Chocolate and bananas

Sometimes I’ll see a recipe that I want to try, and I can’t get it off my mind until I buy the ingredients and make the dish. Or, in this case, the bread!

Last week I was looking at Rachael Ray’s website because I wanted a skillet she was using on a recent show and hoped to see it somewhere on her site (I didn’t). What I did find, though, was a list of the most popular and newest recipes to her site. At the top of the most popular list was chocolate chip banana bread.

I have several banana bread recipes I make from time to time for my family, and I’ve always wanted to try a version with chocolate chips. I had two large and very ripe bananas at my house, so I decided to make the recipe when I got home from work.

I only changed the recipe a little. I used self-rising flour instead of all-purpose and dropped the baking soda, and I decreased the sugar from 1 cup to 3/4 cup and added 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

The bread smelled so good as it baked, and I couldn’t wait to try it. Turns out it was as delicious as I expected. The chocolate chips are a nice complement to the bananas, and the bread is very moist.

I decided to make it a second time this week, this time using a little whole wheat flour. I also used mini chocolate chips the second time. That version was very good as well. It wasn’t as moist hot from the oven, but the next day, it was plenty moist and flavorful.

Both versions are delicious for a mid-morning snack!

The recipe creator at Plan B Mom blog also makes this recipe as muffins and has included the baking directions.

I’d love to try this recipe sometime with a mix of peanut butter and chocolate chips.


Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 bananas, mashed (1 cup mashed banana)
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a 8 1/2-inch x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan (or use baking spray, such as Baker’s Joy brand).

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix in the oil, bananas and eggs. Stir in the chocolate chips (do not overmix) and pour into the prepared pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 70-80 minutes. Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely, right side up.

To make as 12 muffins, cook in muffin tins at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Start checking after 30 minutes.

Plan B Mom


NOTES: The first time I made this, I used self-rising flour and omitted the baking soda and salt. The second time, I used 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour and used the baking soda and salt. Both times, I reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup and added 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Also, my bread cooked much less than the time here. It was almost burning on the outside at 50-55 minutes but wasn’t cooked through in the middle. I lowered the temperature to 325 and cooked for another five to 10 minutes. So watch carefully while baking.