Martha Stewart’s famed banana-chocolate chip bread recipe has taken the internet by storm, offering a delectable treat that’s perfect for any time of day.
Whether you’re craving a morning pick-me-up, a midday snack, or a late-night indulgence, this moist and sweet bread promises to satisfy.
The secret to this beloved recipe? Overripe bananas.
While you could use perfectly yellow bananas, it’s the overripe ones that truly shine in this quick bread, bringing an extra level of sweetness and intensified banana flavour.
According to Martha’s recipe, an overripe banana should be fully brown, slightly soft, and exuding a fragrant aroma – the kind of bananas you might otherwise consider too far gone to eat.
However, there’s no need to fret if you’re short on time when your bananas reach this stage.
Stewart suggests simply tossing them in the freezer, where they can be stored for up to six months in their skins. When you’re ready to bake, let them thaw completely before incorporating them into the recipe.
So, whether you’re reaching for a slice at breakfast, pairing it with a scoop of ice cream for dessert, or enjoying it as a midday snack, Martha Stewart’s banana bread is sure to become a staple in your baking repertoire.
Ingredients
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1 stick unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
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2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
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1 cup sugar
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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2 teaspoons baking powder
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½ teaspoon baking soda
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¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
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½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
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3 overripe bananas, preferably frozen and thawed, mashed (1 ½ cups)
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3 large eggs, room temperature
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⅓ cup buttermilk
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1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven, prep loaf pan, and combine dry ingredients:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush a standard nine-by-five-inch loaf pan with butter and dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and cinnamon, 30 seconds.
Combine wet ingredients:
In another bowl, whisk together butter, bananas, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth.
Add wet ingredients to dry:
Make a well in flour mixture and pour banana mixture into it.
Mix lightly:
Stir together until mostly combined but some dry flour remains.
Add chocolate chips:
Add chocolate chips and continue stirring just until evenly distributed throughout and no dry flour remains.
Place in pan:
Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan.
Bake:
Bake until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes.
Cool:
Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer loaf to a wire rack and let cool completely.
