Bananas aren't a fruit that typically excites the senses or moves people in a profound way, if in any way at all. Hell, fruit in general doesn't do that. Except maybe a lychee. Lychees do something quite unnatural to me that makes me feel shameful and dirty, but that’s a different blog post.
Focus. Bananas.
I don’t know anyone who actually likes bananas, anyone who actually likes to eat bananas, anyone who actually likes the taste and texture of the slimy soft, sometimes stringy fruit that leaves a strange, powdery-yet-wet residue on the tongue and teeth. But every time you’re tearing through the grocery produce section, nature’s version of elementary school bus safety yellow catches your eye and stimulates a conditioned response. You slow down. And though the words may not make their way in literal format to your mouth, “we should get bananas” stirs in your subconscious. You don’t really know why you should get bananas, you just know you should. It’s just known. Should. Supposed to.
It’s just one of those things in life that people should do.
Today, though, I’m finding myself a little less apathetic about bananas. Staring at a screen full of photos of blackened bananas and the browned, caramel glossy topped banana bread with deep, dark cracks and tiny craters spilling over with half melted mini chocolate chips that they became, I found myself…affected. I took those photos a year ago.
It was after the birthday trip up to the mountains.
On our way up to the cabin, we stopped at the market and bought, among other things, bananas. They weren’t on any grocery list, but they probably looked too perfect to pass up and hell, we’re up in the mountains! We should buy bananas for nutrition or something, right? The bananas were long, a little unnatural in how straight they were, beautiful in their own, suspiciously perfect way. They were a little green, but they would ripen in time.
With places to dine out in the small mountain town, other things to eat from the kitchen adorned with small black and white Brother labels that identified everything from cupboards with “pots and pans” to “kitchen light,” and the fact that vacations are a time to eat junk food, the bananas were left untouched. They moved from laying sprawled out bare on the table, to awkwardly nesting their curiously long, straight, hard bodies in a large mixing bowl, to the '70s formica countertop, trying to find their place.
On the last day, like the responsible vacation renters we were, we tidied up, took out the trash, checked the showers, peeked under the sofa cushions, and emptied the refrigerator. The bananas were still on the table. Bananas are cheap – quite literally, a little more than a dime a dozen. The first instinct was to throw them out with the rest of the food that just wasn't worth our effort to take back down the mountain, but I don't work that way. Whether by culture or necessity, it hurts my heart to waste. I can’t just throw things away, especially things that seem perfectly good.
The bananas came back home with us.
I put the untouched bananas on the kitchen countertop. Every day for the first few days, I saw the bananas and reminded myself to look for that banana bread recipe — that one, the one that I loved from whatyearwasthat, hm, I can't remember — but I didn't look. So many other things came up. I was making excuses. "Life stuff" was moving faster, yet in a strange way, more slowly, than I could manage. I wasn't ignoring the bananas; they were there and I saw them every day, rotting right before my eyes. I think I was trying to ignore having to do something about them. I didn't want to deal with them.
You can ignore the black, spotted bananas that are practically camouflaged against the dark granite countertop for as long as you can, but something will eventually force your hand. Maybe you pick up the bananas off the counter to make room for a bowl and the skins shred apart from the stems under the weight of decay. Maybe you find that banana bread recipe while looking for something else.
Maybe you finally find hard evidence of lies and dishonesty that confirm what was just suspicion that laid black and heavy on your heart for months.
Bananas may not actually be, but are marketed as, Quite Possibly the World’s Perfect Food. They had decomposed to just the point at which only by some act of God they could be salvaged, were stripped open, scraped from its skin, shredded, pounded and mashed into a slimy, pulpy mess, hurled into a floury fray, but finally, emerged from the heat, beautifully transformed.
This past year was one of the most uncomfortable, painful, hard, difficult, emotional, dramatic, heart-wrenching years I've lived through, but I think I've finally emerged from the heat.
*breathe*
I may not be beautifully transformed, but at least I'll get a blog post or two out of it.
