Cinnamon-Swirl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

FRIDAYS! – They either call for a drink or chocolate-on-chocolate-on-chocolate, am I right?

Actually, let’s be real; they call for both. Pull out your cocktail shaker and the chocolate chips and let’s get the weekend going!

Now, I assume that if you’re here you already know this much too well, but it’s worth saying anyhow: you can never have too many variations on banana bread. Go the classic route, throw in some dates and sugared pecans, fill it with juicy roasted strawberries, mix it with some maple and turn it into a coffee cake, or load it with coconut and chunks of dark chocolate in a healthy muffin. (← That last one has definitely been the biggest hit so far.) The overall moral of the story is that the super-ripe bananas sitting on your counter are begging to be thrown into some good homemade batter and loaded with whatever mix-ins your heart desires. And in this case, they’re begging to be mixed with heaps of chocolate chips AND swirled with a intense layer of cinnamon-sugar. Plus more cinnamon on top, and crunchy raw sugar, anddddd…

Well actually, I’m pretty sure you couldn’t possible stuff anything more into this bread. It’s already about to overflow with goodness.

If you need me, I’ll be with the chocolate, drink in my hand. Ya feel me? ;)

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Cinnamon-Swirl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

The ultimate LOADED banana bread – tender and moist, studded with plenty of chocolate, and swirled with a hefty dose of cinnamon-sugar.

• Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Yield: 1 9"x5" loaf 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Cinnamon-Sugar Swirl

• 3 ½ ounces (½ cup) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

• 10 ⅝ ounces (2 ½ cups, spoon and level) whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 ⅝ ounces (⅓ cup) unrefined coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 ½ ounces (⅓ cup, packed) brown sugar
• 1 ¾ ounces (¼ cup) granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature*
• 1 lb 1 ounce (2 cups) mashed ripe banana**
• 2 ounces (¼ cup) nonfat greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 6 ounces chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
• demerara sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF and butter the bottom and sides of a 9″x5″ loaf pan. Whisk together cinnamon and sugar for swirl and use a portion to dust pan.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a bowl and handheld electric mixer), beat the coconut oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until well-combined, wiping down the bowl and beater as needed. Beat in the eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated. Wipe down and beat in mashed banana, yogurt, and vanilla extract until evenly combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix in on lowest speed until almost evenly combined. Wipe down the bowl and beater and add most of the chocolate. Fold in by hand until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
5. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing out in an even layer. Sprinkle the majority of the cinnamon sugar on top in an even layer, and then cover with remaining batter. Swirl briefly with a knife. Sprinkle remaining chocolate on top, followed by remaining cinnamon sugar and demerara sugar (if using).
6. Bake bread at 325ºF for 1hr 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs/melted chocolate. Cool in pan on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store wrapped in plastic wrap, or in an airtight zip-top bag, at room temperature.

Notes

*To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place in a bowl and cover with warm water. Let sit 5-10 minutes before using.

*Mash banana by hand – some chunks remaining are fine.

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