Coco Banana Bread

I love banana bread but every time I made it, I was disappointed. No matter how many different recipes I’ve tried over the years, it’s never come close to my mum’s. Why I didn’t think to ask her (we speak every day) which banana bread recipe she used earlier, I don’t know. So much time and precious banana puree was wasted searching for the recipe that has been sitting on my kitchen counter for the better part of 13 years!

My mother is a classic and so is her go-to tome, the timeless Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. The first edition of this incredible reference was published in 1930, in a time when recipes and love of cooking was passed down from mother to daughter. Every classic dish you can think of is still contained here. It even has a candy section! Now, my mum and I have had some pretty great moments in a kitchen but very few of them have involved an oven. Nevertheless, when I got my first apartment, BH&G was the first cookbook she bought me and it remained my only cookbook for a very long time. I should have clued into the possibility the banana bread I know and love would be contained in its pages. In the words of my loving mother, duh.

Obviously I’ve made some adjustments to account for vegan restrictions but the big WRG  addition is chocolate. Heavenly chocolate. If you’re in the mood for a nice, light, cakey banana bread, this is not for you. This bread is dense, moist and as much chocolate as it is banana. This is both the bread of my past and my future. A little over the top? Probably. But anyone who doesn’t get this doesn’t love banana bread the way I do.

So you know, this bread will keep in an airtight container for 3 days before it starts to get dry. The good news is (if you still have some left) it’s even better toasted with Earth Balance butter, extending its life to a staggering 5 days. Brilliant, brilliant banana bread.

Coco Monkey Banana Bread

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, The New Cookbook , makes one large loaf or two small
Prep time: 15 minutes / Active time: 55 – 60 for one large loaf or 35 minutes for two small

For the Bread:

1.5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp coco powder + 2 tsp for topping
3/4 cup raw granulated sugar + 2 tbsp for topping
4 very ripe medium-sized bananas, mashed (see directions below)
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 cup canola or coconut oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup PC Decadent, semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:
1. Pre-heat oven 350℉ and spray pan(s) with a neutral cooking oil spray. To make the topping, combine 2 tbsp of granulated sugar and 2 tsp coco powder in a small bowl and mix well.
2. Peel bananas and mash them using the tines of a fork until you reach your desired consistency. (I like mine chunky) Add oil, vanilla and cider vinegar until well combined.
3. In another mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, coco and whisk well. Add chocolate chips and pecans/walnuts and whisk to combine again.

Hint: Coating the chocolate chips and pecans in flour gives them texture ensures they don’t all sink to the bottom of the dough when combined with the wet ingredients.

4. Add the dry to ingredients to the wet ingredients in thirds, using the fork until just combined. Repeat until all dry ingredients have been incorporated. Do not overwork the dough, it will make the bread tough and mealy not dense and moist.
5. Pour dough into pan(s) and generously coat the tops with coco sugar topping. Bake as per the pan instructions above or until the bread separates from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the centre of the bread comes out clean. Let cool in pan(s) for 10 minutes and then transfer from pan(s) to a baking rack to cool completely. I really hope you enjoy this!