Double Chocolate Olive Oil Banana Bread

Another recipe containing somewhat copious amounts of chocolate? Yes, you got that right!

I love chocolate and I love bananas. Can you tell? Personally I think chocolate and bananas go very well together. Pair them together in banana bread and they are a match made in heaven!

This banana bread couldn't be easier to make nor more delicious to eat. It contains dutch-processed cocoa powder for that deep chocolate flavour, sweet overripe bananas, greek yogurt to keep the banana bread tender and moist, fragrant extra-virgin olive oil, along with a handful of caramelised white chocolate chunks and cocoa nibs! Also, the banana bread comes together relatively quickly, so it is really no hassle at all

Once it's out of the oven, let it cool completely before slicing into it. However, I wouldn't fault you for cutting into it while it is still warm – it's hard to resist!

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Double Chocolate Olive Oil Banana Bread

Makes one loaf

Ingredients

• 170 g (approx. 1 1/3 cup) all-purpose flour

• 50 g (approx. 1/2 cup) dutch-processed cocoa powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional

• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, optional

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 50 g (1/4 cup) granulated white sugar

• 100 g (1/2 cup) brown sugar

• 100 g (approx. 1/2 cup) extra-virgin olive oil

• 350 g (about 4 large) overripe* bananas (weight without skin), mashed

• 130 g (approx. 1.2 cup) full-fat greek yogurt

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 120 g chocolate of your choice, chopped roughly into chunks (I used caramelised white chocolate. You could use dark or milk chocolate.)

• 2 to 3 Tbs cocoa nibs

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter and line an 8-inch by 4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Leave some overhang of parchment paper along the sides of the pan.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, leaveners, and spices.

3. In another larger bowl, add eggs, salt and sugars. Using a hand-held whisk or stand mixer, whip the eggs with the sugars until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

4. Slowly stream in the oil as the mixer whips on low until it is incorporated.

5. Fold in the mashed bananas, yogurt and vanilla extract.

6. Fold in the sifted dry ingredients until the batter just comes together and there are no streaks of flour visible. Do not over-mix the batter.

7. Fold in the chocolate until the chocolate is distributed throughout the batter. Again, do not over-mix the batter.

8. Pour the batter in the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle cocoa nibs on top.

9. Bake the banana bread for 50 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

10. After baking, let the banana bread cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then, gently lift the loaf out of the pan holding on to the overhand of parchment paper. Use a knife or cake spatula to loosen the banana bread from the pan if it feels a bit stuck. The banana bread should be able to come out of the pan cleanly.

11. Set the banana bread on a cooling rack to cool completely before digging in! The banana bread can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Freezer tip: For longer storage, you may freeze individually cut slices by double wrapping in the slices in cling wrap and placing them in a well-labelled freezer safe bag. They would be able to last in the freezer for a month. To consume, simply let the banana bread, still wrapped in cling wrap, thaw at room temperature until it becomes soft. Once it has thawed, remove the cling wrap and consume!

*Note: The skin of an overripe banana would be almost black. Overripe bananas are the best for baking as they are at their sweetest. So don't throw blackened bananas away!

#breakfast #baking