Wholesome Maple Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread + Video

I hate banana bread. Hear me out.

Okay, maybe I don’t HATE banana bread. Because let’s be real, I’ll still eat it. But, say I was given an array of loaf cakes or muffins to choose from, banana would be the last flavor I’d pick.

What’s my point? I don’t really have one. Except to explain why I’ve never posted a banana bread recipe on the blog before. Ever ever. Crazy, I know.

You know what else I’ve never posted on the blog? A video tutorial for banana bread. Here you are:

Or, watch it on YouTube.

So. Banana bread. I do understand that it’s a favorite for many people. And I’ve long been aware of the fact that I eventually had to post a banana bread recipe on the blog. And that day has finally come.

These past few weeks, I’ve been doing lots of banana bread recipe testing. I was thinking of going with a classic white flour, sugar-filled banana bread recipe. But then I decided, since I probably won’t be posting another banana bread recipe for a long, long time, lemme try and make this banana bread a bit more special and wholesome, ya feel?

So I got to work on a whole wheat, refined sugar free banana bread. A banana bread sweetened with only maple syrup. And packed with bittersweet chocolate chunks. And studded with crunchy walnut bits.

Still classic. But more hefty and filling and cozy and breakfast-appropriate.

And this wholesome maple chocolate chip walnut banana bread was born.

How shall we describe this maple banana bread? Here’s what it’s like:

• Sweet, thanks to two very ripe bananas and maple syrup. But really not overly sweet at alllll.

• Moist and soft and tender. But with a nice heftiness to it thanks to the whole wheat flour.

• Delicately spiced with a lil bit of ground cinnamon and nutmeg.

• Speckled with chopped walnuts and dark chocolate chunks.

It’s good. Really. And I don’t even like banana bread, remember?

Of course, this chocolate chip walnut banana bread is super quick and easy and can be made in one bowl or even in your food processor, if you’re feeling too lazy to mash up bananas by hand.

It’s also not overwhelmingly banana-y. For a banana bread, that is. Which is maybe the reason I can tolerate and actually enjoy eating this wholesome banana bread.

And one last weird, but perhaps helpful, tip: I actually enjoy eating this maple banana bread straight from the fridge. Like, I like it better cold. It’s more squishy and moist after sitting in the fridge. And of course, it stays fresher for longer in the fridge as well.

Soft and moist. Light with some heft. Whole grain and refined sugar free. Spiced and packed with chocolate chunks and walnuts. Quick and easy.

Wholesome maple chocolate chip walnut banana bread - come to mamma.

WHOLESOME MAPLE Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread

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Yield: 9x5 loaf/8 servings

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon oil (vegetable, canola, melted coconut)
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk (may sub non-dairy milk or orange juice)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large, very ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/2 cups packed whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chunks/chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk oil and maple syrup together. Add in eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Stir in mashed bananas.

3. Pour flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt over the wet ingredients and stir everything together until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks and walnuts last.

4. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool before releasing from pan and slicing.

*Note: I like storing my banana bread in the fridge and eating it straight from the fridge, cold. It’s more moist this way and stays fresher for longer :)