I believe I have found my favourite banana bread recipe. It’s soft, it’s nutty, it’s not too sweet (it has CHOCOLATE!), and it’s whole wheat. Also, it’s really easy to make, and with it you can use up your old overripe bananas (pictured later in this post).
If you haven’t made banana bread before, using overripe bananas is key for getting the best flavour. Also, if you’re making this in an electric mixer, just throw the whole bananas in there when the recipe says to add them – the electric mixer will mash them into the batter perfectly.
Want to see how it’s made?
Chocolate Almond Whole Wheat Banana Bread
This might be the best banana bread I have ever made; moist, hearty, nutty, and chocolatey-caramely great.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 1-1/2 cups mashed overripe banana (about 3 medium)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chopped almonds (or any kind of nut)
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- extra chopped almonds optional - about 2-3 Tbsp.
Instructions
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Line a standard sized loaf pan* with parchment paper, or grease generously. Set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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Sift in the flours, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon, and mix until just combined. Stir in the chopped almonds and chocolate chips, and mix just until incorporated evenly (do not over mix, or your bread will become dense).
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Pour your finished batter into the prepared loaf pan, sprinkle with extra chopped almonds if desired, and set aside.
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Bake in the hot oven 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
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Allow the loaf to rest in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it to a wire rack to cool.
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Cool completely before storing in an air-tight bag or container.
Recipe Notes
- For this recipe, I used a 1-lb loaf pan to make the banana bread, and I used the rest of the batter to make 4 extra muffins.
- If you use this recipe to make muffins, bake them at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Tip: You can always mash your bananas and freeze them ahead of time! Just make sure to label your container with how much is inside; makes for easy baking next time around!
These are the prime candidates for this bread. Observe:
To line the pans, this is how I like to do it:
First, place your pan onto the sheet of wax paper with enough paper around it to fold up against the sides of the pan. Cut that section of paper away from the roll.Â
Next, making sure the border around the pan is even, cut two slightly angled (to mirror the edges of the pan) slits in the paper, so that it folds up against the edge neatly (refer to the pictures to see what I mean).
Repeat with the opposite side.
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Now set your cut sheet of parchment into the baking pan, with the long ends folded behind the little flaps of paper that match the ends of your loaf pan.
I know already made this and ate the whole thing, but now I just want to make it again. Fortunately, I have some bananas in my kitchen that are starting to look forgotten… Perhaps I should forget them a little longer. 😉Â
Thanks for stopping in! As always, if you make this recipe, tag me on Facebook or Instagram @naomicakesofficial. I would love to see and show off your work!Â
Back soon,
Naomi
