You know my motto. Waste Not Want Not. I noticed four bananas in our fruit bowl that had certainly seen better days. So rather than throw them away I began to think about how to use them. I wanted something different from the usual banana bread or cake. And I am beginning to use up items in my pantry before we begin our snowbird Northern migration next month. So I decided whatever I made would NOT require a trip to the store to buy anything else.
I came across a recipe for Chocolate Banana Bread, but that recipe called for chocolate chips. I didn’t have those, but I had some dark chocolate bars with sea salt. (I break those bars up and serve on a charcuterie board with Cabernet. A great flavor combination.) And, by the way, check out my hand in this photo. I promise I do not have cooties…that’s a dusting of flour on my palm! 🙂
I chopped up those candy bars and added them to the batter.
I used a serrated knife to chop the candy bars and the nuts. That trick will keep those ingredients from flying all over your kitchen. Try it. It really works!
The original recipe called for three bananas…but since I had four in the bowl I thought what the heck. And I threw them ALL in! I added a little more flour to compensate for the added banana and I hoped it would all work out in the end. And next time I might substitute coconut oil for the melted butter and canola oil. I love to experiment with different flavors!
I also tossed the nuts in the extra flour. (That keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the batter.)
And the end result proved it was a good idea to keep those overripe bananas around for one more day.
That bread was more like a cake. A fudgy, nutty, fruity cake that used what I had on hand.
I learned not to waste food from Mom, and I think she would have been proud of this concoction.
Chocolate Banana Walnut Bread
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Flour
- 1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
- 2 tsps. Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3 Medium Bananas
- 1 Large Egg
- 1/4 Cup Melted Butter
- 1/4 Cup Canola Oil
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar (Lightly Packed)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 Cup Walnuts (Chopped)
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 in. loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder baking powder and salt. Whisk together and set aside. In a large bowl mash the ripe bananas. Add the slightly cooled melted butter, canola oil, vanilla and egg. Stir until combined. Whisk in the brown sugar. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together, but do not overmix. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out mostly clean. (Make sure the toothpick doesn't land in a chocolate chip when testing.) Once fully baked remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely before slicing and serving. ENJOY!
Leave a Reply