Chocolate Banana Bread
This is the perfect use for those "near-death" bananas. When they look black and overripe, their starch has converted into sugar, which means more moisture and a deeper flavor for your bread.
Since you're adding chocolate, I've included a recommendation for cocoa powder and chips to make it truly "chocolate" banana bread.
Chef Darren Perera’s Chocolate Banana Bread
The Prep Work
Yield: 1 Standard Loaf (9x5 inch)
Oven Temp: 350°F (175°C)
Total Time: ~60–70 minutes
Ingredients (Converted to Grams)
IngredientMeasurement (Grams)
Unsalted Butter (Room Temp) 57g
Vegetable oil (1 Tbsp) 14g
Ripe Bananas (approx. 5 small/medium) 500g - 550g
Brown Sugar155g
Large Eggs (2)~100g
Plain Yogurt 85g
Vanilla Extract (2 sticks/pods or approx. 2 tsp liquid)
All-Purpose Flour 225g
Baking Soda 5g
Salt 2g (a healthy pinch)
Chocolate Chips 100g
Instructions
Prep the Pan: Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray. You can also line it with parchment paper for an easy "lift-out" later.
Mash the Bananas: In a medium bowl, mash those 5 bananas until they are a liquidy pulp. Set aside.
Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the butter (57g) and brown sugar (155g) until fluffy.
Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla. Once smooth, stir in your mashed bananas.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the flour (225g), baking soda (5g), and salt (2g).
Combine: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Stop as soon as you see no more white streaks. Over-mixing makes the bread tough!
The Chocolate Touch: Fold in your chocolate chips if using.
Bake: Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes.
Pro-tip: Test with a toothpick. If it comes out with wet batter, keep baking. If it has a few moist crumbs, it’s done!
Storage
Let it cool completely before slicing (if you have the patience). This bread actually tastes even better the next day once the moisture has redistributed.
