Super-Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Just like super-moist brownies, super-moist banana bread is the gold standard. Until recently, I thought sour cream was the trick. Then I tried quark. Qu-what? Quark is a high-protein, low-sugar cultured dairy that some brands compare to yogurt, others compare to cream cheese or cottage cheese. It’s not the metaphor that sold me, but the fact that quark is a popular ingredient in some traditional European cheesecakes. Now we’re talking! Cheesecake + banana bread…what could be better?!?
- 1.5 c. plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- 1 large room temperature egg
- 1 c. mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas, see TIP A below)
- 3 tbsp. quark (see TIP B below)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 c. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 c. finely chopped pecans (optional)
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
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Combine 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Remember to add the flour to your measuring cup with a spoon so that it does not get packed-down while measuring.
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With a standing or hand-held electric mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes. Don't skimp on this time. You want to create a very light and fluffy mixture.
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Add the egg to the butter-sugar mixture and beat on medium-high speed for an additional 15-20 seconds. Then add the mashed ripe banana, quark, and vanilla and mix until combined. Scrape down sides as needed.
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With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Again, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed to ensure all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
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Combine the chocolate chips, nuts (if using), brown sugar, and 2 remaining teaspoons of flour in a small bowl.
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Lightly spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and line it with a piece of parchment paper that extends beyond the two long sides of the pan (this will help you lift the loaf out of the pan after baking). Pour half of the banana bread batter into the pan and gently spread it into a flat, even layer. Top the batter with about three-quarters of the chocolate chip-nut mixture evenly distributed. Then pour the remaining batter over the chocolate chips and nuts, and (again) spread it into a flat even layer. Finally, arrange the remaining chocolate chips-nut mixture in a channel down the middle of the loaf.
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Put the loaf in the middle of a pre-heated 350° oven (not too close to the top or bottom) for 40 minutes. At 40 minutes, loosely tent the pan with a piece of aluminum foil and continue to bake for another 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out mostly clean—it should have moist bread crumbs attached but no raw batter. Once done, remove the pan from the oven and let the loaf cool in the pan (untented) for 15-20 minutes. Then pull the loaf out of the pan by pulling up on the parchment paper and let it continue to set-up and cool on a cooling rack for at least another 15 minutes. The baked and cooled bread can be stored in a storage container or ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for at least 1 month.
TIP A: The one thing that can stand in the way of making homemade banana bread is not having ripe-enough bananas. When making banana bread, you really want bananas that are past their perfectly yellow stage. They should be either mostly black or heavily freckled with black spots—having just turned too ripe to eat whole. If you ever find yourself with the urge to make banana bread and without ripe-enough bananas, my mom's tip is to put yellow bananas (peel on) in a low-heat oven—around 200-250°—for 30-60 minutes or until adequately black and softened. Let them cool before use. Alternatively, you can always keep a stash of too-ripe bananas in a ziplock bag in your freezer. I add to my stash whenever I'm left with that one banana that's gone too far. Their flavor integrity holds-up in the freezer for at least 1 month. To defrost the bananas, just let them sit on the counter at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
TIP B: As described in the intro to this recipe and the associated editorial post, quark is a high-protein, low-sugar cultured dairy that is something like a cross between yogurt and cream cheese. It is used to make cheesecake in some European baking traditions and is the secret "super-moist" ingredient in this recipe. It can be found in the yogurt or soft cheese section of most natural, specialty, or international grocery stores (a.k.a. Whole Foods).