Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Lemon

I didn’t know banana bread until I came to the US. Not once had I even heard of it. Crazy, right? So when my roommate first asked me if I wanted a piece of her mom’s world-famous banana bread, I hesitated for a solid second before I decided to give it a try.

See, I didn’t think I liked anything with a strong banana taste. Until I discovered banana bread and realized what I had been missing out on for years. I mean, just look at these melted chocolate chips and perfectly cracked open bread, people!

This banana bread is moist, slightly dense and with lots of flavors. The mix of banana, lemon and chocolate is a classic one that’s always a hit! It pairs perfectly with a big cup of coffee and I dare you to eat only one of these bite-size pieces when they’ll be in front of you. Seriously, who could resist to that?

Yet, I’ll admit I still prefer a bigger kind of loaf. Just because the batter gets to rise more properly, giving you a better “moist crumbs-to-crust” ratio. And because I also genuinely like thick slices when it comes to cake/bread (non bite-size friendly), so that’s that.

Adding a hint of lemon juice and zest to the batter also brings out the banana flavor nicely, while making it less overbearing. Not to mention the benefits of adding chocolate chips, which are an absolute classic. Bon appétit!

This recipe was inspired by America’s Test Kitchen

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Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 2 very ripe bananas
• 2 tbsp plain yogurt
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
• 1 cup flour
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 1/3 tsp baking soda
• juice and zest from 1/2 lemon
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• a pinch of salt
• chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Start making the batter. In a large bowl, mix all the dried ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
3. Mash the bananas with a fork. That will give you the best texture ever! I personally like to leave some very small chunks but that’s up to you!
4. In another bowl mix the “wet” ingredients together: mashed bananas, yogurt, melted butter, lemon juice and zest, vanilla extract, and egg.
5. Add the wet ingredients to dried ones, and mix until just incorporated. Do not over do it. If you’re adding chocolate chips, that’s when you’ll want to do it. Fill a medium pan (or a bunch of small ones) with the batter, and bake it for 30-40 minutes. It’ll be done once a toothpick comes out clean. Keep in mind that it’ll take slightly longer if you use a bigger pan. Enjoy!

TIP: For a decadent finishing touch, sprinkle the banana bread with some brown sugar right out of the oven!

 

Temps total: 50 minutes

Ingrédients: 

• 2 bananes très mures
• 2 c/s de yaourt nature
• 1 oeuf
• 3 c/s de beurre fondu
• 1 cup farine
• 6 c/s de sucre en poudre
• 1/3 c/c bicarbonate de sodium
• jus et zeste d’1/2 citron
• 3/4 c/c d’extrait de vanille
• une pincée de sel
• des pépites de chocolat (optionnel)

Etapes:

1. Préchauffez votre four à 180°C.
2. Commencez la pâte à gateau. Dans un grand bol, mixer tous les ingrédients secs: farine, bicarbonate, sucre, et sel.
3. Ecrasez les bananes à la fourchette. Cela donnera la meilleure texture possible, avec quelques petits morceaux.
4. Dans un autre bol, mixer les autres ingrédients: yaourt, beurre fondu, jus de citron et son zeste, extrait de vanille, et oeuf.
5. Ajoutez ces ingredient une fois mélangés aux ingrédients secs. Ne mixez que jusqu’à l’incorporation des deux mélanges, mais pas plus. Si vous souhaitez ajouter des pépites de chocolat, ajoutez les maintenant. Remplissez votre moule aux deux-tiers avec la pâte, et laissez cuire pour 30-40 minutes. Le gâteau sera prêt lorsqu’un cure-dent planté au milieu ressortira légèrement humide. Si vous utilisez un grand moule, cela prendra un peu plus de temps. Bon appétit!

TIP: Pour une finition encore plus décadente, saupoudrez le dessus du gâteau de sucre de canne juste avant la fin de la cuisson!