Vanilla Cranberry Walnut Banana Bread

I have never bought fresh cranberries before. I saw some at the grocery store the other day and impulse grabbed them.  So they sat for a few days before I came up with something to do with them. This was a perfect start!

Vanilla Cranberry Walnut Banana Bread
What you'll need:
2 over ripe bananas
1 egg
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 vanilla bean
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I pulsed mine pretty small in my food processor)
1 cup fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease your loaf pan, set aside.

Cream butter & sugars.  Add in egg, yogurt, bananas, & vanilla extract and seeds scraped from the vanilla bean and blend until well combined. Mix in flour, baking soda & salt.  Fold in walnuts and cranberries.  Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  I usually start checking mine at about 50 minutes.

I made two loafs and shared one with some friends.  I really loved the tartness of the cranberries in contrast of the sweet bread.  Has anyone ever made the sugared cranberries before?  I might try that soon.  They almost look to pretty to eat though. Enjoy!

Chocolate Banana Bread

What could be better than super moist chocolate banana bread with your coffee on a sunday morning.  Well, I guess I can think of a few things, but this one is up there.  It seems like everyone has their go to banana bread recipe, but maybe just once taking a break from your already perfected recipe and give this one a try!

Chocolate Banana Bread

What you'll need:

3 large over ripe bananas (or 4 small ones, comes out to be usually between 1 1/2 to 2 cups, doesn't have to be perfect)
1 stick room temperature unsalted butter (sometimes I use only half a stick to remove some of the fat)
1 large egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 small container plain greek yogurt  (6oz or about 3/4 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
3 heaping teaspoons cocoa powder
1 cup chocolate chips + 1 teaspoon flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease your loaf pan.  Cream butter & sugars until well blended and fluffy.  Add in egg, yogurt, bananas, & vanilla and blend until well combined. Mix in flour, baking soda, cocoa, & salt.  Put your chocolate chips into a small bowl with the teaspoon of flour and toss until the chips are coated (doing so helps them from all sinking to the bottom while baking).  Throw chips plus whatever flour is loose into the batter and fold in.  Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  I usually start checking mine at about 60 minutes because I like to take the bread from the oven when its just done to unsure it's EXTRA moist!  Also because my oven is moody and inconsistent.  After your bread is done, be sure to leave it in the pan until its cool, then run a knife around the edges and flip.  It seems that if you take it from the pan when its too warm it has a tendency to sag a little.

I make this all the time, and cannot seem to get tired of it.  It's even become my staple hostess gift to give friends or family. Forget the wine, give banana bread.  Enjoy!