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You’re a mom, you buy bananas, they turn brown or become breeding grounds for fruit flies. They don’t always get eaten. Don’t toss them, slice them up and freeze them for smoothies! Throw them in the blender with some plain yogurt and homemade chocolate syrup and I swear the kids will love it. Or make banana bread!

I got a hold on a good recipe in 1997 that I fiddled with and made even better. My kids ask for it often and so do their friends.I try and use organic ingredients where I can. This is a good recipe for class treats if you leave out the chocolate chips, cupcakes aren’t allowed anymore at my children’s schools. Just make sure no one has any issues with gluten.

A few key things when it comes to baking -

• Get an oven thermometer -  they are about $5 at Bed Bath & Beyond. Makes all the difference! Took me many years to figure out why  my baked goods just weren’t turning out. That was the #1 reason.
• Get a food scale – I inherited one from a family member cleaning out her kitchen. You think you are scooping out a cup of flour? Nope, you could be getting anywhere from 5-6 ounces of flour that way. A cup of flour is 4 ounces. Not 8 ounces. Set your cup measure on the scale, zero it out, then start scooping. They aren’t expensive.
• Buy a roll of parchment paper – makes a HUGE difference in baking. (Especially cookies. Trust me on this). It helps distribute heat more evenly, keeps baked goods from sticking to pans and prevents burnt, hard undersides.  They sell more eco-friendly, less chemically treated brands at Whole Foods. A roll lasts a long time.

Helga’s Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

(Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit)

Ingredients

• 3 large or 4  small bananas, very ripe. Like wicked brown. You can use bananas that you have frozen then thawed. If there is liquid in the bowl of bananas after thawing, use that as well in the recipe.
• 2 tablespoons real vanilla
• 1 stick of softened salted butter (1/2 cup)
• 1 cup of sugar (8 ounces weighed)
• 1/2 – 1 cup of chocolate chips – depends on how much you like
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups of flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-2 tablespoons of flax or chia seeds (optional)
• 8 inch x 8 inch baking pan

1. Mash bananas in a bowl, mix in vanilla. Let it steep awhile, really adds to the flavor. You can even leave this for an hour or so if you really want to extract the essence of vanilla.
2. Add the two eggs to the bowl of mashed bananas, beat gently.
3. Add the chocolate chips to the bowl of bananas and eggs, mix gently.
4. In a separate bowl, mix softened butter and sugar until well combined. A fork works well.
5. Add in the flour, baking soda and salt to the butter & sugar all at the same time. Wait to mix until all three are in the bowl. Use a fork or a pastry cutter to blend it all together into a fine crumb mixture. It won’t take you long. (This is where you can throw in the optional flax or chia seeds if you are trying to sneak in something healthy. No one will ever know – But you might want to let people know in case of allergies.)
6. Now add the banana mixture to the flour/butter mixture.  Gently mix until just combined,  don’t beat the tar out of it.

Note: This is the perfect time to bring up why many recipes for baked goods, like cookies, quick breads or pie crusts, emphasize mixing your dry and wet ingredients only until just combined. When flour meets liquid and mixed, gluten develops.  The more your mix it the tougher it becomes, yielding a heavy, dense baked good that just doesn’t appeal or taste as good. Go easy on the mixing!

• Now cut off some parchment paper and squish it into your pan, pour batter into it. Doesn’t have to be perfect. No parchment?  Butter your pan.

• Sprinkle extra sugar over the top of it all so that it bakes up with a slightly carmel-y sugar top that gives a little crunch when you bite into it.

• Cut off any excess parchment paper hanging too far off, though leave enough on the side so when it’s done and cooled, you can grab it by the paper and pull it out of the pan if you want to transfer it to a storage container. Makes for easy pan clean up, too.

Depending on your oven, let it bake for 35-40 minutes. Sometimes 45 minutes of you used BIG bananas. Stick a knife in the middle, comes out clean, it’s done.

Let me know how it turns out for you!

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1. 

   Kristina (The Greening of Westford)

   June 25, 2011 at 1:38 pm

   I’ll have to try this one too Helga! Your choc. syrup is the best! We love banana bread. I have been using a recipe from Flour’s Bakery in Boston. Lately my kids have been into banana smoothies so all my frozen bananas are gone! Do you mix the sugar and butter by hand or use a mixer?

   Reply
   1. 

      Helga

      June 26, 2011 at 5:32 pm

      Thanks! That recipe came from SULI Bags originally, she sent it to me directly when she heard I was looking for a good chocolate syrup recipe.
      I do not use a mixer, I use a fork or pastry cutter. I just updated the recipe a tiny bit, so check it before you make it! Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
2. 

   Alex

   June 23, 2011 at 4:09 pm

   Soooo good. I just made a batch. This is the best banana bread recipe I’ve tried. I took your advice on not over mixing and it is so light an fluffy. I used whole wheat flour and it turned out delicious!!!

   Reply
   1. 

      Helga

      June 23, 2011 at 7:54 pm

      So glad it turned out! Sharing the banana bread love…!

      Reply
3. 

   Tiffany's Toy Box

   June 22, 2011 at 11:43 am

   YUMMITY YUM! YUM! I love bananas and mine truly do get old and I toss them! Now I can upcycle them! I love the smoothie idea too! YAY! LOL!

   Reply
   1. 

      Helga

      June 22, 2011 at 4:25 pm

      Great! Let me know how it turns out! Bet your boys gobble gobble it up!

      Reply