What is brown butter?

Brown butter is melted butter that has been taken just past the point of melted to “brown it”. When you melt butter, you tend to get a separation of the milk solids (the white specks) and the yellow liquid, the butterfat. When you brown the butter, you toast the milk solids so they turn a golden brown which gives the whole thing a nutty flavour. You also see this method in cooking, like in crispy brown butter gnocchi with sage.

What else could I add other than chocolate chips?

This loaf really is best with chocolate chips but you could mix in chopped walnuts, chopped peanuts or even chopped hazelnuts. Or it would be good without anything added in, just as a moist banana bread.

Can I use a different tin than a loaf tin?

Yes you could use an 8x8 inch square tin, just bake for 30-35 minutes and then check in as it will take less time than a loaf but it should still retain its moist texture.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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5 from 3 reviews

A moist, easy brown butter chocolate chip banana bread recipe that will be the only recipe you reach for once you've tried it.

Author: margie
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: Makes 1 9 x 5 inch loaf 1x
Category: Baking
Method: Oven
Cuisine: British

Ingredients

Scale

380g VERY ripe and mashed banana (3-4 medium bananas) + 1 more banana for decoration
115g unsalted butter
100g light brown sugar
100g caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
130g thick Greek yogurt
1 tsp bicarbonate of sod
180g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
140g dark chocolate, roughly chopped + a handful more for sprinkling on top (or use chocolate chips)

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 160c and grease and line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
Begin by browning your butter by melting the butter in a pan over medium heat. It will go from melted to then bubbling loudly before going quiet and foamy. Keep stirring until it turns a light amber colour overall but the flecks are dark dark brown, and you can smell chestnuts. (Scroll up for helpful images on this process)
Once browned, pour into a bowl to cool down.
In a bowl, whisk together the melted brown butter and sugars for a minute until thick.
Add in your mashed bananas, eggs, yoghurt, and vanilla.
Once all of your wet ingredients are mixed together, gently stir in the flour, bicarb and salt. Then, fold in the chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Slice the extra banana in half lengthways and lay with the cut side up. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top if you like.
Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let it cool completely before removing from the pan. Store at room temperature in an air-tight container.

Notes

Step by Step Guide: If you scroll up, there's a full step by step guide on how to make brown butter and the banana bread too.

Serving suggestion: Delicious served as it is, or with some whipped brown butter. Or with a toasted lightly in a pan and served with butter and some chopped toasted pecans. Or serve with a spoon of yoghurt and a drizzle of peanut butter or caramel sauce. So good.

Brown bananas: You will need around four very ripe bananas. When I have bananas going brown in my kitchen and I know they are past the point of being eaten as a snack, I throw them straight in the freezer. Just defrost when you want to bake and you have the ripe bananas you always need for a recipe like this. If the bananas you have aren't ripe but you still want to make this, you can heat the oven to 150c fan/130c. Lay bananas on a tray in their skins, and place in the oven. Bake for 10–30 minutes, depending on how ripe the bananas are. Keep checking them until totally brown. Once done, remove from oven, cool slightly and then peel the bananas, mash them, and add to the recipe as stated. This mimics ripe bananas as best as possible, although a proper ripe banana is best.

To store: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.

To heat: Serving at room temperature is delicious but I sometimes like to pop a slice in the microwave to warm it through and melt the chocolate chips.

To freeze: Cool the cake completely and wrap tightly in clingfilm and then a layer of foil on top. Place in the freezer for 3 months. Defrost at room temperature then store in an airtight container.

Find it online: https://desertislanddishes.co/moist-chocolate-chip-banana-bread/