Today I’ve got a slightly different take on your typical banana bread. My chocolate chip walnut banana bread is full of extra goodness with the walnuts and chocolate chips as well as some additional flavours like cinnamon and nutmeg. An easy bread to whip up for breakfast or snacks if you’re tired of your plain ol’ banana bread recipe!
I feel like banana bread should be a staple in every house as it’s so delicious but also versatile and reduces waste. You really can’t go wrong, and most kids love it! It makes for a great breakfast or snack and is easy to take with you on the go. This walnut banana bread is a great Christmas time snack with the addition of the warm spices!
One of my earliest baked good memories is eating my nan’s banana chocolate chip muffins. They were our favourite dessert to eat at our grandparents every weekend besides strawberries and ice cream, with freshly picked wild strawberries. Hard to beat that but her banana muffins definitely came close and we always looked forward to them. My chocolate chip walnut banana bread is similar but i changed up the ingredients so that they’re a much healthier snack!
For some more banana baking options, check out my chocolate chip banana bread which is a bit more simple, my funfetti banana bread, which makes amazing French toast or my chocolate almond banana muffins which are a gluten free muffin.
What If I Don’t Have Walnuts?
If you’re out of walnuts but still want a nut, pecans will also be delicious in this bread. Otherwise, I suggest just replacing the nuts with some more chocolate chips, extra chocolate chips is never going to be a bad idea!
How to Store Walnut Banana Bread
When storing this chocolate chip walnut banana bread, follow these steps:
- Fully cool the bread, otherwise it can get gummy and soggy.
- Place a paper towel on the bottom of an airtight container or bag.
- Put the bread on top of the paper towel.
- Lay another paper towel on top of the bread.
- Seal and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
How to Freeze Walnut Banana Bread
If you want to freeze the bread, follow these steps:
- Fully cool the bread and then slice it into pieces at your desired thickness.
- Place a paper towel on the bottom of an airtight container or bag.
- Put the slices on top of the paper towel in a single layer. If you need to layer them, put a small square of paper towel between the layers.
- Seal and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To eat, take amount you need out and let thaw at room temperature for 2 hours or heat in the microwave in 20 second increments. But be cautious if using the microwave when feeding children or toddlers, it can leave hot spots.
Benefits of Whole Wheat vs. White Flour
When baking healthier snacks, treats or breakfasts, I’m a big fan of using whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour, also known as white flour. There are many benefits to this including a higher concentration of minerals like copper, magnesium and iron. This is important for me personally as like many women, I’ve had issues with low iron in my life.
There is also a larger source of B vitamins in whole wheat flour which provides energy. Whole wheat flour has a higher protein content as well as more fibre, both of which can keep you feeling full longer. Another great thing about whole wheat flour is it can add a little extra flavour bringing a hint of nuttiness to certain bakes.
The only cons of using whole wheat flour that I know of is sometimes it can make a recipe more dense, which is why I typically add more moisture to my recipes. In doing this, I generally don’t notice that I’m eating a whole wheat flour bread instead of a white flour bread.
The other downside is I know everybody doesn’t keep whole wheat flour on hand. Well, I never used to either and now I can’t imagine not having it in the house. I buy a large 10kg bag for the exact same price as an all purpose bag of flour and have never had it go bad on me. Having said this, I highly recommend keeping some on hand so you can make guilt free muffins, quick breads or whatever you want! Although, in saying this, if the recipe doesn’t call for it, I don’t recommend swapping whole wheat flour for white flour, they’re generally not a 1 to 1 substitute.
If you’d like more information on the nutritional benefits, head to https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/whole-grains/. There are lots of great sources of nutritional information on the Harvard website that is backed up by multiple sources.
How to Properly Measure Flour
So when it comes to measuring flour, the most accurate and easiest way is to use a kitchen scale. I always use a scale and could never go back to measuring in cups. It’s such a hassle and way more dishes!
If you don’t own a scale, there are a couple steps to properly measure flour as it becomes compacted just sitting in the bag or container. I highly recommend you follow these as just scooping flour out of the bag can potentially lead to at least an additional 1/4 cup of flour. This equals dry and dense baked goods which is not what anybody is going for.
1. Fluff the flour by giving it a mix with a whisk or fork.
2. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup.
3. Level the excess flour off using a butter knife. (With the back of the knife level to the top of the measuring cup, run it over top, pushing the excess flour back into it’s container.)
4. Repeat until you’ve measured the amount the recipe calls for.
Baking Tips
- Don’t overmix the batter! Fold the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. This ensures a tender crumb rather than a tight, dense bread.
- For best results, use room temperature ingredients! They will mix together much easier creating a smoother, more well incorporated batter.
- Whenever making any kind of baked good with banana, ensure the bananas are overripe, with brown spots or skin, or they won’t incorporate as well into your recipe. They also won’t bring as much flavour. If you don’t have any bananas at this stage of ripeness, often grocery stores will sell the overripe bananas for this purpose. This to me is a win win as it also helps reduce food waste!
- If you don’t have walnuts, pecans would also be delicious! You could also just add extra chocolate chips.
- I create my recipes based off weights so I recommend measuring by weights if you own a scale . It’s actually so much easier and makes for much less cleanup. I wish I had baked by weight from the beginning, I could never go back now.
More Holiday Bakes
Today’s song is one I have been obsessively listening to on the way to work lately and still can’t get enough of! It’s also CanCon and I’m all about that! Here’s End Of Me ft. Rivers Cuomo by Billy Talent. Happy baking!! **Disclaimer: Liv’s Little Muffins owns no rights to this song.
Don’t forget to leave a STAR REVIEW if you try my recipe! Follow me on Facebook or tag me on instagram @livslittlemuffins. Find more ideas on my Pinterest or Whisk.
Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (300g) whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/3 cups (300g) mashed overripe banana
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup (60g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup (60g) canola oil
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsweetened oat milk (or milk of choice)
- 1/2 cup (110g) plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (55g) semi sweet chocolate chip
- 1/2 cup (50g) chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line or spray a 9×5 loaf pan.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash your banana if it's not already mashed. Add the eggs and brown sugar. Whisk until well combined. Add in the oil, milk, Greek yogurt and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture and using a spatula, fold together gently until half combined. Add in the chocolate chips and walnuts and fold together until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. If you want that traditional looking crack in the middle once baked, run your spatula lengthwise down the middle of the batter making a line in the batter. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the top springs back when touched.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months and enjoy!