We found this one when a craving for banana bread hit. Of all the recipes we looked at, the Smitten Kitchen version stood out. It has been reliable, is pretty easy, and always fills the craving.
Ingredients
- 3 medium-to-large very ripe bananas
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks or chips
Method
Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Butter a 23×13 cm (9×5 in) loaf pan.
Mash the bananas in the bottom of a large bowl. Whisk in the melted butter, then the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.
Put the baking soda, salt, cinnamon (if using), flour, and cocoa in a sifter or fine-mesh strainer, and sift them over the wet ingredients. Cocoa is almost always lumpy, so don’t skip this; push the last of it through with the back of a spoon.
Stir with a spoon until just combined. Stir in the chocolate.
Pour the batter into the pan. Bake until a toothpick in the centre of the loaf comes out mostly batter-free, 55–65 minutes. A smear of melted chocolate is expected.
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Keeps up to 4 days at room temperature, wrapped in foil, and a little longer in the fridge.