Mini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1¾ c. + 2 Tbsp. unsifted flour
- 1½ c. granulated sugar
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp. salt
- 1 - 1 ½ c. mini chocolate chips
- 1 c. mashed overripe bananas
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ c. buttermilk
- ½ c. vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour three mini loaf pans.
Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into large bowl. Stir in mini chocolate chips.
In a separate bowl, combine mashed bananas, eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Pour liquid ingredients into flour ingredients and stir until combined.
Divide batter among loaf pans and bake for 33-35 minutes or until deeply golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
shae says
This is the best recipe ever. This is my first and last banana bread recipe. The first time I made it my kids and I ate a loaf within 20 minutes and starte on our second one. I took a loaf to work and my co-workers went crazy. Now when I take it to work I have to sneak it in as everyone wants their own loaf and there is never enough to share. I am so happy that I have this recipe. Thanks for posting it.
Dusty Lee says
Everyone I know loves bananas. I've never heard of them being so disliked as you say they are. Along with apples, they're (if properly ripened) are one of the sweetest fruits. They're a great way to sweeten cereal, oatmeal, or smoothies without adding suger. This bread looks good, but I'm gonna skip the chocolate and put in walnuts instead.
Glykes1927 says
Yum, yum sounds great
Claire Bailey says
I made this today as one big loaf, it took about 1hr10min. I swapped out the milk for yoghurt, 1/2 the white sugar for dark brown, added 1Tbsp of molasses and 1/2tsp of molasses. It is delicious. I had been trying to find a recipe I had bookmarked on an old computer, but this came out better than that one. Best. Banana. Bread. Ever. Thank you. And to think I may have passed it up if I hadn't liked your story to go along with it.
Oh, I also freeze old bananas too, then if I want to make a smoothie I take a peeler to them and it saves adding ice cubes or anything like that, they make it go nice and creamy.
Asma says
I really enjoyed reading your blog. I accidently came over your site while looking for Hash browns. keep going girl. :)
Shauna says
Best recipe I have found. I am also using this recipe to substitute healthier options. Today I used wheat flour instead of white, low fat buttermilk, egg beaters, apple sauce instead of vegi oil. Delicious! - It boosted the fiber/potassium and lowered the fat/calories. I mad 21 muffins from the measurements above and it is around 140 cal per muffin with 4 grams of fat.
law firm utah says
I hope I didn’t say something wrong! I really think it’s a great recipe
and great use of cinnamon. I didn’t even realize that cinnamon isn’t
traditionally in banana bread because I’m the only one in my family who
has ever made banana bread and I load almost everything with cinnamon.
Miller Kristenleigh says
We also fall into the bananas browning up on the counter pitfall. It just seems like I should be eating them but once they get spotty , I don't care for the taste. Unless they get re-engineered into chocolately banana bread heaven that is... THis really is the last banana bread recipe you'll ever need. I've made this 5 times since I discovered your recipe and each time is better than the last. Plus mini loafs are cute!
Diana says
Thanks for this recipe, Sarah! I made it, bookmarked it, and have been using it ever since. I made a few modifications to up the health factor (or to feel slightly better about not sharing!) Perfect recipe for 12 muffins @ 20 minutes
-1 c wheat, 1/2 c white, 1.4 c soy flours
-1/2 c brown sugar, 1/2 c white sugar
Thanks again!
Sarah J. Gim says
Thanks for sharing your substitutions on the banana bread, Diana! I've been thinking of doing the same... using whole wheat and buckwheat flours... good to know yours came out perfect!
Patsy says
I made this recipe tonight and it was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly (except that I added 1 1/2 c. milk chocolate toffee bits instead of the mini chips) and I came out with 4 loaves. Bonus!! I also had to bake it for about 42 minutes. Thanks for a great recipe!
Patsy says
That should have read "milk chocolate covered toffee bits"
PollyWoggy says
Fabulous chocolatey banana bread recipe! Yup, I think you've hit on a winner here........I didn't have mini loaf pans, but made two loaves in 'regular size' pans. Also, if you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can add a tsp of vinegar to regular milk, and it works out great! Thanks!!!!