Treat yourself to a slice (or two!) of our moist and totally irresistible White Chocolate Banana Bread. It’s the ultimate snack, and it also makes a lovely dessert.
I am usually pretty good with resisting temptation and am not the kind of person who will raid the snack aisles at the supermarket or hit the vending machine during coffee breaks. But that’s not to say that I don’t have a sweet tooth. In fact, every once in a while, I will shamelessly devour an entire bar of white chocolate (one of my favorite things on the planet) in one sitting. There is just something so incredibly delicious about its smooth, creamy sweetness. Believe me, when I have that bar in my hands, there is no point in trying to persuade myself to just have a bit and put the rest away.
Faced with the white chocolate craving again a few weeks ago, I decided to approach things a little differently. Rather than coming home with a bar to savor in solitude, I picked up a bag of white chocolate chips with the intention of baking something delightful that I could share with the rest of my gang. Seeing those spotty bananas on my kitchen counter made the choice easy. I would bake a family favorite: banana bread!
See here the results! I’m talking a beautifully moist, sweet loaf with an irresistibly tender crumb and a burst of white chocolate in every bite. When my daughter and husband walked into the kitchen while this loaf was baking, they knew they were in for a treat. Judging by how quickly it disappeared, I guess you could say it was well received! And knowing I “just” had two slices somehow made me feel very virtuous!
Tempting tweaks
One of my favorite pairings with white chocolate is cranberries. Their tart sweetness balances the richness of the chocolate, adding a fruity touch and a dash of color to this gorgeous banana bread. Simply stir a half cup of dried cranberries through the batter in step five when you add in the chips. If you’d like to add an element of crunch, skip the cranberries and opt for the same amount of roughly chopped walnuts. In the mood to really indulge? Add two tablespoons of cocoa powder in step four and replace half of the white chocolate chips with either dark or milk chocolate. Utterly delicious!
How do I store leftovers?
Once cooled, transfer the loaf to an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. It will keep well at room temperature for up to 2 days and in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bear in mind that storing it in the fridge will render its crumb slightly denser. For longer storage, transfer the wrapped loaf (or individual slices) to a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
Serving suggestions
Treat yourself to a hearty slice of this banana bread along with a cup of our Rich And Creamy Hot Chocolate or a Copycat Starbucks Vanilla Spice Latte. I wouldn’t hesitate to serve it slightly warm for dessert with a scoop of our White Dream Ice Cream. Talk about the ultimate white chocolate indulgence!
White Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups ripe bananas mashed
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper leaving a few inches hanging over the edge for easy removal later.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the mashed banana, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Fold in 3/4 cup of the white chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it out evenly. Scatter the top with the 2 tablespoons of white chocolate chips.
- Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack, approximately 2 hours.
This is the best banana bread I have ever tasted!
What size loaf pan did you use? I’ve made this once before and it was great and I believe it used two smaller loaf pans, I’m just not sure of the size.
The recipe is designed for a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan, but if you used two smaller pans before, they were likely 8×4-inch or even mini loaf pans (5×3-inch). If using smaller pans, just keep an eye on the baking time—it’ll probably be done a bit sooner!