Chocolate Chip Banana Bread With Cacao Nibs

An addictive moist banana bread recipe that's not too overly sweet. It's made with a hint of rum and cinnamon, chocolate chips and topped with satisfying crunchy cacao nibs. The sugar crust has you coming back for more. 

Yield: 1 9in. x 5 in. Loaf 

Time: 1 hour and 20-30 minutes  

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup 

• 1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature

• ½ cup granulated sugar 

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon rum

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• 3 medium ripe bananas, separated 

• 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour 

• 2 teaspoons baking powder 

• 1 teaspoon baking soda 

• ¼ teaspoon salt 

• ¾ cup milk chocolate chips 

• 2 teaspoons all purpose flour

• ¼ cup cacao nibs

Instructions 

• Pre-heat oven to 350F. 
• Butter and sugar a 9 in. x 5 in. loaf pan. Set aside. 
• In a bowl of a mixer, add maple syrup, room temperature butter, granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and rum. Mix with a paddle attachment at medium speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. 
• While the mixer is on slow, add room temperature eggs one at a time. 
• Add 2 ripe bananas on slow speed to the butter/sugar/egg mixture until the bananas are smashed into a puree. The mixture will look gross. It's okay. 
• Whisk 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour, baking powder. baking soda and salt in a separate medium sized bowl. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in 3 additions with the mixer on slow. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down sides between each addition. 
• In a small bowl mix together chocolate chips with 2 teaspoons all purpose flour. Make sure chocolate chips are coated in flour. This stops the chocolate chips from sinking in the batter. Add coated chocolate chips to your batter until combined. 
• Add batter to your buttered and sugared loaf pan. Slice 1 banana in half horizontally and top batter with the sliced banana and cocoa nibs. 
• Place loaf pan on a sheet pan to catch any drips. Bake at 350F for about 1 hour-1 hour and 10 minutes. Or, until cake tester comes out clean. If the cacao nibs start to burn, tent with foil. Be sure to have the top of the loaf away from the heating element. 
• Allow pan to cool on wire rack for 30 minutes. Take banana bread out of loaf pan gently and allow to continue cooling on wire rack. Enjoy.