Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Educational Insight:
Banana bread became widely popular in American households during the 1930s, when baking soda and baking powder became common pantry staples. It was also a thrifty way to use overripe bananas — turning waste into something delicious!

Ingredients

(Contains dairy, eggs, and gluten — allergen notes included below.)

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed until smooth
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Optional: ½ cup walnuts or pecans (omit if avoiding nuts)

Instructions

1. Preheat

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Grease a 9×5 loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
  Tip: Parchment hanging over the sides makes it super easy to lift the loaf out!

2. Mix the wet ingredients

In a large bowl:

• Stir melted butter + sugar until combined.
• Add mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla.
  Tip: Smooth bananas = moist, evenly textured bread.

3. Mix the dry ingredients

In a separate bowl:

• Whisk flour + baking soda + salt.
  Tip: Whisking adds air and prevents dense bread.

4. Combine

• Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
• Mix gently — stop when you no longer see dry flour.
  Tip: Overmixing makes banana bread tough, so keep it light and quick.

5. Add chocolate chips

• Fold in chocolate chips (save a small handful to sprinkle on top!).

6. Bake

• Pour batter into pan.
• Bake 55–65 minutes.
• It’s done when a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

7. Cool

• Cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
• Transfer to a rack to cool fully before slicing.

Allergen Notes & Safe Substitutions

• Dairy (butter): Use melted coconut oil or vegan butter.
• Eggs: Replace each egg with ¼ cup applesauce or mashed banana.
• Gluten: Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.
• Nuts: Optional — simply omit.

Food Safety Notes

• Eggs and flour should be stored away from raw meats.
• Use clean utensils when mixing and tasting.
• Store leftover banana bread in an airtight container.
• Keeps 3–4 days at room temp, or freeze up to 3 months.

Internal Temperature (for safety)

While banana bread doesn’t contain meat, baked goods are safest and fully done at 200°F–205°F (93°C–96°C) measured with a thermometer in the center.

Nutrition (Per Slice, 10 slices)

Approximate:

• Calories: 285
• Carbs: 39g
• Fat: 12g
• Protein: 3.8g
• Sugar: 23g
• Fiber: 1.7g

(Reflects traditional, delicious, not-low-cal version.)