An Easy Recipe for Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Here's a very easy recipe for a delicious banana bread with chocolate chips. It's a basic recipe—nothing fancy at all—that I've been making for years, but over time I've become more cognizant of the ingredients I use.

For example, I use only really ripe organic bananas. Why organic bananas? Click here to learn why.

I use olive oil instead of the more common canola oil; I can't tell a difference in flavor and I avoid the process used to make commercial vegetable oils.

The sugar is organic pure cane sugar and the flour is organic whole wheat. The vanilla extract and chocolate chips are organic as well. Whether you use all, some or no organic ingredients, this cake will get eaten quickly.

Just remember that the cake will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven. There will be a lot of heat trapped inside, so a dried-out cake is a possibility and disappointment. (Hi, mom!).

BANANA BREAD WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS

3 bananas, ripe, mashed
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil (I use olive)
¾ cup sugar
1 teasp. vanilla extract
1¼ cup flour
1 teasp. baking soda
½ cup chocolate chips
1 Tablesp. butter or oil (to coat loaf pan)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat with a large spoon until creamy. Add the bananas and blend well.

2. Add flour, baking soda and chocolate chips and mix.

3. Pour mixture into the buttered or oiled loaf pan and put on middle rack in oven. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes (time will vary depending on your oven). Loaf is done when a toothpick is inserted into the middle and comes out slightly moist. (If you like your cake a little gooey, remove from oven when a little batter still clings to the toothpick.)

4. Place loaf pan on a cooling rack (if you have) and let bread cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully remove bread from pan and let cool further on cooling rack.

5. If there are any leftovers, wrap in foil. Store in refrigerator or at room temperature, depending on personal preference.