I am a lover of quick bread. It’s like the lazy version of yeast bread. There’s almost no effort required! There’s something super satisfying about mixing up a batch of batter, dumping it into a pan, topping it with some chocolate, and baking it on a fall day. Chocolate chip banana bread to the breakfast rescue!
Once upon a time, quick bread was the perfectly portable breakfast for young grad students. Anymore, they’re a better match for busy school kids during whatever 2020 is currently.
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We simply make a batch of banana bread on the weekends, or in the middle of the week because you know… 2020… with bananas that were past their prime, and have delicious chocolate chip banana bread for breakfast throughout the following week.
I have even gotten into the habit of baking them in an 8×8 pan*. I prefer glass ones with lids because then you’re not scrounging for aluminum foil or plastic wrap to seal up the leftovers. But it seems that as the kids solidly get into their teenage years, I am forgetting what leftovers even are.
Throughout the years, with multiple moves and stoves with numerous quirks, I find quick bread cooks a little more evenly in an 8×8 pan than if I were to bake them in your standard bread pans anyways.
Besides, it seems that I can get the kids to eat a “banana bread bar” easier than a “slice of banana bread”. The chocolate chips are merely for show. It’s all in the wording folks.
Our quick bread baking days seem to come in phases. I’ll make a whole bunch at one time, get our fill until we’re sick of it, and then lay off baking for a bit. Once I hear the kids say “it’s been a while since you made…”, we’re back at it.
But what makes banana bread super special, is that I can have breakfast ready to go. No matter if we’re running out the door for their in-school days – pandemic times people, hybrid learning is an adjustment all on its own – or whether they’re waking up late on a weekend. Breakfast is already there, ready to go. Just pair it with some fruit, and a beverage of choice and people are fed with minimal effort on my caffeine-deprived brain!
A note on the ingredients, we LOVE cinnamon in this house. The more the better in our opinion. But we also don’t like nutmeg. So the increase in cinnamon tends to balance out. If you don’t prefer cinnamon as much as we do, cut it back to ½ teaspoon, or even less!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 ½ cups mashed bananas, usually 3 – 5 depending on the size
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup cooking oil – vegetable or canola works well
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 baking dish. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl mash the bananas. Mix in the sugar, oil, and eggs.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring to combine. Gently fold ¾ cup of semisweet chocolate chips into the batter.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining ¼ cup semisweet chips.
- Bake for 50 – 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook*
Serves 12
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