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I found these cute cardboard mini-loaf pans at Target and they are perfect for holiday gift giving. Because food is the perfect gift.
The person in your life who has everything? Give her food.
Your neighbors? Food.
Mail person? Food.
Kids’ teachers? Food.
Everyone loves food. Especially when it involves moist banana bread that’s spiked with almond butter and chocolate chips. You can even save money and use Homemade Almond Butter in this recipe!
I won’t be mad at you if giving food isn’t your thing and you want to make these for yourself. In fact, I think even if you want to give someone in your life this delicious banana bread, you should still make extra for yourself.
Be warned. This is addicting bread. Everyone has a banana bread recipe, but this might just become your new favorite.
You would never ever guess that it’s made with whole wheat flour and reduced sugar. Don’t have mini loaf pans? No problem. This recipe will make either three mini loaves are one regular-sized loaf.
And because I’m looking out for you, I created some printable labels you can use for all your food gifts this year. Simply print them on cardstock, cut them out, and you’re ready to give a gift filled with love. Just click on the label above or the link below to take you to the free printable.
Free Gift Label Printable “Merry Christmas from Our Kitchen to Yours”
Let’s get to the Almond Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips recipe, shall we?
Print
Almond Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips + a Free Food Gift Label Printable
- Total Time: 80 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Description
Almond Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips. This banana bread is so moist! It’s made with whole wheat flour and less sugar than normal banana bread, but you would never know it!! My kids ate this up so quickly!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup almond butter
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 large eggs
2/3 cup Sucanat
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first five ingredients in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add the Sucanat and beat until well blended. Set aside.
Combine your flour and next four ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk them together.
Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and beat until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into three mini loaf pans or one 9×5-inch loaf pan lightly coated with oil. Bake at 350 degrees until a wooden toothpick comes out clean: about 35-40 minutes for the mini loaf pans, 1 hour and 5 minutes for the full loaf. Remove from oven and cool in pan on a wire rack about 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan and allow to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, October 2010
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 of 12 servings
- Calories: 297
- Sugar: 22.5g
- Sodium: 110.6mg
- Fat: 14.4g
- Carbohydrates: 39.7g
- Protein: 6.1g
I made this bread with every intention of having one loaf for our family and giving the other two away. I’m chasing daylight now that our days are shorter, always frantically trying to get my photos taken before the premature darkness sets in.
When I made these last week Meghan had just gotten home from school and was waiting not-so-patiently to have slice for her after-school snack while I tried to get the photos taken. Finally, she couldn’t wait any longer and invaded my photo shoot. I just love her. 🙂
Needless to say, my family didn’t want to share and these mini-loaves didn’t last. I’ve learned my lesson and next time I’ll make enough for the neighbors and my family. Have a great week, friends!
Wow, this bread is so delicious! I even reduced the Sucanat by 1-2 tablespoons and it was still plenty sweet for our tastes. I also subbed 1/2 c. of applesauce for the two eggs because of an allergy. Great recipe!
Thanks for letting me know, Kristin! Glad to hear your substitution worked well, also.
Hard to say if this is banana bread or banana pudding, it is so moist and creamy hot out of the oven. I thought I had ruined it since 60-65 minutes is a bit long and mine had turned dark brown after about 45 minutes, but with all that banana in it it was still moist inside while the outside is caramalized. I did a few changes, I used half whole wheat flour/half white flour, a teaspoon of vanilla, plus a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. Definitely good enough to let bananas get over ripe on purpose!
I’m glad you liked this! Thanks for taking the time to come and let me know.
Once again, another great recipe. I made this for a neighbor – added raisins instead of chocolate chips. Was delicious. Made a small mini loaf for me and the boys and it did not take long for it to be eaten. Will be making again this weekend for my babysitters who love banana bread
I’ve made this two times since posting this. I love this one, too! Thanks for letting me know, Diedre. 🙂
totally drooling over this! yum!
Thanks, Rachel!
Except for Christmas, as you suggested, I can see me preparing that for school for the kids. With a cup of milk that bread is perfect for breakfast, don’t you think? Oh, and their father will love it too 🙂 Thank you very much. It surely is delicious.
PS. Do you use the convection of the oven (the fan that blows hot air inside) when baking or you bake it “the old fashion way” 🙂
I cook the old fashioned way. 🙂 My oven does have a convection option, I just never use it. I should try it, but I’m so used to regular baking I’m afraid to stray and try something new!
I’m one of those who loves to give food for holidays (namely cute little breads in those $1 ceramic pans you can get at craft stores) but I don’t like getting food. I’m a teacher and most teachers I know have a rule: you don’t eat homemade food that kids bring in. In fact, in my current district, homemade treats of any kind aren’t allowed at class parties. Anyway, I’m always in the market for a new banana bread recipe, but the give-to-teachers part stuck out for me in this post.
Aww–your comment makes me sad. I guess it’s a sign of the times we live in that teachers don’t feel like they can accept a heart-filled gift that a family made for them. I was a teacher before my kids were born and I don’t remember feeling this way. I guess I better think twice before sending food as a gift for my kindergartener’s teacher this year! Thanks for sharing your perspective. 🙂
This is baking in my oven right now. Thanks so much for the great recipes as always. I tried your sweet potato bars last week as well and they were delicious and kid-approved by my very picky toddler. Thanks again!
You’re welcome, Lisa! I hope your family loves this bread!
Maryea, these look amazing! I’m wondering how many calories are in the healthy version you created? Since I started eating healthier, I’m definitely looking for things to curb a sweet tooth, but still be healthy and low sugar. Thank you!
I just did a quick calculation, and if you make the mini loaves, each slice will be around 135 calories. If you make the full loaf, the slices will be just under 200 calories (depending on how big you slice it, of course). I think this is a good healthy sweet option as long as you don’t eat 5 slices in a sitting. 🙂 Let me know if you try it!
Looks great! The hubby has been loving my quick breads lately, at least when they have chocolate chips.
My family is obsessed with chocolate chips, too!
How adorable are those loaf pans!? I can’t believe there’s only 5 weeks left…insanity. I feel ya on the impending darkness…I have to take all my pictures on the weekends now! So basically I stuff my face every Saturday.
I’ve been having weekend cooking/baking marathons, too. Sometimes it’s just easier than trying to squeeze it in during the weekdays.
Those loaf pans are so cool! Definitely perfect to use as a holiday baking gift! And the loaves?! UGH, I’m obsessed with banana bread and could do some serious damage to this thing!
I know–I totally have to go get more of the cute loaf pans now! haha 🙂