Super-Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread
This super-moist chocolate chip banana nut bread is so quick it’s in the oven in 20 minutes! Mini-loaves make great gifts for neighbors – but don’t forget to save one for yourself!
Don’t you love a rainy Sunday when all you want to do — and all you have to do — is snuggle up on the couch with a cat, a cup of hot tea, and a slice of super-moist, hot, buttery chocolate chip banana nut bread?
Especially following a hectic Saturday filled with running around to multiple home-improvement stores trying to find a portable air tank, settling on an air compressor that plugs into the cigarette lighter in the car, and bringing it home only to discover the tire doesn’t hold air at all.
We have the BEST neighbor though who not only lent us his jack and wrench thingy, he toted off the bad tire to his shed, found the nail, reamed the tire, and plugged the hole. Yup. Great neighbor. I told him that “super-handy neighbor” was listed as an perk when we bought the house.
I wanted to thank him with a mini-loaf of chocolate chip banana nut bread, but I already thanked him with some banana bread last summer after he loaned us some garden tools, and gave him banana bread for Christmas. I think he thinks that’s the only thing I know how to make. But it’s just so good that I keep making it, so I frequently have some on hand when someone needs a giftie. Plus, unlike some of the recipes I’ve posted here so far, it’s FAST. Quick meals, you may notice, are not exactly my forte.
I made this batter in ONE bowl, and it was in the oven within probably 20 minutes. Fast. Easy. Very little cleanup. Perfect for when you just want to have that sweet, moist, melty goodness in your mouth RIGHT NOW because let’s face it, it’s been a tiresome day and you don’t feel like cooking. And it’s so unbelievably banana-y and yummy (did I mention moist?) that you’ll want to eat a whole loaf in one sitting.
I usually make this chocolate chip banana nut bread in a set of three mini-loaf pans
There’s usually at least one person in your life who would love to be thanked with a homemade treat, and by making three, you get to keep at least one loaf for yourself. Plus, they’re CUTE!
If I haven’t won you over on mini-loaves yet, you can also make this in one 9×5″ loaf pan, but it’s much less cute, and you have to probably wait at least an extra 10 minutes or so for it to bake before you can eat it. Ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat.
So yeah, after a busy Saturday dealing with a flat tire, it was great Sunday to have our day of rest to listen to the rain and eat nice hot cake chocolate chip banana nut bread. (Hey, if it’s bread, you can have it for breakfast!)
Okay, now onto the business of things.
Just how ripe should your banana be?
Is your brown gross-looking banana TOO ripe? Probably not. Anywhere from very spotty to nearly-black is a good banana for this bread in my book. If it’s not actually moldy, and it doesn’t completely flop over at the top when you hold it about a third of the way from the bottom, it’s probably great.
See, as your banana over-ripens, the sugars develop and enhances the banana flavor. When you use a ripe banana like you’d want to eat straight-up for breakfast, you don’t have that concentrated Essence of Banana like you do when it’s well past its prime. The best bananas for banana bread are the ones that are starting to look slightly translucent when you peel it. These are some bananas that are perfect for this recipe.
I’ve missed out on many a good banana by saying I’ll make this bread in a couple days and then missing my chance before it’s a total goner. BUT — If you’re not deluding yourself into thinking you will bake tomorrow if you won’t, you can freeze the bananas after peeling them and use them later. They will look gross when you thaw them, and might be a little watery, but that’s okay. The bread won’t know how ugly they are, only how delicious. Plus, then you can save your nasty bananas one at a time as you forget to eat them during the week, and when you accumulate three in the freezer, then you can celebrate because it’s banana bread time, baby!
Related items:
Super-Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 over-ripe bananas
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease one 9x5" loaf pan or three 3x5.75" mini loaf pans.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars until smooth and fluffy. Add egg, mayo, and vanilla, and mix again until smooth.
- Add your bananas and mix until well incorporated. The mixture will look a little watery and separated at this point, but don't worry: that's normal.
- Add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to the bowl and mix just until evenly incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Pour batter into large loaf pan or divide evenly between mini-loaf pans.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes for large loaf pan or 40-50 minutes for mini loaf pans, or until toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The link in this post for the super-adorable mini-loaf pans
This is SOOO good. The best banana bread recipe I’ve made. It is also super easy because you only need 1 bowl, instead of other recipes where you use 8 bowls and 5 cutting boards and every kitchen gadget you own. We did a 5×9 pan and did 1/2 with nuts, 1/2 without.
There is a flavor profile in the crust that is almost like a caramel flavor. It makes a rich brown crust. Sometimes with Banana bread, the crust can be dry. NOPE, this is super moist all the way through. The loaf came right out of the pan and was eating for dessert…. and midnight snacks…. and a little in the morning with coffee.
if i don’t want to add chocolate chip what should i replace with?
You can just leave them out or replace with additional nuts if you wish!
I tend to use really ripe bananas when I bake banana bread, because I find it brings out the beautiful flavours and sweetness of the bananas. I have never thought to add mayo into my banana bread, but I am so going to try this recipe! It looks delicious!!
The riper, the better, in my opinion! I know many people who are hesitant to use their bananas if they have more than a few spots on them, but that’s when they’re most flavorful! I have a couple bananas now that are almost brown and I’m planning to make another batch of this bread today. Please let me know how you like the recipe! It’s one of those go-to ones recipes for me and it never fails!