LCChaosandhome

Tag: #banana_chocolate

  • The Banned Nutella Banana Bread the Girls Finally Got To Try!!

    The Banned Nutella Banana Bread the Girls Finally Got To Try!!

    There are some bakes that feel less like recipes and more like little love letters to your past self, and this banana, Nutella and triple‑chocolate loaf is absolutely one of them.

    It started, as these things so often do, with a bowl of sad, freckled bananas on the counter giving me the side‑eye. You know the ones: too far gone for toast, too soft for slicing, but absolutely perfect for baking. So into the bowl they went, all mashed up with melted butter, soft brown sugar and a bit of caster sugar until everything turned into that gorgeous, glossy, caramel‑smelling batter. I make banana bread every week for my dad as it’s his favourite but I thought I’d give him a bit of variation.
    And then I got a bit carried away.
    First came the Nutella. Now, Nutella is a bit of a… contraband item in this house. When the girls were younger, it was more or less banned – not because of the sugar, but because they had an absolutely terrible habit of leaving sticky Nutella spoons all over the kitchen. Honestly, I’d find them on the worktops, next to the sink, abandoned on plates – little chocolatey crime scenes everywhere. For my own sanity, the jar quietly disappeared for a few years.
    This time, I had to smuggle it back in like some sort of undercover snack dealer. Jar tucked discreetly into the shopping, no announcements made, straight into the cupboard before anyone could clock it and start reliving their spoon‑licking glory days.

    Once I’d recovered from my secret mission, it was time to turn those bananas into something special.

    Ingredients


    For one standard 2lb loaf tin:
    • 100 g soft light brown sugar
    • 50 g caster sugar
    • 115 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
    • 2 medium eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 350–375 g mashed very ripe bananas (about 4–5 medium bananas)
    • 250 g plain flour
    • 1 teaspoon fine salt
    • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
    • 120 g Nutella (or chocolate hazelnut spread), gently warmed so it’s pourable
    • 100 g white chocolate chunks

    . 100g of dark chocolate chunks

    Method

    Prep the tin and oven
    • Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
    • Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking paper, letting the paper overhang slightly so you can lift the loaf out later.
    • Set aside while you get on with the wet ingredients.

    Make the banana mixture
    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk the bananas until they are soft

    then add the melted, slightly cooled butter with the soft brown sugar and caster sugar until well combined and a bit glossy.


    • Add the eggs and vanilla extract, whisking until the mixture looks smooth and a little lighter.

    Add the dry ingredients – plain flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda very ripe bananas and stir them into the bowl until everything is well combined.

    Fold in the dry ingredients until you can’t see any streaks of dry flour. Try not to overmix so you keep the loaf nice and soft.

    Add the chocolate chunks
    • Sprinkle in the white chocolate chunks and dark chocolate chunks.


    • Fold them through the batter so they’re evenly distributed, ready to melt into little pockets of joy as the loaf bakes
    • Pour the banana batter into your prepared loaf tin and smooth the top.
    • Warm the Nutella very gently (a few seconds in the microwave or sit the jar in a bowl of hot water) so it loosens and becomes pourable.


    • Dollop or drizzle the Nutella over the top of the batter, then use a knife or skewer to swirl it through, creating ribbons of hazelnut chocolate.

    No need for perfection here – messy swirls taste just as good.

    Bake
    • Pop the tin into the oven and bake for about 55–65 minutes, or until the loaf is risen, golden, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out mostly clean, with just a few moist crumbs (avoid a big melted chocolate pocket when you test).
    • If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.

    1. Cool (as much as you can bear)
      • Leave the loaf to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes, then lift it out onto a wire rack.

    • You can let it cool completely… or do what we do and cut the first slices while it’s still just warm, when the chocolate is soft and the Nutella ripples are extra gooey.

