Hey subscribers--it's been a while! With my birthday last weekend and starting my second summer job, things have been very busy! That being said, I'm so glad you're here. You won't want to miss this recipe.
For those of you wondering who Jodi is...Jodi is my wonderful aunt from Portland. She is one of the funniest people I know, and I love when she is able to visit MN. She also has a reeeallly delicious recipe for banana bread.
I love enjoying this banana bread for a breakfast treat or a yummy snack. For any of my vegan friends out there or anyone who wants to try out a vegan recipe, check out the 'variations' section of this blog post for ingredient substitutions.
Ingredients (makes 1 loaf of banana bread or 18 muffins)
- 1/2 cup of softened butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 ripe bananas
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
How to make it
- set butter out to soften about 30 minutes before you start
- preheat oven to 350 degrees
- mash the 3 bananas using a fork until softened
- combine butter, sugar, eggs, and bananas in a bowl
- mix until combined
- add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined (do not over mix)
- add chocolate chips and mix until chips are evenly distributed
For loaf banana bread
- pour batter into greased loaf pan
- bake in oven for 40-50 min
- use a tooth pick to check if bread is done by sticking it into loaf (if it comes out clean it is done, but if there is batter stuck to it, it needs to bake longer)
For banana muffins
- pour batter into muffin tins, fill each mold about 3/4 full
- bake muffins for 20 min
- take out of oven and let cool
Finished product
For next time...
I think it would be fun to try a taste comparison test between this recipe and the vegan recipe substitutions (see below!!). If I find time to do this, I will definitely get back to you all about how the two recipes compare. In regards to what I would do differently next time--there isn't really anything specific. My aunt, Jodi, perfected this recipe before sharing it with my mom and me.
Variations
My family often has banana bread with chopped up nuts (walnuts or pecans) in it. Also, if you are not a huge chocolate person, you can leave the chocolate chips out of your recipe.
If you are looking for a vegan way to make this banana bread--I've got you covered!!
- use 1/2 cup of vegetable oil or coconut oil as a substitute for the 1/2 cup of butter
- use 1/2 cup of cooked bean liquid or apple sauce as a substitute for the 2 eggs
Fancy bananas!! One fun variation is to bake the bananas to really bring out their flavor. To do so, you will need to roast the bananas in a buttered pan with lime juice and salt (and any other favorite warm spice ex: chili pepper, cinnamon). I recommend using an extra banana or two because they shrink when roasted. Place the bananas in the oven for 30 min at 400 degrees. Once the bananas are roasted you can add them to the banana bread recipe.
All in all
Whenever we make banana bread at my house, we often make a small loaf and then bake the rest as muffins. This works great because then we can enjoy the loaf, and put the muffins in the freezer to enjoy at a later date if not eaten immediately. Also be sure to use fully ripe or overripe bananas in your recipe for the most delicious results. The bananas should have significant dark spotting on their peels.
Happy Wednesday, enjoy!!
