New year no sweets? Please. That lasted about a day. And halfway through the month, let’s just call the whole thing off and make a staple bake: chocolate chip banana bread!
My mom used to send me Rachael Ray banana bread at school, and I forced people on my floor to eat it too so I wouldn’t eat it all—a.k.a. how I made friends in college. Thanks, Mother!
I loved it so much (and needed more friends, let’s be honest) so I started baking it myself at school. It is such a satisfying snack or dessert (or tonight’s dinner!).
In case you still aren’t convinced to try this superhero bread, it contains no dairy! How ~udder~ly terrific.
A crowd pleaser! It is consistently delicious and very easy to bake.
Make sure to use very ripe, browning bananas for the best result. Whenever I use yellow bananas, the bread comes out much denser and takes longer to bake. With ripe bananas, it takes around 55 minutes, and it results in a lovely moist texture every time.
(And believe me, I’ve tried many a time.)
I start checking on it at the 50-minute mark. When it's done, the top should be slightly brown, and the toothpick should come out clean--or the only thing on it should be chocolate. If the toothpick has yellow batter, stick it back in for a bit longer.
Not to take any attention away from the wonderful original recipe by Rachael Ray (lady, why don’t you get your own show?!), I personally think the bread tastes best when I halve the number of chocolate chips, allowing more of the banana flavor to come through. Even with fewer chocolate chips, I promise it is more than sweet enough, as the batter is already pretty sweet.
Now go enjoy your banana bread bonanza!
Original Recipe:
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour a 8 1/2-inch x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan (or use baking spray).
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the oil, bananas, and eggs. Stir in the chocolate chips (do not over-mix!) and pour into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 60-80 minutes. Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely, right side up.