Best Banana Bread Ever!

I like Banana Bread.  Like I really like it. I found a recipe in one of my mom's old cookbooks that turned out to be just amazing, but I still felt like it could be tweaked a bit.  (I'm a tweaker; it's what I do....)

My stipulations for the ideal banana bread are the following:
  - It has to be moist
  - It has to have a great banana-y flavour
  - Chocolate chips are a must!! (unless I'm baking for my brother, who's allergic to chocolate)

After over a year of tweaking, I think I've finally come up with the best Banana Bread recipe ever!

And just to make you drool, here's a picture :)

(I'm learning how to take pictures of food, so the photo totally does not do it justice...)


Ok, so the good stuff....here's the recipe!!  (This makes 3 loaves...we go through one loaf in no time, and hubby likes to take baking to work :) )

4 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
6 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1/4 cup (ish) of ground flax seed

5 cups mashed bananas (I 'coarsely' mash them, so I have chunks of banana in the bread)
1 cup applesauce
1 cup molasses
2 mashed bananas (instead of eggs)
1 teaspoon vanilla
chocolate chips (amount to be determined by baker)
dried cranberries (ditto)


Put the flour and sugar in a large bowl.  Put all of the other dry ingredients into a cup or bowl and mash out any lumps.  Mix all dry ingredients together.  Add bananas, and mix.  Add rest of ingredients.  Mix thoroughly and divide evenly into 3 greased loaf pans.  Cook at 350F for 60 - 70 minutes.  Cut into it when you can't wait a moment longer :)

A couple notes: As with any recipe, this is a guideline and can be tweaked according to the baker's taste.  I discovered that adding the cinnamon and cocoa really round out the flavour and give it amazing depth.  The flax seed gives it just a hint of nutty taste, plus it's also good for you (that's always a bonus, right?).

Try it, try it!!!