Double Chocolate Banana Bread

This recipe is great for overripe bananas, and I spruce it up a bit with premium cocoa, sour cream, and chocolate chips. My Double Chocolate Banana Bread comes out of the oven moist, chocolatey, and full of banana flavor. With a slight sour cream note and plenty of cinnamon, we love this bread for breakfast, especially with a cold glass of milk.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
55 mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack Cuisine: American Servings: 2 loaves Author: Jessie-Sierra Ross

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3 large ripe bananas peeled & mashed
1/2 cup butter melted & cooled
1/2 cup regular sour cream
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon Turbinado sugar for topping optional

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Take two bread pans and lightly grease them with butter. Add a strip of parchment paper (this lets the bread release from the pan a little more easily) lengthwise. Reserve.
In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a potato masher. Add the melted & cooled butter, sour cream, brown sugar, white sugar, and 1 egg. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking cocoa, baking powder and baking soda. Fork mix.
Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with the wet mixture. Stir to just combine. Don’t overmix this.
Next, add your chocolate chips and gently mix to incorporate.
Portion your banana bread batter evenly between the two prepared bread pans and smooth the top evenly with a rubber spatula or small offset palette knife.
Sprinkle the batter with turbinado sugar.
Bake for 50 minutes at 350F, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of each loaf comes out cleanly.
Remove from the oven and set on a wire rack. Let the bread cool in the pan completely.

NOTES
This banana bread freezes very well, in case you want to have some in reserve!

Peppermint White Hot Chocolate

Steaming hot milk is mixed with creamy white chocolate, vanilla, and a dash of peppermint extract, for a lovely variation on classic hot chocolate. Top with mountains of freshly whipped cream and a sprinkling of crushed old-school red & white peppermint candies, and you have a treat any kid (or grown up!) would slurp up!

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
15 mins

Course: Drinks Cuisine: American Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS
4 cups 2% milk
1 cup premium white chocolate morsels
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract
peppermint candies & whipped cream for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the 4 cups of milk at medium heat until steaming hot (not boiling!). Stir occasionally to make sure that the milk doesn’t scald.
Add the white chocolate chips, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted, either with a rubber spatula or wire whisk.
Serve in your favorite mugs, and top with whipped cream and crushed peppermint candies!