Chai Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook Time: 60 mins | Course: Breakfast | Serves: 10

Dark chocolate chunks and chai season this delectable banana bread. Tender gooey-liciousness with the right blend of warm chai spice. Inspired by Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/chai-banana-bread/ 

4 bananas

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

¼ cup maple syrup

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 ½ cups flour

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp salt

2 Tbsp Chai Spice, recipe below

1 cup dark chocolate chunks (or chips)

Preheat oven to 350*. Spray oil a 9.5 bread loaf pan and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. In a stand mixer, blend bananas for 1 minute, adding coconut oil, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and chai spice together. Add to the mixer and top with chocolate chunks. Mix just until the dough comes together. Use a rubber scraper to incorporate any unmixed flour and to spread evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes, a toothpick tester should come out batter-free. I like to use an insta-thermometer; should read a minimum of 200*.

Chai Spice:

4 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ginger

1 tsp cardamom

½ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated is best

½ tsp allspice

½ tsp cloves

⅛ tsp black pepper

Whisk together in a small bowl, store the leftover mixture in a spice container for another use.

Maple Butter:

½ cup butter, softened

¼ cup maple syrup

Whip together and spread over the warm bread.