Banana-Nut-Chocolate Chip Quick Bread

From EatingWell: October/November 2005 — Subscribe Now!

This banana quick bread is full of chocolate chips and toasted heart-healthy walnuts so you get a taste of nuts and chocolate in each bite. This version reduces the fat substantially and uses nonfat buttermilk to make the results extremely moist and tender.

READER'S COMMENT:

"Turned out really well. I loved the chocolate chips. "

Banana-Nut-Chocolate Chip Quick Bread Recipe

12 servings

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 1/4 hours (muffins, mini Bundts), 1 1/2 hours (mini loaves), 2 1/4 hours (large loaf), including c

Nutrition Profile

Low cholesterol | Low sodium | High fiber | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Ingredient Note) or whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups diced bananas
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts, (see Tip), plus more for topping if desired
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F for muffins, mini loaves and mini Bundts or 375°F for a large loaf. (See pan options, below.) Coat pan(s) with cooking spray.
Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, brown sugar, butter, oil and vanilla in another large bowl until well combined.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients until just combined. Add bananas, walnuts and chocolate chips. Stir just to combine; do not overmix. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan(s). Top with additional walnuts, if desired.
Bake until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes for muffins or mini Bundts, 35 minutes for mini loaves, 1 hour 10 minutes for a large loaf. Let cool in the pan(s) for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Let muffins and mini Bundts cool for 5 minutes more, mini loaves for 30 minutes, large loaves for 40 minutes. Pan options: 1 large loaf (9-by-5-inch pan) 3 mini loaves (6-by-3-inch pan, 2-cup capacity) 6 mini Bundt cakes (6-cup mini Bundt pan, scant 1-cup capacity per cake) 12 muffins (standard 12-cup, 2 1/2-inch muffin pan)

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store, individually wrapped, at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Ingredient note: Whole-wheat pastry flour, lower in protein than regular whole-wheat flour, has less gluten-forming potential, making it a better choice for tender baked goods. You can find it in the natural-foods section of large super markets and natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.
Tips: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.
To toast chopped walnuts, place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 273 calories; 11 g fat (3 g sat, 3 g mono); 41 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 3 g fiber; 184 mg sodium; 178 mg potassium.

2 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 1/2 other carbohydrate, 2 fat