I must admit, I’ve had a total girl crush on Joy Wilson, the bubbly blogger behind Joy the Baker, for quite some time now. She’s truly an inspiration for food bloggers everywhere trying to make their name in this ever-more-crowded field, and I like to think that we’d become fast friends if we ever met. So when I saw Joy was finally come out with her own cookbook, I preordered it on Amazon so I could get it the day it came out. Yay!

I flipped through the pages with my sister, Paige, oohing and aahing at all the fun and devilishly delicious recipes. (The book’s subtitle is “A Celebration of Butter and Sugar,” after all!) When we came across this recipe bourbon-chocolate banana bread, I knew this is what I’d been hoarding bananas in my freezer for. (What, you don’t store bananas in your freezer? They’re great in smoothies and for times like this!)

This banana bread is pretty much my dream come true: moist, rich banana bread, gooey chocolate chips, crunchy walnuts, and a big splash of bourbon. I might have just died and gone to heaven!

Just kidding, still here. But seriously, this banana bread is the bomb. I loved it, my friends loved, my family loved it, and yours will too. (No bourbon banana bread for the really little young ones, though). Support Joy and pick up a copy of her new book online or at the bookstore. It’s chock full of sweet and savory treats for breakfast, lunch and dessert!

Bourbon-Chocolate Banana Bread

This recipe originally appeared in Joy Wilson’s cookbook, Joy the Baker, as Mommom’s Chocolate Bourbon-Spiked Banana Bread. Thanks for sharing, Joy! Makes one 8×4-inch or 9×5-inch loaf. Click here to download the handy printable.



INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3)

1 tsp. lemon juice

3 Tbs. bourbon (I used Maker’s Mark)

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 cup (6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips)

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350˚F. Grease and flour an 8×4-inch or 9×5-inch loaf pan. (Or you can use cooking spray with flour). In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add bananas, lemon juice, and bourbon. Beat until well incorporated.

4. Turn the mixer to low and add the flour all at once. Beat until almost incorporated. Stop the mixer and remove the bowl from the mixer. Add the walnuts and chocolate chips and incorporate the rest of the ingredients with a spatula.

5. Spoon the mixture into loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Banana bread will keep for up to 5 days, well wrapped, at room temperature.