Prepping for my winter bod…Who’s with me?! I mean, maybe I’ll still hit the gym, but if you offer me bread, don’t expect me to say no. Especially if it’s bread with bananas in it. And chocolate.

I’ve only ever made one banana bread recipe, and it’s this one. It is my absolute favourite…moist, fluffy and delicious. I’ve played around with the recipe a little bit over the years – making it dairy-free, egg-free and including less sugar – and it always works out pretty well, regardless of the change. In the recipe below, you will see the original recipe as well as some healthier adaptations, if you so wish. Your choice.

The dry: You are going to need flour (All Purpose, but sometimes I do half AP and half whole wheat), baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix, mix, mix.

The wet: Beat one cup of sugar (less if you want) with two eggs (or use “flax eggs” – mix two tablespoons of ground flax with five tablespoons of water and let sit for ten minutes in the fridge to thicken), vanilla and vegetable oil until combined.

In three additions, add the dry mixture alternatively with half a cup of buttermilk (for non-dairy, mix together half a tablespoon of white vinegar with half cup of almond milk and let sit for five minutes before adding to the wet ingredients), mixing just to combine. Do not over mix!

Now comes the part that makes this bread drool-worthy. Toss in a bunch of dark chocolate chunks – the more, the merrier. Mash up those bananas with a fork and dump them right in, too! NOTE: Your bananas should have a brown peel. They are so much sweeter when they are at this stage and perfect for banana bread. I promise.

Oh Em Gee. Look at that yumminess… Talk about goals.

Carefully fold in the bananas and chocolate chunks and then pour into a greased loaf pan.

Toss a couple more chocolate chunks on top to make it look pretty…and for more chocolate chunks on top. Duh.

Now it’s time for the oven. Waiting is the worst part, but it is so worth it in the end. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack and just try not to eat it. Or eat it…we’re working on our winter bodies…right?!

The Best Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour*
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 1/2 cup buttermilk**
• 3 overripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup dark chocolate chunks

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate, larger bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla together until smooth and combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately in three additions, being careful not to over mix the batter.
5. Add the mashed bananas and chocolate chunks and carefully fold with a spatula until incorporated into the mixture.
6. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Run a butterknife along the edges of the loaf to loosen and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

NOTES:

*You can also use whole wheat flour or half AP and half whole wheat.

**If you are dairy-free, substitute the buttermilk for almond milk mixed with 1/2 tablespoon of white vinegar (let sit for about 5 minutes)