Dessert: Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread

Kick up a classic quickbread with a recipe for the best chocolate swirl banana bread.

Ingredients

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe, darkly speckled bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
6 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Melt the chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl for 30-second increments, stirring between each increment, until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the batter.
Preheat the oven to 350 ºF. Line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper then grease the parchment paper with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla.
Using a rubber spatula, lightly fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined. (The batter will be thick and chunky). Remove 1 cup of the batter to a separate bowl then add the melted chocolate to the bowl, stirring to combine.
Fill the loaf pan with alternating scoops of the banana batter and the chocolate batter. Using a knife, swirl the batters together.
Bake the bread for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.
Kelly's Notes: Extra-ripe bananas are the key to the most moist, flavorful banana bread. Don't be afraid to let bananas turn completely brown before using them for banana bread.
If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can make a quick version using whole milk and lemon juice or white vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, and then pour in the milk until it reaches the 1-cup mark. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then use 1/4 cup for this recipe and save the rest for another use.