Face it – there is nothing ickier than a bunch of bananas that go rogue on you and turn all gross and black.
I’m guilty of always having 1 or 2 inedible fruits hanging around that are just too mushy for consumption (even though bananas are a good source of potassium, which is needed to maintain normal blood pressure). So – into the Banana Graveyard – aka freezer – they go until there’s time to bake.
Truth – I’m really lazy about baking and so the Graveyard often overflows! But when I finally settled on a fast and fool-proof recipe for a quick bread, that’s gluten free and does not taste like cardboard – the old black bananas got used up a lot more often.
Here it is! I hope you love it and that it helps you tame your own scary banana collection.
Choco Chai Nana Bread
Makes 1 big loaf, 8 mini-loaves or 12 muffins
Ingredients
Wet:
- 1 cup mashed overripe bananas (about 2-3 bananas)
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup coconut oil (melted)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup raw honey or maple syrup
Dry:
- 1 ¾ cups buckwheat flour (you can substitute whole wheat if you prefer – but I like the texture and richness of buckwheat – and it’s gluten free)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons Chai seasoning (I use Epicure Chai Spice and full disclosure, I am an independent Epicure consultant. You can just use a combo of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and allspice if you prefer or get in touch and I can help you with getting your Chai spice.)
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 325°F
- Grease your pan of choice – a regular loaf pan, a 12 cup muffin tin or the one I like to use – the 8 loaf mini-loaf pan.
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the wet ingredients and beat with a mixer for 2-3 minutes.
- In a second mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, except the chocolate chips, and stir together.
- Pour the dry into the wet and stir gingerly just until the batter is combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and give it another stir.
- Pour your batter into your pan and into the oven for anywhere from 20 – 50 minutes. 20 for the muffins, 25-30 for the mini loaves and up to 50 minutes for the large loaf.
- Test for doneness with a toothpick – if it comes clean – you’re good.
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Cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan.
This quick bread is fast to make, the recipe is forgiving, and it freezes great – which is another reason I love the mini-loaves or muffins.
Healthfully yours,
