Chocolate Chip Maui Banana Bread
Chocolate Chip Maui Banana Bread
Close your eyes, take a bite, and travel to Hawaii - in your mind anyways. This is the closest thing to the Road of Hana Banana Bread you'll ever find state side!
Ingredients
- 4 medium bananas, ripe - but not TOO ripe, 1 reserved for garnish
- 4 TBSP plain Greek yogurt (I used 2% but nonfat is fine)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 6 TBSP solid coconut oil - virgin or refined (or 4 TBSP butter)
- 4 ounces chocolate chips OR toasted walnut or macadamia nuts, chopped
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Directions
- Step 1 Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray lightly.
- Step 2 Peel 3 of the bananas and mash by hand in a medium bowl. Add yogurt, water, vanilla and the egg.
- Step 3 In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and coconut oil. Mix on low until mixture comes together. Add banana and continue mixing only until no more flour is visible. Fold in chocolate chips or nuts and scrape into prepared pan, spreading into an even layer.
- Step 4 Take your remaining banana and slice in half. Dip the banana, cut-side down in the brown sugar. Dust off any excess. Place the sugared bananas in the batter cut sides up.
- Step 5 Bake until risen – about 50 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and bread is firm.
- Step 6 When done, set the loaf, still in the pan, on a wire cooling rack. Let cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing from the pan. Cool for another 10 minutes before slicing.
When I look back on 2020 the one thing that will definitely stand out is the lack of travel. By no means would I call us “jetsetters” anymore (maybe pre-kids), but we do love our adventures, and in any given year we usually plan one or two family trips, in addition to a few weekends away just us, plus lots of driving day trips with the kids. So this year, especially as we hunker down for a long winter indoors, I’m trying to get creative as I can in the kitchen and travel through the food we make. I know, I know, it’s not the same, but it is a fun way to mix things up, try new things, and keep myself motivated.
Take this Maui Banana Bread. Have I even been to Maui? NOPE. Do I feel like I’m a little bit closer now? You bet! I had recently read about this famous Hawaiian banana bread and bookmarked the recipe. And when my 3-year old son (who is obsessed with all things banana!) suggested we make a loaf, I figured it was high time to try this version. So what makes it so special? For those who have been, you’ll likely recall that dotted along the infamous 64-mile Road to Hana are incredible banana bread stands. I guess to keep you going on your long and winding journey? But, beyond the sustenance, I suspected there was something *more* to this banana bread, so I researched further.
A few tips: Apparently what makes it so unique is that it the Hawaiian Banana Bread is off the charts rich and moist and extra banana-y. You don’t have to overthink it. In my recipe, you can thank the banana “garnish” for that, in addition to hand mashing the bananas instead of using a hand mixer. I try to leave the bananas a little chunky and then just fold in the greek yogurt. The coconut oil is the extra added detail. It lends itself to a smoother silkier texture, and less greasy than versions I’ve made with olive oil. Also, baking it at 350 degrees allows the texture to get a little crispy on the outside, while staying soft and moist on the inside.
The hardest part about this recipe was waiting for it to bake. The second I popped it out of the oven, I could barely even give it a second to cool before I got in there. So if you’ve been to Hawaii and know all about this epic BB – you have to give me a shout and let me know, did I do it justice?! Fingers crossed! Just comment below!
