Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Banana Bread


Because it is snowing and because I have this little hibernation thing going on, I had to make something warm and yummy today.  Something that when I baked it, the aroma would permeate the whole house and fill my mind full of warm happy thoughts.  That something ended up being Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.  I have had this recipe forever and it is one of my favorite warm gooey bread recipes.  There is no shortage of chocolate...something that a farmgal needs every now and then...plus this recipe is a for sure crowd pleaser.  My boys all belly up to the bar for a big thick slice of this.  They love it warm, when the chocolate chips are still gooey and melted.


I know that the title calls for sour cream, but I have also used Greek yogurt and it turns out equally wonderful.  So feel free to substitute with a good THICK plain or vanilla yogurt if you don't have sour cream.  I use really good chocolate when I make this recipe, since it is the most stand out ingredient, I make sure that it is stellar.  I use dutch processed cocoa and Callebaut semi sweet chocolate chunks.  I love the chunks, they are irregularly sized but they are big and really put on a show when you slice the warm bread.  Big shiny splotches of thick sweet chocolate catch your eye.

This recipe comes from a website called savorysweetlife.  This site is filled with marvelous and delicious fare that honestly makes my mouth water every time I look at it.  It is a great reference and I have several go-to-recipes that came from this site.



SOUR CREAM CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD
Adapted from savorysweetlife.com

1 stick of salted butter, softened to room temp.
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 large ripened bananas mashed ( or 2.5 small bananas)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbl. dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 cup of mini chocolate chips (regular chocolate chips work too)
*optional 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×5 loaf pan and coat with flour, or 2 mini pans with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Stir in egg, mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla until well blended. Add baking soda, cocoa, and flour. Mix everything until well incorporated (about 3 minutes in a Kitchenaid mixer). Add chocolate chips and nuts (if applicable).

Pour batter into loaf pan(s) and bake for 50 minutes – 1 hr. Insert a tooth pick into the center of the loaf and check to see if it comes out clean when you pull it out.  For small loaves, it is about 40 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow bread to rest in the loaf pan for 10 minutes. Invert the loaf pans onto a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or cold.



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