Yummy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Baking can be a wonderful hobby or even a stress reliever for many, particularly when making banana bread, the ultimate comfort food.

I will share a banana bread recipe that I got from a coworker over two decades ago. It’s moist, delicious, and effortless to make.

I’ve made it countless times for my family over the years. My husband, who dislikes zucchini bread, is a huge fan of this banana bread.

I’ve tried a lot of different banana bread recipes over the years, but this one is a family favorite.

Banana Bread Recipe

Wet Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1 cup sugar

• Two eggs (whipped)

• 1 tsp milk

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/3 cup bananas (3 to 4 bananas)

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Procedure

1. Mash the bananas well. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl.
2. In another bowl, add the dry ingredients.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
4. Add the chocolate chips and/or nuts at the end if desired.
5. Pour into greased, powdered loaf pan.
6. Bake for 1 hour 10 mins, but check periodically.

Tips

• It’s best to use overripe bananas in any banana bread recipe. When the bananas have brown spots on them, they are sweeter and softer. The starch in bananas is converted to sugar when it ripens. It makes them easy to mash and results in a tender, naturally sweet loaf of bread.

• Mash the bananas well before adding them to the rest of the ingredients to ensure that the banana flavor is evenly distributed throughout the batter.

• Make sure to separate your wet and dry ingredients. Always combine the dry ingredients with the wet to avoid pockets of dry flour in your batter.

• When combining the dry and wet ingredients, use a spatula to fold them together gently. As a result, the bread will be extra tender.

• Overmixing the batter will lead to a dense and rubbery loaf.

• When adding eggs to the wet ingredients, whisk thoroughly after each addition to ensure that the egg is distributed evenly throughout the batter.

• Make sure you add just the right amount of flour. If you add too much flour to your banana bread, it will be stiff and dry. On the other hand, your banana bread will be too wet if you use too little flour. It’s all about sticking to the recipe’s proportions and finding the sweet spot.

• Other nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, can be used in place of the chocolate chips in this recipe. Alternatively, you can omit the chocolate chips and nuts if you prefer. My family is a chocolate-obsessed bunch, so we like our banana bread with chocolate chips.

• Make sure to grease your baking pan properly.

• Make use of butter or oil. Sprinkle a layer of flour over the baking pan after greasing it, and your banana bread will come out quickly.

• This recipe calls for 1 hr 10 mins of baking time, but you can check it as early as 55 minutes. When you see some moist bread sticking to your tester toothpick, it’s done. Remove from the oven as soon as possible!

• Allow the banana bread to cool completely on a wire rack or a plate before refrigerating it.

• Banana bread stays fresh well wrapped in plastic or a sealed container on the counter for up to three days. If you prefer to freeze it, allow the bread to cool completely before wrapping it in foil. Then seal it in a freezer bag, and store it in the freezer, where it will keep well for three months. To defrost, place it on the counter to thaw.

We generally savor this yummy bread with a glass of milk or a cup of tea. It can be served as a snack, dessert, or breakfast. Enjoy!

This story originally appeared on Medium.