazelnut)

  • ½ cup dark chocolate chips

  • Extra honey, butter, and/or peanut butter for serving

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a loaf pan. If using a spray, make sure to use a baking spray when greasing, since this has flour while original PAM spray does not.

2. Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl. Ripe bananas will also be easier to mash.

3. Stir in the melted coconut oil, melted butter, honey, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.

4. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.

5. Fold in the chopped nut dark chocolate and chocolate chips.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.

7. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. It’s a good idea to flip the pan after 20 minutes so the front of the bread is now facing the back of the oven. Your oven is not a consistent temperature so this will help your bread bake evenly.

8. Let the bread cool for about 20-30 minutes (if you can wait). Inhale and exhale all the delicious air in your kitchen.

9. Suggestion to serve with a smear of extra honey, butter, or peanut butter. Enjoy!

 

Refrigerate to store. I love a reheated slice in the microwave the next day.



Educational Sources:

 
 
 

Comentários

bottom of page