Dark Chocolate Banana Bread

This is my take on a Dark Chocolate Banana Bread recipe adapted from food blogger Maria of “Two Peas and Their Pod.” My ingredients and measurements are a bit different from her original recipe.

I used unbleached flour, Hershey’s Special Dark, 100% cacao powder, 4 small brown, over ripe, previously frozen, then thawed, bananas, crushed walnuts, olive oil, agave nectar, and Ghirardelli bittersweet, 60% cacao, chocolate chips.

A printable version of my recipe is at the bottom of this post.

To start: Read the recipe, all the way through. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F. Then gather and measure all your ingredients.

Dark Chocolate Banana Bread

Grease a 9-by-4 1/2 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Mix in the crushed walnuts so they are powdery and covered. Set that bowl aside.

Dark Chocolate Banana Bread

In a large bowl, mash the over ripe, brown bananas with a fork. Add the melted butter, sea salt, oil and stir until combined. Whisk in the agave, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth. Adding the sea salt to the wet mixture will help it dissolve.

Dark Chocolate Banana Bread

Fold the dry ingredients with a spatula, into the wet ingredients. Be careful to not over mix. Fold in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips, and pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan.

Dark Chocolate Banana Bread

Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips over the top of the bread mixture. On the middle oven rack, bake for 50-65 minutes, or until a toothpick or thin skewer, inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. You might see some melted chocolate chips on the skewer, but make sure the batter is not sticking. This dark chocolate banana bread loaf was done at 50 minutes.

Dark Chocolate Banana Bread

Remove the pan from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack.

Dark Chocolate Banana Bread

Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the bread and carefully remove it from the loaf pan. Let the bread cool on the wire  rack another 5 to 10 minutes.

Dark Chocolate Banana Bread

It should be baked all the way through, but still very moist.  My version of this recipe is mostly dark chocolate in flavor, with the bananas keeping it very moist and the walnuts adding a nice crunch.

Dark Chocolate Banana Bread
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This is my take on a Dark Chocolate Banana Bread recipe adapted from food blogger Maria of "Two Peas and Their Pod." My ingredients and measurements are a bit different.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: International
Serves: 1 loaf
Ingredients
  • 1 cup unbleached flour
  • ½ cup Hershey's Special Dark, 100% cacao powder
  • 1 cup crushed walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 4 small brown bananas (approximately 1 cup mashed, previously frozen, now thawed)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 6 tablespoons of agave nectar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, 60% cacao, divided
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F.
  2. Grease a 9-by-4½ inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. Set it aside.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.
  5. Set that bowl aside.
  6. In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork.
  7. Add the melted butter, sea salt, and oil and stir until combined. Adding the sea salt to the wet mixture will help it dissolve.
  8. Whisk in the agave, egg, and vanilla extract.
  9. Stir until smooth.
  10. Fold the dry ingredients with a spatula, into the wet ingredients, don’t over mix.
  11. Fold in ¾ cup of the chocolate chips.
  12. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  13. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of chocolate chips over the top of the bread.
  14. Bake for 50-65 minutes, or until a toothpick, or thin skewer inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean.
  15. Check at 50 minutes. (Oven times vary.)
  16. Remove the pan from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack.
  17. Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes.
  18. Run a knife around the edges of the bread and carefully remove from the pan.
  19. Let the bread cool on the wire cooling rack for another 5 to 10 minutes.

 

If you want another chocolate baked treat, try my Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies.

 

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

This gooey fudgy dark chocolate brownies recipe is sooooooo good. I am obsessed with these brownies. First thing to do is check my printable recipe at the bottom of this post. Gather and measure all your ingredients.

Start by positioning a rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat to 325° F. Next, cut an 8 by 16-inch piece of parchment paper.

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

Lightly butter an 8 by 8 by 2-inch pan and line it with the parchment, allowing it to extend evenly over the opposite sides. Butter the parchment including the paper on the sides of the pan.

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

Remove from the heat. With a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon, beat the sugar and salt into the chocolate mixture. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

Add the flour and mix vigorously until the batter is very glossy and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

Fold the walnuts into the batter. (I also added some dried cherries.)

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap the pan bottom on your counter top to level the batter.

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer in the center comes out moist but clean.

Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
I adapted this from Robert Steinberg's recipe for fudgy dark chocolate brownies.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: International
Serves: 8 or 9 brownies
Ingredients
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus more for the pan
  • 8 ounces dark chocolate chips or chunks
  • ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup toasted walnut halves
Instructions
  1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Cut an 8 by 16-inch piece of parchment paper.
  3. Lightly butter an 8 by 8 by 2-inch pan and line it with the parchment, allowing it to extend evenly over the opposite sides.
  4. Butter the parchment including the paper on the sides of the pan.
  5. Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.
  6. Remove from the heat.
  7. With a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon, beat the sugar and salt into the chocolate mixture.
  8. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
  9. Add the flour and mix vigorously until the batter is very glossy and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
  10. Fold the walnuts into the batter.
  11. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap the pan bottom on the countertop to level the batter.
  12. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer in the center comes out moist but clean.
  13. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
  14. Remove the brownies from the pan using the parchment “handles,” and cool completely on the rack before cutting into squares.

 

YUM!
Make some for your Valentine.
Here are a couple of cocktails for your boo too. 
happy-valentine-smiley-emoticon

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies