Chocolate Banana Bread recipe

Oh.  My.  God.

Over at Fun and Food Cafe, there is a recipe for a really lovely twist on “what to do when your bananas turn dark brown and mushy when you’re not looking.”   By happy coincidence, today as I discovered that post I also realized that the mushy bananas my husband said he would freeze a week ago were still sitting in the fruit bowl on the counter. And they were past mushy by now, they were actually verging on liquid. (Eew, I know.) So I figured this would be a good day to give it a shot.

(Y’all know, don’t you, that if you peel, chunk, and freeze bananas when they’ve just turned too ripe to eat normally, they are wonderful for smoothies, right?)

I tweaked it a bit for healthiness reasons and because my hubby doesn’t do nuts…but still, Yow. Serious goodness here.  And it was unbelievably easy.

Chocolate Banana Bread (updated 10/10)

In a large bowl mix, in order:

• 3 or so mushy overripe bananas, slightly mashed
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup neutral oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix well–I left some chunks in the bananas, but you could use a mixer and get it nice and smooth if you wanted.

Add all at once (best is to mix dry ingredients in one bowl and then add them to the wet; I never do.)

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup white flour (or use all whole wheat flour)
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa (up from 1/4 cup)
• 3/4 cup sugar (up from 1 cup)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Mix just until blended; don’t overmix or your dough will be tough.  Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips and/or 1/2 cup toasted nuts, stir till just incorporated.

Bake in greased loaf pan at 350 for 55-60 minutes. Let cool, if you can stand the wait, and remove from pan.

This is SERIOUSLY good.  I should also clarify that the chocolate chips make a really significant contribution to the difference between “delicious” and “ohmigod.”  But this is really good.  I bet you could go 100% whole wheat flour in this and it would be no less awesome…next time.

Because, yes, there will be a next time.