Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Got bananas and chocolate? Then you’ve got the makings for a wonderful snack. Or breakfast. Or dessert.

I never heard of chocolate chip banana bread until college. You always knew when it was on the menu at the dining commons. Someone at the window would peer in to read the menu and pretty soon the news had spread. I remember seeing girls race to the bakery area in order to snag their fare share. And if they were already out? Oh dear.

Hell hath no fury like a woman separated from her chocolate-laden banana bread.

This recipe combines bananas, canola oil, and quick oats for health and some sugar and chocolate – just ’cause. It looks beautiful sliced on a pretty plate for a breakfast buffet and is a welcome surprise in any lunch box. It would also make a great addition to your Mother’s Day Menu. (Check out LifeasMOM for more ideas.)

Chocolate-Chip Banana Bread

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mashed bananas
2/3 cup unbleached flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup quick oats
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients until well blended. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake about 60 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

* I quadrupled this recipe recently and divided the batter amongst 6 loaf pans. While they were slightly shorter loaves, I liked their size and they baked more evenly through. It seems to me that a standard recipe of any banana bread often bakes too slowly on the inside.