Chocolate Banana Loaf (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus 2 Tablespoons (22g) for topping
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 cup (41g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
05 - 1 and 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 2 Tablespoons (30ml) hot water
07 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 4 medium or 3 large ripe bananas)
09 - 1/4 cup (60g) plain yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature
10 - 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
11 - 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
12 - 2 large eggs, at room temperature

# Instructions:

01 - Turn your oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan lightly to keep it from sticking, then place it aside.
02 - Stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a big bowl. Toss in 3/4 cup of chocolate chips and mix it all. Set it aside for now.
03 - On high speed, mix the softened butter and sugar using a hand or stand mixer with a paddle or whisk. Keep going until it looks smooth and creamy—about 2 minutes.
04 - Run the mixer on medium. Add one egg, mix it in, then add the second. Stir in the yogurt, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract. Pour in the dry mix and hot water. Slowly blend it together—don’t overdo it. The batter will be thick.
05 - Pour the batter into the oiled baking pan and spread it out. Sprinkle the extra chocolate chips on the surface. Bake for 60-65 minutes. Cover with foil halfway to stop it from browning too much. You'll know it's done when you stick a toothpick in and it comes out mostly clean.
06 - Take it out of the oven and cool the loaf in the pan on a rack for 1-2 hours. Remove it from the pan and slice it up.

# Notes:

01 - Keep it at room temp and it'll stay good for 5 days. Pop it in the fridge, and it'll last a week.
02 - The flavors really pop on the second day.
03 - It freezes well for up to 3 months.
04 - Stick to natural cocoa powder—it works better than Dutch-processed.

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