Ingredients
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1/4 cup butter, softened but not melted
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1 teaspoon vanilla
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1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed (as sweet as 1 1/2 cup of white sugar)
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3 bananas, blackened
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2 eggs (or egg beaters substitute)
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2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (or 2 individual unsweetened applesauce containers)
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1/2 cup 1% fat buttermilk (or use sub below in directions)
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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1/2 cup white flour
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1 tablespoon wheat germ (I like the honey flavor)
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1/2-1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use the Nestle brand of minis because they don't sink to the bottom of the bread)
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1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
Instructions
- If you don't have buttermilk then first put 1-2 tsps of vinegar or lemon juice in the bottom of the measuring cup and add 1/2 cup of milk. By the time you need it for the recipe it should have thickened enough to pass. I have used real buttermilk and the sub and both always turn out great. You can also sub sour cream or vanilla yogurt.
- Cream butter, vanilla and sugar by hand.
- Coarsely mash bananas and add by hand to butter mixture.
- Add eggs, applesauce and buttermilk to mixture.
- Mix all dry ingredients (flours, salt, baking soda and wheat germ and baking powder if using) in a bowl with a whisk or fork. By hand, add to banana mixture only enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Don't overwork the flour or it will result in rubbery bread!
- Stir in chocolate chips very gently as little as possible to incorporate.
- Whatever your pan preference, grease or spray with nonstick only the bottom and lower bottom edge so the bread will rise as fully as possible.
- Bake at 350°F for 45-1 hour and do a toothpick test (but keep in mind the chocolate chips will remain moist) to see when yours is done -- all ovens are different!
- This will make 2 full size loaves and I slice each loaf into 10 even slices. It also made mini loaves, muffins and mini muffins well, but I had to adjust the cooking time (I don't remember the times on these). All were moist and yummy.
- You can substitute the chocolate chips for peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips or nuts, or raisins, or cranberries without compromising the moistness or flavor of the bread. In fact, I like to combine those substitutions for different flavor combos. This bread is very friendly to adding grated (and squeezed dry) zucchini and carrot! I love giving this bread for gifts and making it for bake-sales and it freezes like a dream so I can prepare in advance for events! Nobody believes it is actually quite good for you (well, all except for the chocolate) and most ask for the recipe.
- Again, I want to thank Tracy H. for her original recipe. When I'm feeling really skinny, I love her bread the best!