Since we are all being asked to stay at home, I have found myself doing more planning before going to the grocery store. After all, I have to be strategic in getting ingredients since I shouldn’t be making frequent trips to pick up whatever I need for a day or two, but instead, buying everything that I might need that week, as long as it is in stock.
Since grocery stores are having trouble keeping certain items on the shelves, you never know what you are going to find. I also don’t want to let any food at home go to waste. I guess my Depression-era Grandmother’s “waste not, want not” mindset has come into play, so when I see something in my kitchen about to go bad, I find a way to use it.
So when I saw that I had 3 bananas that had approached the “just past yellow, veering into more spotted” phase, I figured I should make some banana bread. So I pulled out my trusty The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book to find a good recipe. Since I am not a huge fan of walnuts, but happened to have half a bag of chocolate chips in the cabinet, I made some minor switches to that recipe. I also used Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt. The rest of the ingredients are pantry staples for the most part, so this is a great recipe to use when you find yourself with more bananas than you can eat.
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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Makes 1 loaf – 10 servings
- 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large very ripe bananas, mashed well to make 1 1/2 cups
- 6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup whole or low-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with baking spray, or grease and flour it. I used a 9 5/8 inch by 5 1/2 inch loaf pan, but this PTFE/PFOA/BPE-free loaf pan would work too.
2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, combine the mashed bananas, melted butter, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla together. Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips. You can use whatever chocolate chips you have on hand. I happen to love dark chocolate chips, especially with bananas.
3. Using the rubber spatula, transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake about 55-60 minutes, rotating after 30 minutes. It is done when the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached. Or, if using a baking thermometer, it is done when the thermometer turns bright red when inserted in the center of the loaf.
4. Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn it out and continue cooling on a wire cooling rack for at least 1 hour before serving.
This loaf should be stored tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, or in a cake carrier, for up to 4 days.
If you are looking for another easy quick bread recipe, check out my Irish Soda Bread. My Earl Grey Pound Cake can also be made in a regular loaf pan.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Equipment
- Loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (5 ¼ ounces)
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 large very ripe bananas (mashed well to make 1 ½ cups)
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter (melted and cooled) – ¾ stick
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup whole or low fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 5/8 inch by 5 1/2 inch loaf pan with baking spray, or grease and flour it.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.2 cups all-purpose flour, ¾ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, ¾ cup granulated sugar
- In a medium bowl, combine the mashed bananas, melted butter, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla together.3 large very ripe bananas, 6 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 large eggs, ¼ cup whole or low fat plain Greek yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.¾ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- Using the rubber spatula, transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake about 55-60 minutes, rotating after 30 minutes. It is done when the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached.
- Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn it out and continue cooling on a wire cooling rack for at least 1 hour before serving.
