TL/DR – Chocolate Banana Bread. This is a healthier version of a classic that has sneaky grated carrot, white whole wheat flour, coconut sugar and dark chocolate chunks. Picky eaters might mistake it for cake. –
During lockdown, I spent a lot of time baking and freezing. The benefit to baking and freezing is that there is some left for later. My obsession as a mom of two littles is usually to do with bad stuff like SUGAR. Are they eating too much sugar? How do I train them to understand and look for sugar content and make healthy choices without provoking anxiety?
Enter Chocolate Banana Bread. As I fretted my way through lockdown and beyond, I made many variations of this healthier version of a quick bread that my kids love. I discovered that very finely grated carrot, when baked with banana and chocolate, is undetectable.
I used white whole wheat flour, which is less course and less detectable to picky eaters. I also used coconut sugar, which is brown and course and definitely on the molasses/gingerbread side of things, but also lower on the glycemic index and therefore does not spike blood sugar like white sugar does. The result is not only tasty, but something that I don’t feel bad about feeding my kids.
The beauty of this recipe is that it’s ONE BOWL. Start by setting the oven at 350 F. Peel 4 medium very ripe bananas and mash them until they are liquid. To the bananas, add two eggs and vanilla and whisk well.
Follow this with coconut sugar, buttermilk and canola or vegetable oil and whisk until incorporated. Add in cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and whisk again. Fold in white whole wheat flour.
Fold in finely grated carrot and chopped dark chocolate chunks. Bake the loaves for 50 to 55 minutes and allow them to cool completely before slicing.
Tip: to preserve this bread for many future servings, line freezer bags with parchment paper, then place cooled slices of bread in the bags separated by parchment paper. Freeze flat and heat a slice in the microwave for about 30 seconds to enjoy later.
For other quick breads with hidden veggies, try Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread, Lemony Zucchini Bread, and Summer Squash Quick Bread. Want to try something different? Check out Chocolate Beet Bean Banana Cake or Sweet Potato Orange Bundt Cake.
Chocolate Banana Bread
A healthier version of a classic that has sneaky grated carrot, white whole wheat flour, coconut sugar and dark chocolate chunks.
Ingredients
- 4 medium overripe bananas
- 2 eggs
- 2 t vanilla extract
- 2/3 c canola oil
- 1/2 c buttermilk
- 1 c coconut sugar
- 2/3 c cocoa powder
- 2 t baking soda
- 1 t salt
- 2 c white whole wheat flour
- 2 c finely grated carrot
- 1 c finely chopped dark chocolate chunks
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, mash the peeled bananas until they are mostly liquid.
- Step 2 Add the eggs and vanilla. Whisk until incorporated.
- Step 3 Add the oil, buttermilk and coconut sugar. Whisk until incorporated.
- Step 4 Add the cocoa powder and whisk gently until it is well incorporated. Then add the baking soda and salt and whisk again.
- Step 5 With a spatula, fold in the white whole wheat flour until it is partially incorporated, then add the carrot and chocolate and fold until all is fully mixed in. Do not over stir.
- Step 6 Grease two 9 inch loaf pans and divide the batter evenly between the two. Bake at 350 F for 50 to 55 minutes.
- Step 7 Cool the loaves for 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto cooling racks and cool completely before serving or freezing.
