Everybody loves a good slice of banana bread, either for breakfast, as a snack, or as a sweet treat after dinner. The two biggest problems are:
1. Not everyone can make banana bread (well)
2. Banana bread is not always a healthy option; don’t be fooled by the fact that is has bananas in it.
After a bunch of research and playing around in the kitchen, I came up with a recipe that is absolutely delicious and not terribly unhealthy. My recipe is inspired by Martha Stewart’s ‘perfect banana bread’ recipe which I found on Pinterest at In Mama Steph’s Kitchen. I made small substitutions to make the recipe a little bit healthier, and added organic dark chocolate chips. My easy to make chocolate chip banana bread is a healthy alternative to traditional banana bread- it’s still sweet and delicious without all the butter, sugar, and oil. Here’s the original recipe:
by Martha Stewart:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 3)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
My Recipe:
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup agave nectar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 3)
- 1/2 cup plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips
Baking Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray; set aside. In an electric mixer, mix the applesauce, sugar, and agave nectar until combined well. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add bananas, Greek Yogurt, and vanilla; mix to combine. combine all ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips, and pour into prepared pan.
- Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.
This banana bread comes out chocolatey and sweet and makes a perfect healthy dessert. Enjoy as a snack or even for breakfast with some organic peanut butter (my favorite).
