The Story
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about myself, it’s that I’m chronically indecisive. It’s like my brain refuses to make simple decisions, especially when there are too many options. Picking a movie? Forget it. I’ll scroll through Netflix for half an hour, end up overwhelmed, and still choose nothing. Deciding what to order at a restaurant? A nightmare. I always end up looking at everyone else’s food, wondering if I should’ve ordered what they got instead.
It doesn’t help that I love variety. Why settle for one thing when you could have it all? That’s why I’ve always been drawn to dessert mashups—why pick between two things when you can combine them into one epic treat? And that’s exactly how I ended up creating these chocolate chip banana bread bars. I couldn’t decide between making chocolate chip cookies or banana bread, so I thought, why not do both?
These bars are the perfect combination of the best parts of banana bread and cookies. They’ve got the dense, moist texture of banana bread with the gooey sweetness of chocolate chip cookies, all in one delicious bite. And the best part? No need to choose between two classic desserts. So, for all my fellow indecisive souls out there, this one’s for you—sometimes the best decision is not deciding at all!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
1. Preheat the Oven:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal.
2. Mix Wet Ingredients:
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and mashed bananas, and stir until well combined.
3. Combine Dry Ingredients:
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
4. Fold in Chocolate Chips:
Gently fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a few to sprinkle on top of the batter.
5. Bake the Bars:
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
6. Cool and Slice:
Let the bars cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before lifting them out using the parchment paper. Slice into squares and enjoy!
Tips:
- For a fun twist, add a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter for some extra crunch.
- If you want a more intense banana flavor, use the ugly-looking ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots.
- Serve the bars warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an indulgent treat.