Banana Bread - 2 ways
Banana bread has to be one of the most iconic breakfast foods of all time, but the one that you rarely see on a menu somewhere, right? You say the word banana bread and instantly you can transport your tastebuds to the familiar flavor of a sweet, rich, and delicate banana bread. I can also see the very distinct color of banana bread - dark brown on the outside with the most perfect, sticky top (that you just want to pick off and eat) + kind of speckled when you cut into it. It’s a food I kind of just had a craving for this past month, so I’ve been buying more than necessary amounts of household bananas in hopes that they’d over-ripen + the opportunity to make banana bread would land in my land. My plan worked and it unlocked this whole new level of morning baking + morning fun that I needed. Sipping my morning coffee, whipping up some fresh banana bread + letting it cook while I got my workout in, the sweet smell spreading through the whole house - it was a 10/10 experience. So much so that it motivated me to get up very early on a Monday to get in a super early workout, and do it all again. Having Banana Bread (2 ways) to show for it. One that was pretty classic, sweetened with maple syrup + a handful of walnuts mixed in (my favorite) and the other a chocolate banana bread with melt-y chocolate on the inside, so gooey + decadent it was giving pastry vibes.
Pure bliss
As an adult, making banana bread with some ready to use bananas on hand in charge of the banana bread making, there are a lot of decisions to make. Walnuts? Chocolate chips? Go crazy healthy + use no sugar at all? The last one is so not for me, but adding walnuts + chocolate chips brings equal amounts of joy to the banana bread for me.
The 1st banana bread is a classic. Lots of ripe bananas for that signature banana sweetness to really pop in every bite. I used maple syrup to sweeten it up, and that’s kind of my ingredient moment right now. We are not a pancakes + waffles house, but I’ve kind of loved adding a teaspoon of it to ice coffees or using it in desserts. Your girl is a maple girl, and adding it to banana bread was perfect! A little maple + lots of walnuts - you got yourself a classic loaf!
Chocolate banana bread - the back story
Now the chocolate banana bread. This was a means to a solve a problem, and that problem being I current have the weirdest chocolate protein powder in my cupboard. I love a protein smoothie - some chocolate protein powder, a frozen banana, maybe a little pb2 if I’m feeling crazy. But this particular protein, which is loaded with protein, just tastes so weird. Literally not sweet at all + tastes like straight cocoa powder. It’s super chocolate-y, but has this weird taste that makes me think “should I be drinking this?” It’s so odd, and it needs sweetness, so I used it in banana bread in place of cocoa powder. And holy crap the result was 10/10!
I took a chocolate banana bread recipe that looked good enough to me, made sure that cocoa powder was an ingredient, and simply swapped in this chocolate protein powder. It was backed up by all the good things - lots of overripe bananas, brown sugar, and a heaping cup of some really good chocolate chunks. It was chocolate-banana heaven. The chocolate chunks are gooey + melty, and having a warm slice of bread with a hunk of melted dark chocolate oozing into the bread is just a perfect breakfast experience.
Make it a morning bake
The highlight of the experience in both instances was making this banana bread alone in my kitchen, first thing in the morning, with a warm cup of copy. Honestly, the perfect baking activity to go with the morning routine. It’s simple, fun, doesn’t create this big huge mess, and if you’re like me and throwing it in the oven while you sneak in a workout, you’ll be totally motivated to get through the workout knowing there is sweet, warm, homemade banana bread wait for you. It was something so simple that made me feel like I was really maximizing my Sunday, and a fun treat to shake things up on a Monday.
For the maple banana bread
4 over-ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 c. canola oil
1/4 c. maple syrup
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 c. walnuts, chopped
for the cinnamon butter: mix a stick of butter with 2 tbsp maple syrup, a 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, and an 1/8 tsp of nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Finish with a healthy pinch of sea salt
Preheat the oven + prep your loaf pan for baking - spread a thin layer of canola oil on the surface area of the pan + sprinkle flour over the top. Dump any excess flour from the pan.
Let the loaf cool in the pan for 30 minutes before running a bread knife along the sides + removing the loaf from the tin.
Add the bananas, oil, and maple syrup to a large bowl + use a hand-mixer to mix on medium speed. Add in the eggs + vanilla, mixing until everything is combined. Add in the flour + remaining dry ingredients, mixing until you have a smooth, well combined batter. Last step is to fold in the walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish + bake for 50-60 minutes. The loaf should pass the toothpick test when it’s fully baked.
Serve warm with a glob of the cinnamon butter. It’s perfect!
For the chocolate-protein banana bread
4 over-ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 c. canola oil
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. flour
1/2 c. chocolate protein mix (I used Pro-Mix protein powder)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
Preheat the oven + prep your loaf pan for baking - spread a thin layer of canola oil on the surface area of the pan + sprinkle flour over the top. Dump any excess flour from the pan.
Add the bananas, oil, brown sugar, and maple syrup to a large bowl + use a hand-mixer to mix on medium speed. Add in the egg + vanilla, mixing until everything is combined. Add in the protein powder, flour, baking soda + salt, mixing until you have a smooth, well combined batter. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish + bake for 50-60 minutes. The loaf should pass the toothpick test when it’s fully baked.
Let the loaf cool in the pan for 30 minutes before running a bread knife along the sides + removing the loaf from the tin.
Serve warm to enjoy all the melty chocolate goodness.
