Double Chocolate Banana Bread

I love banana bread, but if I can add chocolate to something I will. The original plan was to turn this into a red velvet banana bread by adding red food coloring. But despite adding almost a teaspoon of gel coloring it didn't change the color of the loaf at all. Luckily this loaf is so delicious it doesn't even matter. This would make a great addition to your sweet trays over the holidays. It has banana in it, it's basically a fruit really.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1t baking soda
1/4t salt
2 over-ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup apple sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1t vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
Holiday sprinkles (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan OR line it with parchment paper. *TIP - if you wet parchment paper it becomes extremely pliable. Hold it under running water for a few seconds then ring it out like you would a towel. You can then lay it right into you pan and your loaf is guaranteed not to stick!

 In a bowl sir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl combine bananas, apple sauce, brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

 

Pour batter into prepared pan and top with holiday sprinkles. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.

I would recommend letting the loaf cool before you cut into it, as the chocolate chips with still be warm and liquidy for awhile. If you, like my kids and I, don't care then cut into it as soon as you can touch it. I had great plans for a beautiful photo of the loaf, partially sliced and laying on a cake stand. As you can see, that didn't happen. Instead I got a photo of a mutilated loaf sitting on the ziplock bag it was being store in. You know it's a winner if you don't even have time to get a photo of it!

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