Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Confession:  I loathe bananas.  Like, severe dislike.  I get it, it's the "perfect fruit", as my dad reminds me: they come in their own sanitary packaging, potassium, blah blah, but the texture is just awful.  The taste is fine...which is probably why I enjoy banana bread.  Plus there is chocolate chips, so that makes the bananas better.

Using brown sugar instead of white sugar gives a richer taste,
while using less

I had a banana bread recipe that called for like 1 1/2 sticks of butter, 2 cups sugar, and loads of other nasty...that's cake, not bread people.  I modified said recipe to include less butter, a lot less sugar, oatmeal, less flour, and chocolate chips.  You're welcome.

My friend Kara informed me that the best bananas for banana bread are frozen bananas that are thawed.  It's totally true!  They are less stringy and beat up better in the batter.  Give it a try next time you have some half-nasty bananas sitting on your counter.  They keep in the freezer for a long time (I've had them in there for over a month and made bread...no one died).

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
3 ripe bananas that were frozen, thawed
1/2 stick butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  In a mixing bowl, beat together bananas, butter, egg, vanilla and cinnamon.  Sift together flour, baking soda and powder and salt.  Slowly add flour mixture to banana mixture.  Then mix in oats.  Stop mixer and scrape down bowl.  Slowly add in milk, then chocolate chips.  Don't overmix.  Transfer to a greased loaf pan.  Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and set.  Allow to cool completely before removing from pan and slicing.  Enjoy!  (*For muffins, pour batter into a lined and greased cupcake pan and bake for 15 minutes or until set).