Description
This Banana Bread with Walnuts and Chocolate Chips is a moist, flavorful loaf that combines the sweetness of ripe bananas with crunchy walnuts and melted chocolate chips, making it a perfect treat for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.
Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- 3 medium ripe bananas (about 1½ cups mashed)
- ⅓ cup melted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Prepare the Banana Mixture: In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher until smooth. You should have about 1½ cups of mashed bananas. Stir in the melted butter, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Add Optional Ingredients: If using, fold in the chopped walnuts or pecans and chocolate chips. These add great texture and flavor to the bread but are entirely optional.
- Bake the Bread: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly, you can tent the loaf with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the banana bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy your homemade banana bread!
Notes
- For a spiced version, add cinnamon, nutmeg, or a pinch of ginger to the batter.
- You can use brown sugar for a deeper flavor, but it will make the bread a bit more moist.
- If using frozen bananas, thaw them before mashing.
- This bread freezes well, so you can enjoy it later by wrapping it tightly and freezing for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60-65 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
