Banana Bread with Chocolate or Nuts (Printable)

Soft, moist banana bread perfect with chocolate chips or walnuts for breakfast or snacks.

# Ingredient List:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Fruit

08 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cups)

→ Optional Add-Ins

09 - 3/4 cup chocolate chips OR 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Mix in the mashed bananas until well combined.
06 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing gently until just combined.
07 - Fold in chocolate chips or nuts, if using.
08 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
09 - Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
10 - Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly moist without being dense or heavy
  • You can probably make it right now without a special grocery run
  • The add-ins let you customize it for whoever is hanging around your kitchen
02 -
  • Overripe bananas with black spots are ideal because they are sweeter and mash more easily
  • Overmixing once you add flour makes bread tough, so stop as soon as everything combines
  • The toothpick test should come out with moist crumbs, not completely clean, for perfect moisture
03 -
  • Use a light-colored pan if you have one, dark pans can cause the edges to overbake before the center is done
  • If your bananas are not quite ripe enough, bake them in their skins at 350°F for 15 minutes to soften and sweeten
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