Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 3 oz dark chocolate (or unsweetened chocolate; chopped into irregular pieces if using a bar)
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter (chopped)
• 0.375 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (3/8 cup)
• 1.75 cup all purpose gluten free flour blend (1 3/4 cups)
• 0.75 tsp xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 0.25 tsp baking soda
• 0.5 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (from about 2 medium bananas)
• 0.75 cup granulated sugar
• 0.333 cup sour cream (at room temperature; 1/3 cup)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs (at room temperature)
• 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 0.25 cup chopped ripe banana (optional mix-in)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a standard 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper. Set it aside.

2. 2

   If using a bar of chocolate, first chop it into irregular pieces. In a medium-size, heat-safe bowl, place the chopped chocolate and butter.

3. 3

   In the microwave in 30-second bursts, or over a simmering pot of hot water, melt the chocolate and butter until smooth. Set aside to cool briefly.

4. 4

   In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

5. 5

   In a large mixing bowl, place the mashed bananas, granulated sugar, sour cream, vanilla, eggs and the melted butter and chocolate mixture.

6. 6

   Beat on medium speed with a handheld mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) to combine (about 2 minutes).

7. 7

   Add the dry ingredients, and beat on medium speed to combine. The batter will be very thick, and will climb up the beaters if you're using a handheld mixer.

8. 8

   Add the chocolate chips and the optional chopped banana, and use a silicone spatula to fold into the batter until they’re evenly distributed throughout.

9. 9

   Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan, and smooth into an even layer in the pan.

10. 10

    For a uniform rise, use a small, sharp knife to slash the center of the batter from one short side to another, about 1/4-inch deep.

11. 11

    Place the loaf pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.

12. 12

    Rotate 180° and continue to bake until the loaf is firm to the touch on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about another 25 minutes. If you're worried that the loaf is starting to burn, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F until baked through.

13. 13

    If you’ve added the additional chopped banana, the baking time will probably need to be increased by about 10 minutes.

14. 14

    Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

15. 15

    Transfer the loaf to a wire rack, remove the paper liner, and allow to cool completely (about 45 minutes).

16. 16

    Slice into 10 pieces crosswise, and serve.

Notes

Melting chocolate: Use a high cacao butter content (about 65%) for best results. Avoid chocolate chips for the melting step as they contain stabilizers. Substitution: Sour cream can be replaced with plain Greek-style yogurt. Baking Tip: Use an oven thermometer to ensure accuracy; if the bread sinks as it cools, it likely wasn't fully baked through in the center.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dessert
• snack
• gluten-free
• baked
• banana bread
• chocolate