I've made this one about half a dozen times now, and it's fabulous. More like cake than bread, really. You have to use good cocoa (preferably not Dutch process) so that it comes out super dark, and toss the chips and nuts, if you use them, in a little flour first, so they don't sink to the bottom. I wish I could give credit to the person here who linked to it, but thanks whoever you are. AliceÂs Sour Cream Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Makes 1 regular loaf, or 2 mini loaves 1 stick of salted butter, softened to room temp. 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 2 large ripened bananas mashed ( or 2.5 small bananas) 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup flour 1 tsp. baking soda 2 Tbl. cocoa powder 1/2 cup of sour cream 1 cup of mini chocolate chips (regular chocolate chips work too) *optional 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts Preheat over to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9Ã5 loaf pan, or 2 mini pans with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Stir in egg, mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla until well blended. Add baking soda, cocoa, and flour. Mix everything until well incorporated (about 3 minutes in a Kitchenaid mixer). Add chocolate chips and nuts (if applicable). Pour batter into loaf pan(s) and bake for 50 minutes  1 hr. Insert a tooth pick into the center of the loaf and check to see if it comes out clean when you pull it out. Remove from heat and allow bread to rest in the loaf pan for 10 minutes. Invert the loaf pans onto a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or cold.

The draining of juices and using the reduced juice will give you a more dense "bread" texture and won't be as soft as a bread with whole bananas in it. We usually make one that has whole bananas no yogurt and one less egg and use chocolate chunks (baking semi sweet). Walnut quality is important as well - better if toasted with salt.

"Lightness" comes from some baking science. Quick breads made by creaming fat and sugar are more tender and cakelike. Creaming adds air, which ultimately creates a lighter texture. Choosing a solid fat (butter, shortening) will also lighten the loaf, while liquid fat (vegetable oil) tend to be heavier, but with a moister crumb. Liquid fat doesn't "cream" like solid fat. This is called the traditional mixing method where all the steps are geared to minimizing mixing and gluten development - cream fat, add liquid ingredients, add liquid mixture into dry ingredients, being careful not to over-mix. Your recipe is dump and mix - and with a mixer, no less, which equals heavy/dense. So choose a recipe that calls for creaming the fat to aid in lightening the texture. After choosing a recipe that includes creaming the fat, I get a "lighter" texture using part freshly-milled soft white wheat flour or spelt flour - about 50/50 - with all-purpose flour. Less gluten in these flours - trick #2. Quick breads are all about gluten development, or I should say, less gluten development. If you are mixing your banana bread with an electric hand-held or stand mixer, then you may be developing too much gluten. Trick #3 - try mixing the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients - by hand - using a Danish Dough Whisk (see link below), or a dinner fork. Only mix ingredients together until they are blended, and no more than that. That should also help maintain some "lightness". You could also switch to banana cake. Google for banana snack cakes, and your family may like the texture of a cake better than a quick bread. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: Fante's Kitchen Wares Shop

Just posted this on the Cooking Forum. It is very moist due to the oil and the pineapple. Hawaiian Pineapple Banana Bread 3 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1 t. baking soda 1 t. cinnamon 3/4 t. salt 1 cup chopped pecans 3 eggs, beaten 1 cup vegetable oil 2 cups mashed bananas (about 5) 2 t. vanilla extract 1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in nuts. Combine wet ingredients in another bowl. Mix wet ingredients into the bowl of the dry ingredients. Mix just until all is moistened. Put into two greased and floured regular (8.5") loaf pans. Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. Cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes then turn out onto a rack and cool completely. Makes two loaves. Source: my friend Belinda Grady Teresa