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chocolate chip banana bread with bananas on the side

The Very Best Banana Bread

Source: donuts2crumpets
The best banana bread recipe makes the most moist and delicious, soft loaf loaded with bananas and optional chocolate chips and nuts!
Servings: 16
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
5 from 14 votes

EQUIPMENT

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup half and half mixed with 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 sticks butter, softened
  • 1-1/4 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 2-1/3 cups AP flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 medium size ripe bananas, mashed in a small bowl with a fork till nice and mushy (about 1 cup)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional Mix-Ins:

  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped nuts

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two loaf pans with the baking non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
  • Put 1 Tbsp lemon juice in your half cup measure and fill the rest of the way with half and half. Set aside for 5 minutes.
  • In your mixer, cream butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes
  • Beat in your eggs one at a time.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  • Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low until just combined.
  • Add in the mashed bananas, milk mixture and vanilla and mix well.
  • At this point stir in your mix-ins. (You can do mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, a combination of both or nothing at all.)
  • Pour batter evenly into the two prepared loaf pans and bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  • Let cool for at least 15 minutes then run a knife around the edge and remove from pans.
  • Let cool completely then slice and enjoy!

Notes

A couple of tips for this recipe:
  • If you don’t have half and half you can use milk in it’s place.
  • 3 medium bananas usually give me about a cup of mashed banana.
  • If you don’t remember to take your eggs out of the refrigerator, just place them in a bowl of warm water for a minute or two and they will be room temp.
  • If your butter is not room temperature you can use the defrost setting on your microwave for about 30 seconds, (power level 3) to soften your butter.
  • I always sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips over the top of the loaves before baking – it just helps them look beautiful!