Did you know that bananas are the most-purchased item at the supermarket? They are also one of the world’s best superfoods containing essential vitamins and minerals to support a healthy body. To celebrate National Banana Day, I’m sharing one of my kids’ favorite recipes…Chocolate Chip Banana Bread! I always buy more bananas than we will eat because I love to freeze them for this banana bread recipe. Scroll down for more compelling reasons to choose a banana and our indulgent Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe!
This post was created in partnership with Ralphs and Food 4 Less.
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Bananas
At approximately 100 calories, bananas are one of the best foods you can eat. Bananas contain essential nutrients that can support a healthy immune system and protect the heart. Here are 7 things you didn’t know about bananas.
- Bananas are naturally fat and cholesterol free.
- Bananas are high in potassium, containing 400 mg for one medium-sized banana. Potassium can help lower blood pressure, support the nervous system, protect the heart, and help with muscle function.
- Bananas contain vitamins and minerals like Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, magnesium, and iron.
- Bananas have a low glycemic index and can provide sustained energy throughout the day.
- Bananas provide 10% of the recommended daily amount of Vitamin C which is protective against cell and tissue damage, helps to absorb iron, and supports brain health.
- There are over 400 varieties of bananas in the world, but the most popular is the Cavendish.
- More than 100 billion bananas are eaten across the globe every year and on average, Americans consume 27 pounds of bananas per person every single year.
5 Ways to Keep Bananas Fresh
I prefer to buy green bananas so they last longer and have time to ripen at home. Since bananas have a shorter shelf-life than other produce, here are some tips for keeping your bananas fresh.
- Buy yellow-to-green colored bananas.
- Store bananas at room temperature away from other products/foods. Store them in the fridge once they have completely ripened.
- Wrap the banana stems in plastic wrap to slow the ripening process.
- Avoid overhandling bananas to prevent bruising.
- To preserve bananas for a longer period of time, peel, individually wrap, and freeze them.
The Best Bananas for Banana Bread
While you can use any banana for banana bread, riper bananas tend to be sweeter. I always adjust the sugar content of my recipe based on how ripe my bananas are. If your bananas are not as ripe as you prefer, place them in the oven at 300° F for 20 minutes to soften them up.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe
My favorite Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe is from A Sassy Spoon. This recipe offers the perfect blend of chocolate chips and bananas and is moist (as opposed to many recipes that can be dry). The entire recipe can be viewed here.
I always adapt recipes that I make regularly, and I have found that cutting back the brown sugar to 3/4 cup and adding an extra banana makes for the ideal sweetness. I also use a blend of white and whole grain flour in this recipe (1 cup white flour, 1 cup whole grain flour).
- 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 5 ripe bananas, mashed, frozen work best
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole grain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips, you can also use mini chocolate chips
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper, making sure the parchment is hanging over the sides of the loaf pan. Spray with nonstick spray.
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In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together for about 2 minutes until smooth.
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Whisk in the egg.
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Add the mashed bananas and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
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Add the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just combined.
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Fold in the chocolate chips.
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Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and top with more chocolate chips.
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Bake for 55-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
This bread is our favorite banana recipe and ideal for breakfast or a mid-day snack!
National Banana Day
This year, Ralphs and Food 4 Less celebrated National Banana Day by giving away 10,000 bananas to Feeding San Diego as part of their commitment to give back to communities through their Zero Hunger Zero Waste initiative. Their goal is to cut global food waste in half by 2030.
For more than 500 banana recipes, visit Ralphs.com.
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