Whenever we head home to Michigan to see Kevin’s parents I bring his mom a loaf of my banana bread. She will not share it with his dad. It is simply her loaf of bread and no one else is getting their paws on it! Every day she whittles away at it, slice by slice, until there is nothing left but the crumbs. It came as no surprise to me that last year when I asked her what she wanted for Christmas banana bread was the only thing on her list. Easy enough.
My mom is also a very willing recipient of this banana bread. I’ve swaddled up loaves like babies and shipped them all the way to California for her birthday or Mother’s Day. I always make sure to call her as soon as the package should have arrived to tell her that she has to open it right away because PRECIOUS CARGO AWAITS!! I think there is something so special about giving someone something that you made and put your heart into. Especially when it tastes this good!
So what’s so great about this banana bread!? Aren’t they all kind of the same thing!? Let me tell you, as a banana bread tasting connoisseur, this is the best one I’ve ever had. It is loaded with semi sweet chocolate chunks and pieces of toasted pecan, bourbon vanilla extract, and gets its moisture from both sour cream and vegetable oil. I also use a portion of brown sugar, instead of all white sugar to give it a richer molasses flavor. And the smell that fills your house when it’s baking is almost just as good as tasting it. If you want to experience heaven, have a slice of it straight from the oven with a little bit of butter spread on it….INSANELY GOOD.
Let’s get started.
Step 1: Heat it. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the two longer sides. Grease your parchment paper with cooking spray.
Step 2: Beat it. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and salt.
In another medium sized bowl, whisk together all of your wet ingredients: the mashed bananas,eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla extract. Gently combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined. Add chocolate chunks and toasted pecan pieces, and stir gently. An overmixed banana bread batter will result in a dense, rubbery loaf and can also make the loaf not cook evenly.
Step 3: I loaf you. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with an additional tablespoon or two of chocolate chunks and pecans. Bake the bread for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean from the center of the loaf. If your loaf does not pass the toothpick test after 60 minutes, tent the top of the banana bread with tin foil to protect the top from getting too brown and cook an additional 5 to 10 more minutes and test again.
Step 4: Cool it. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before lifting it out of the loaf pan. Cool on a rack.
The Way You Make Me Peel {the ultimate loaded banana bread}
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract (you can find this at trader joes)
- 2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks
- 1/3 cup toasted pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the two longer sides. Grease your parchment paper with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and salt.
- In a another medium sized bowl, whisk together all of your wet ingredients: the mashed bananas,eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla extract. Gently combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined. Add chocolate chunks and toasted pecan pieces, and stir gently.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with an additional tablespoon or two of chocolate chunks and pecans. Bake the bread for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean from the center of the loaf. If your loaf does not pass the toothpick test after 60 minutes, tent the top of the banana bread with tin foil to protect the top from getting too brown and cook an additional 5 to ten more minutes and test again.
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before lifting it out of the loaf pan. Cool on a rack.
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