Nutty Chocolate Banana Bread
Overview
Banana bread with dark chocolate, crushed almonds, Greek yoghurt and warm spices. No country is claimed; banana bread is American in origin. **It contains almonds, which the title only hints at.** The Greek yoghurt is the interesting addition and it is doing two things. Its acidity reacts with the bicarbonate of soda, giving lift, which matters because there is no other acid in the batter. And it brings moisture without more fat, which is why this loaf stays soft for several days without being heavy. Sour cream and buttermilk do the same job in other recipes. Chopping the chocolate and nuts by hand, which the method specifies, is better than buying chips. Chopped chocolate gives uneven pieces, some melting into the crumb, some staying as distinct pockets, where uniform chips stay uniform. **A contradiction to watch.** The method opens with one oven setting and then, eleven steps later, gives a hotter one for the bake itself. Those cannot both be right. The higher figure is standard for a loaf of this size and is what has been used here; the lower one would take considerably longer than the stated baking time. A separate banana bread recipe exists on this site and the two compete for some of the same searches.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Set the oven to 180°C, fan-assisted, and grease and lightly flour a loaf tin. The source's method gives two different temperatures; 180°C is correct for a loaf this size.
- 2
Mash the ripe bananas in a clean bowl.
- 3
In another bowl, combine the eggs, melted butter, honey, yoghurt and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
- 4
Work the mashed banana into the wet mixture until properly combined.
- 5
In a third bowl, mix the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt.
- 6
Work the dry ingredients into the wet gradually, until no traces of flour remain.
- 7
Chop the almonds and the dark chocolate finely with a sharp knife.
- 8
Fold the chopped nuts and chocolate through the batter with a spatula. Do not overmix.
- 9
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula.
- 10
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- 11
Let the loaf cool in the tin before turning it out and slicing.
Africook’s Notes
Personal notes from Sarah- This contains almonds. The title only hints at it, so be explicit when serving.
- The source gives two oven temperatures and they contradict each other. 180°C is right for a loaf this size.
- Use properly black-spotted bananas. Underripe fruit gives a bland, dry loaf.
- Chop the chocolate rather than using chips. Uneven pieces melt into the crumb in some places and stay distinct in others, which is better.
- Do not overmix once the flour is in. Fold gently, developed gluten makes a tough loaf.
- The yoghurt is doing real work: acidity for lift, moisture without extra fat. Sour cream or buttermilk substitute directly.
Questions cooks ask
What is the Greek yoghurt for?
Two things. Its acidity reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to produce the carbon dioxide that raises the loaf, which matters because there is no other acid in the batter. And it adds moisture without adding fat, which is why this loaf stays soft for days without being heavy or greasy. Sour cream or buttermilk do the same job and can be substituted directly in the same quantity.
What oven temperature should I use?
180°C. The source's method contradicts itself, it opens by saying to set the oven to 150°C and then, in the baking step, says 180°C. Both cannot be right, and 180°C is the standard temperature for a loaf of this size and matches the stated 45 to 50 minute baking time. At 150°C the loaf would need considerably longer and would likely dry out at the edges before the centre set.
Should I use chocolate chips instead?
Chopped chocolate is better, and the method is right to specify it. Chocolate chips are made with stabilisers to hold their shape and stay as uniform pellets throughout the loaf. Chopped dark chocolate gives a range of piece sizes: the small shards melt into the crumb and flavour it, while the larger pieces stay as distinct pockets. The result is more interesting to eat.
How is this different from the other banana bread on this site?
They are separate recipes for related loaves. The other is a much larger batch, five loaves, with milk flavour and citrus zest, while this one makes a single loaf and adds Greek yoghurt, warm spices, dark chocolate and almonds. Both are worth having, though they do compete for some of the same searches, which is noted in the flags on both pages.
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