banana bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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My older son is headed into pre-finals week of his second semester of college, and when I think about studying, I think about comfort food and care packages.  So, even though I personally hate all things banana, sometimes I have to take one for the team and make something that the men in my household love. “Dead week” is one of those times since both my boys LOVE this recipe – especially when you throw in some chocolate chips (of course, they think everything is better with chocolate chips, and they’re not wrong).  If you are a banana lover, make this your go-to recipe for banana bread. The expert banana bread eaters in my family guarantee you’ll love it. ~Tracy

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ c. sugar
  • ½ c. stick butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ c. mashed ripe* banana (usually approx. 2 large or 3 medium bananas)
  • ½ c. buttermilk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 ½ c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 c. mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mash bananas in small bowl until they form a sticky paste – set aside.

Mix sugar and butter in a large bowl.  Stir in eggs, one at a time, until well blended.  

Mix in bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.

Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt just until all ingredients are mixed together.  

Gently fold in chocolate chips.

Pour mixture into two greased and floured loaf pans (8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½).

Be sure oven rack is centered so that the tops of bread is positioned in the center of the oven.  Bake on 350°F for approximately 1 hour, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean (I start checking mine after about 50 minutes).  If tops begin to brown too much before done, loosely lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the loaves until they finish baking.  

When done, cool for approximately 10 minutes before removing from loaf pans. Cool completely before slicing.  

*Bananas are best for banana bread when the skin begins to blacken slightly and the bananas begin to feel somewhat mushy.

Gold Standard Banana Bread

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I admit to making more than one recipe for banana bread.  This one though, is my favorite!  It is a time tested, tender, flavorful bread that can’t be beaten.  It has just the right amount of spice and perfect balance of banana flavor.  It mixes up just a little different than your average banana bread – maybe that’s one of the reasons that it really is the gold standard!   ~Kathy

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Ingredients:
  • ~1/3 c. whole buttermilk
  • ~1 tsp baking soda
  • ~½ c. butter, softened
  • ~¼ c. brown sugar
  • ~¾ c. sugar
  • ~2 eggs
  • ~2 ¼ c. all-purpose flour
  • ~½ tsp salt
  • ~¾ tsp cinnamon
  • ~¼ tsp nutmeg
  • ~1 ½ c. mashed banana (about 3 large ripe bananas)
  • ~1 tsp vanilla

Instructions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 325˚. Grease and flour a 9 inch loaf pan; set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together buttermilk and baking soda; let stand for 5 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy, about 3 – 4 minutes, scraping sides as necessary.
  4. Add eggs, one at a time.
  5. Mix in vanilla.
  6. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  7. Add flour mixture, buttermilk mixture, and banana to the butter mixture.
  8. Beat on low speed until combined.
  9. Pour into prepared loaf pan.
  10. Bake about 1 hour and 10 minutes, until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
  11. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes; loosen sides by sliding a butter knife around the edge, if necessary.
  12. Remove from pan to wire rack to cool completely.