I once read an article about starting a food blog that advised writers to ask, “Does the internet really need another banana bread recipe?” I remember feeling a little sheepish when I first read it because even then I planned to share my mother’s chocolate chip banana bread. After several rhubarb, panna cotta, and pavlova posts, I’ve decided to publish it anyway.
Does the internet need another banana bread recipe? Maybe not, but does it need this one? My mother’s banana bread isn’t trendy or exotic—no miso, tahini, or cardamom. It’s not decorated with banana slices, nor is it vegan, gluten-free, or low-sugar. Still, it’s the best banana bread I know, and I’ve tried many recipes.
Part of what makes this my favorite is that it’s more like a cake than a quick bread. The recipe comes from a 1950s cookbook titled Thoughts for Buffets and was originally called “Chocolate Chip Banana Loaf.” It’s baked in a loaf pan, but the batter uses the creaming method—butter and sugar beaten together—rather than the usual wet-into-dry mixing. The original called for cake flour and a lot more sugar; my mother used all-purpose flour and far less sugar. I prefer 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar instead of the original’s roughly 1 3/4 cups. Another change I make is to use mini chocolate chips: regular chips tend to sink to the bottom, while mini chips disperse nicely. I also often use about 1 cup of chips instead of the recipe’s 2 cups, but use more if you love chocolate.
I’m sharing this recipe because it’s reliably delicious, simple to make, and an excellent learning recipe for novice bakers or for baking with kids. It’s the dessert I know by heart and often bring to last-minute potlucks. The recipe also teaches useful lessons about which elements are flexible and which are essential—information I describe below to help you adapt the loaf without losing what makes it special.
What’s flexible? Sugar can range from 3/4 to 1 cup. You can reduce the butter slightly if you increase the sour cream. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) of butter and 1/4 cup of sour cream; I often use 6 tablespoons of butter and 1/3 cup sour cream. I’ve even gone as low as 1/4 cup butter with 1/2 cup sour cream—the loaf remains tasty though less rich. Substitutes for sour cream like yogurt, buttermilk, or “sour milk” (milk plus lemon juice) work fine—use light dairy if you must, but do not use nonfat products.
You don’t need to rigorously sift flour and salt; I usually whisk them together and the loaf turns out well. The loaf can be baked in a standard small 8 x 4 inch pan or a larger pan—expect about 90 minutes in the smaller pan and shorter times in a larger pan. Overripe bananas freeze well: you can freeze them whole or mashed and use them later. The baked loaf also freezes nicely—wrap tightly in foil and place in a sealed freezer bag, then thaw at room temperature a few hours before serving.
What’s not flexible? Use real butter and a full-fat dairy option (sour cream, yogurt, buttermilk), not nonfat. Cream the butter and sugar rather than melting the butter; the creaming method creates the right texture for this loaf. Do not overmix the batter—fold in the flour only until no dry streaks remain. Finally, don’t be afraid to bake the loaf until it’s a deep golden brown—the caramelized crust is one of the best parts.
My Mother’s Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
A banana bread that is really a cake.
Dessert
banana, banana bread, chocolate chip banana bread
Ingredients
-
2
c. (260 g)
all-purpose flour -
1/4
tsp
table salt -
1/4
c.
sour cream -
1 1/2
tsp
baking powder -
1/2
tsp
baking soda -
3/4
c. (150 g)
sugar
(or increase to 1 c. / 200 g) -
1/2
c. (113 g)
unsalted butter
at room temperature -
2
large eggs -
1
tsp
vanilla extract -
2
large bananas
(very ripe) -
1
c. (6 oz.)
mini chocolate chips
(use up to 2 cups/12 oz. if you’re a chocoholic!)
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
-
Grease a standard (8 inch by 4 inch) or larger loaf pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper.
-
Peel and mash the bananas and set them aside.
-
Sift or whisk the flour and salt together into a medium bowl and set aside.
-
Place the sour cream in a bowl, stir in the baking powder and baking soda, and set aside for about 5 minutes so the mixture bubbles as the leavening agents react.
-
Using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in the vanilla, then the sour cream mixture. Add the mashed bananas and beat until combined.
-
Fold in the flour and salt with a wooden spoon or spatula until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips, using this step to incorporate any remaining flour.
-
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out free of batter. In an 8 x 4 inch pan this may take up to 90 minutes; in a larger pan begin checking at 60 minutes.
-
Cool on a wire rack in the pan for 15–20 minutes, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely.
Recipe Notes
- If you have overripe bananas but don’t want to bake immediately, freeze them whole or mashed and use them later; the recipe works with defrosted bananas.
- Yogurt, buttermilk, or sour milk can replace sour cream—do not use nonfat versions.
- To reduce richness slightly, lower the butter and increase the sour cream: for example, 6 tbsp butter with at least 1/3 cup sour cream, or 1/4 cup butter with 1/2 cup sour cream. Don’t reduce the butter below 1/4 cup.
- If you don’t have parchment, a piece of a brown paper grocery bag can line the pan, as was commonly done before parchment was widely available.
- Although the original recipe calls for sifting flour and salt, whisking them together works fine and saves time.
- The baked loaf freezes well: wrap tightly in aluminum foil, place in a sealed freezer bag, and thaw at room temperature when ready to eat.