Chocolate Chunk Banana Loaf
Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread
Makes 1 x 2lb loaf
Ingredients
140g butter, softened
140g caster sugar
2 large eggs
140g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 very ripe bananas
200g chocolate chunks
Tip: If your bananas are ripe but not properly soft and overripe yet, bake them in their skins at 150°C fan for around 15 minutes. Let them cool enough to handle, then peel and mash as normal. They’ll soften and become sweeter, which works much better for banana bread.
Method
1. Get everything ready
Heat the oven to 160°C fan and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Make the banana bread
Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs straight into the butter and sugar mixture, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add a little of the flour if the mixture starts to split.
Fold in the flour and 2 tsp baking powder.
Mash the bananas, then fold these through the mixture.
Add 100g of the chocolate chunks and fold them through until they’re evenly spread through the batter. Save the other 100g for later. Don’t overmix it.
3. Bake
Spoon the mixture into the lined loaf tin and level out the top.
Bake at 160°C fan for around 50–60 minutes.
Start checking it from around 40–45 minutes. If the top is getting too dark but the middle still needs longer, loosely cover it with foil.
4. Add the chocolate on top
When the loaf has around 5 minutes left, take it out of the oven and push the remaining 100g chocolate chunks into the top.
Get it straight back into the oven for the final 5 minutes. This gives you melted chocolate chunks across the top without them completely disappearing into the loaf.
It’s done when a skewer through the middle comes out without any wet batter — just bear in mind you might hit some melted chocolate.
5. Cool
Leave the banana bread in the tin for around 10 minutes, then carefully lift it out and leave it to cool.
It’s great still slightly warm while the chocolate chunks are soft and melted.