This here is a great banana bread. It’s jazzed up with chunks of bittersweet chocolate which I just love. The chocolate is coarsely chopped for the most part but I advocate leaving some bigger chunks in there so that you encounter a super satisfying melted chocolate explosion every now and then. If you cut big enough chunks they won’t melt entirely and you’ll get a nice added chocolate crunch.

The flour combination here is half all purpose (UK: plain) and half wholewheat which gives it a slightly grainier flavour and ever so slightly mellows the sweetness factor.

It’s a real treat, especially enjoyed warm out of the oven.

Chocolate-Chunk Banana Bread
adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients

• 1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125g all-purpose flour
• 1 cup / 5 oz / 140g whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g muscovado or dark brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup / 4 oz / 115 g bittersweet chocolate (I use Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar), some coarsely chopped and some chunkier pieces
• 1/3 cup / 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups / 12 oz / 340 g very ripe bananas, mashed (2-3 bananas)
• 1/4 cup / 60 ml plain, whole milk, or Greek yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F, and place a rack in the centre. Grease a 9- by 5- inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan, or equivalent.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the chocolate pieces and combine well.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the olive oil, eggs, mashed banana, yogurt, and vanilla. Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and fold with a spatula until just combined.
4. Scrape the batter into the greased pan and bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes. Test the bread’s doneness by inserting a skewer or toothpick into the centre – it should come out clean, but you don’t want it to dry out so err on the side of less done versus over baked.
5. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan to cool completely.