Mini Banana Loaves with Chocolate Chips, a delicious twist on classic banana bread. Perfectly moist, packed with ripe bananas, a touch of cinnamon, and overflowing with chocolate chips, these mini loaves are topped with a silky dark chocolate ganache that's simply irresistible. Ready to fill your kitchen with the aroma of baked goodness?
Why You Will Love My Mini Banana Loaves
First off, you'll adore these Chocolate Chip Mini Banana Loaves because of their irresistible texture. They're incredibly moist and tender, a delicious result of ripe bananas blended perfectly with all the other ingredients. The addition of chocolate chips introduces a sweet, gooey element that makes every mouthful a joyous surprise.
Secondly, they're the perfect size for a grab-and-go breakfast, a quick snack. The individual servings mean you can enjoy a little loaf without having to commit to a large piece of cake or bread, making them an ideal solution for portion control or for serving at gatherings where you want to offer a variety of desserts.
Ingredients In My Mini Banana Loaves
Banana Loaves
- Ripe Bananas: These are the star of the show, providing natural sweetness and moisture to the loaves, which contributes to their tender texture.
- Self-Raising Flour: This ingredient is a combination of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and a bit of salt. It helps the loaves rise and gives them a light, fluffy structure. When substituting with all-purpose flour and baking powder, the same effect is achieved.
- Superfine Sugar: Also known as caster sugar, this finer grain sugar dissolves more easily than regular granulated sugar, ensuring the loaves have a smooth texture without any grittiness.
- Vegetable Oil: Oil is used instead of butter to keep the loaves moist and tender. It contributes to the longevity of the loaves, helping them stay fresh longer.
- Eggs: Eggs bind the ingredients together, contribute to the structure of the loaves, and help them rise.
- Chocolate Chips: These add sweet, chocolatey pockets throughout each loaf, creating a delightful contrast to the banana flavor.
- Cinnamon: A pinch of cinnamon adds warmth and spice, enhancing the overall flavor profile of the mini banana loaves.
Chocolate Topping
- Dark Chocolate: This is used to make the ganache topping, providing a rich, decadent finish that complements the sweetness of the banana loaves.
- Heavy Cream: When mixed with the dark chocolate, it creates a smooth, creamy ganache that adds an extra layer of indulgence to the mini banana loaves.
- Chocolate Chips for Garnish: Additional chocolate chips are sprinkled on top for a decorative touch and an extra burst of chocolate flavor.
How To Make Mini Banana Loaves
Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Start by heating your oven to the specified temperature. Grease your mini loaf pan to ensure the loaves can be easily removed after baking.
Mash Bananas: Take your ripe bananas and mash them until smooth. This can be done with a potato masher or a fork. The goal is to create a uniform banana mixture that will blend seamlessly with the other ingredients.
Mix Ingredients: To the mashed bananas, add the flour (with the baking powder if you’re substituting self-raising flour), sugar, chocolate chips, cinnamon, vegetable oil, and eggs. Stir everything together until just combined. It's important not to overmix to ensure the loaves remain tender.
Fill Pan and Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the cavities of your mini loaf pan. Each section should be filled to allow room for the loaves to rise without overflowing. Bake in the preheated oven for the recommended time or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool Loaves: After baking, allow the loaves to cool in the pan for a short period. This makes them easier to remove. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling is crucial as it sets the structure of the mini banana loaves and improves their texture.
Make Chocolate Ganache: While the loaves are cooling, prepare the chocolate topping by melting dark chocolate and mixing it with hot heavy cream. Stir until the mixture is smooth and glossy. If needed, adjust the consistency by adding more cream or chocolate.
Decorate with Ganache and Garnish: Once the loaves are cool and the ganache has reached a pipeable consistency, pipe it over each loaf in a decorative pattern. Finish by sprinkling additional chocolate chips on top for garnish.
Serving Suggestions
Breakfast Delight: Warm a mini loaf slightly in the microwave and serve it with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup. The contrast of the warm loaf with the cool, creamy yogurt makes for a luxurious breakfast treat.
Dessert Upgrade: Transform a mini loaf into an elegant dessert by serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, caramel ice cream, chocolate ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream on top. The cold ice cream melting into the warm banana loaf is an irresistible combination.
School Lunch Surprise: Add a mini loaf to your child’s lunchbox for a sweet surprise. It's a great way to sneak in a homemade treat that's sure to bring a smile to their face.
Picnic Baskets: Mini banana loaves are perfect for picnics because they're easy to pack and don’t require utensils to enjoy. They hold up well and can be eaten with your hands, making them convenient for outdoor gatherings.
Gift Baskets: Wrap individual loaves in cellophane and tie them with a ribbon for a charming homemade gift. They’re perfect for holidays, teacher appreciation gifts, or as a thoughtful gesture to neighbors and friends.
Cupcake and Muffin Recipes
- Strawberry White Chocolate Muffins
- Double Chocolate Muffin Cupcakes
- Nutella Brownie Cupcakes
- Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
Common Questions
Absolutely! While a mini loaf pan is ideal for this recipe, you can use a muffin tin for banana bread muffins or a regular loaf pan. Adjust the baking time accordingly—muffins will need less time, while a full-sized loaf may need longer.
The riper, the better! Look for bananas that are very ripe with lots of black spots on the skin. These bananas are sweeter and more moist, which makes them perfect for baking.
Yes, these mini loaves freeze beautifully. Wrap each loaf individually in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or gently warm in the microwave.
Mini Chocolate Chip Banana Loaves
INGREDIENTS
Banana Loaves
- 3 (3) bananas very ripe
- 156 g (1 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour OR self-rising flour
- 7 g (1½ teaspoon) baking powder omit is using self-rising flour
- 100 g (½ cup) superfine sugar
- 120 ml (½ cup) vegetable oil
- 2 (2) eggs large
- 85 g (½ cup) chocolate chips
- ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) cinnamon
Ganache Topping
- 150 g (5.3 oz) dark chocolate
- 80 g (⅓ cup) heavy cream
Garnish
- 42 g (¼ cup) chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
Banana Loaves
- Preparation: Preheat your oven to 338°F (170°C) and grease an 8 cavity mini loaf pan.
- Banana Mixture: In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas well using a potato masher or fork.
- Combine Ingredients: To the mashed bananas, add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, chocolate chips, cinnamon, vegetable oil, and eggs. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is well combined and no flour streaks remain.
- Bake: Evenly divide the batter among the prepared mini loaf pan cavities. Bake in the preheated oven for 22 minutes, checking after 20 minutes to prevent overbaking.
- Cool: Allow the loaves to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer them out of the pan to cool completely on the wire rack.
Ganache Topping
- Chocolate Topping: For the ganache, add dark chocolate and hot cream to a heat-proof bowl. Stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture becomes smooth.
- If necessary, microwave on full power for 20 seconds, stir, and repeat until smooth.
- Refrigerate the ganache, stirring often, until it thickens enough to pipe.
- Decorate: Fill a piping bag fitted with a petal tip with the ganache and pipe in a zig-zag motion down the length of each mini loaf.
- Garnish with a few chocolate chips or some grated chocolate.
Natty says
Quick question about the temp 338F ? If so how do I adjust only having 335F and 340F on my oven and not 338F? Thanks in advance
Fay says
Either of those temperature are fine to use. The margin is so narrow it will be ok.