    Every slice is a little bit of everything: soft, banana‑rich crumb, sweet white chocolate, deep dark chocolate and those cheeky streaks of Nutella that still feel ever so slightly naughty after its years-long ban.
    The funniest part is serving it now. No banned jars, no drama, no trail of sticky spoons (yet!) – just the girls eyeing up the tin and asking, “Is there Nutella in this?” with that look that tells me they know exactly what I’ve smuggled back into the house. Have you tried this recipe or any other suggestions for different types of banana bread ? Let me know in the comments.

  • Crackly Choc Banana Coconut Overnight Oats

    Crackly Choc Banana Coconut Overnight Oats

    If you’re anything like me, breakfast has to tick three boxes: easy, comforting, and just a tiny bit like eating pudding first thing in the morning. These banana choc coconut overnight oats do exactly that. You get soft, creamy oats, a little crunch from coconut, pockets of dark chocolate and – the best bit – a set chocolate top you crack through with your spoon. Think “breakfast Crème Brûlée” vibes without any of the faff.


    I also love anything I can make once and live off for a few days, and these jars are perfect for that. You throw everything together in about five minutes, park them in the fridge and forget about them. In the morning, you’ve got a grab‑and‑go pot that feels way more indulgent than it has any right to. They’re brilliant for busy workdays, early gym mornings, or those times when you know Future You is going to be grumpy without something ready and waiting.


    What you’ll need


    For four jars you’ll need:
    • 4 medium ripe bananas
    • 480 ml almond milk
    • 155 g rolled oats
    • 180 g low‑fat Greek yogurt
    • 30 g flaked coconut
    • 3 tbsp chia seeds
    • 1 tbsp maple syrup
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract
    • ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
    • 3 tbsp dark chocolate chips (about 45 g)
    • 2 tbsp coconut oil
    • Pinch of flaky salt


    Nothing fancy – you might already have most of this in the cupboard. The chia seeds help thicken everything up, the yogurt adds protein and creaminess, and the coconut + dark chocolate is just a dreamy combo.


    How to make the jars
    First, mash two of the bananas in a mixing bowl until they’re nice and smooth.

    You don’t need to be precious here – a few little chunks are fine. Stir in the oats, almond milk, Greek yogurt, chia seeds, flaked coconut, maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon.

    It should look like a thick, pourable porridge. Pop In the fridge for 30 minutes to thicken a little

    Thinly slice the two remaining bananas.

    Pour half the mixture in the jars. Then place a layer of bananas on top-then spoon the rest of the oat mixture on top. Finish with more banana slices so you’ve got a pretty top.

    Place the chocolate chips I use these which are divine

    https://amzn.to/47K3Fuz

    and coconut oil to a small microwave‑safe bowl or jug Heat on Medium, stopping to stir every 20 seconds, until everything is melted and glossy – it usually takes around 45–60 seconds. You can also do this over a pan of simmering water if you prefer.


    Spoon roughly 2 teaspoons of the melted chocolate over each jar, tilting and turning the jar so the chocolate covers the whole surface. This will set into that gorgeous crackly topping. I use these jars which come with a seperate pot for toppings and spoons https://amzn.to/48wm7XR


    Pop the jars into the fridge, uncovered, for about 20 minutes so the chocolate can firm up. Once it’s just set, sprinkle a little flaky salt over the top (trust me, the salt makes the chocolate and banana sing),

    Pop the lids on and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. They’ll happily sit in the fridge for up to four days.


    How to serve and tweak


    In the morning, you can eat them straight from the fridge – cold, creamy and super refreshing – or let a jar sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes if you like them a touch softer. If you want extra drama, crack through the chocolate top with your spoon and drizzle on a bit more yogurt or a few extra chocolate chips.
    You can easily tweak the recipe to suit what you’ve got:
    • Swap almond milk for oat or dairy milk.
    • Use honey or agave instead of maple syrup.
    • Skip the coconut if you’re not a fan and add a handful of chopped nuts instead.
    • Use whatever chocolate you like – milk, dark, chips, chunks, even a chopped‑up bar.
    They’re one of those recipes that feels far more special than the effort involved. A tiny bit of prep the night before, and you get to wake up to a breakfast that looks like it came from a café.