Banana Bread with Walnuts and 85% Cacao Nacional Dark Chocolate
Smitten Kitchen's Ultimate Banana Bread recipe has earned a devoted following thanks to its lofty rise, crackly golden crust, and impossibly tender crumb. When baker and recipe developer Megan Deegan of @carbandcrust put her own spin on this beloved favorite, she reached for one ingredient to make it even more memorable: jcoco's new 85% Single Varietal Cacao Nacional dark chocolate bar. The result is a banana bread that feels both familiar and extraordinary.
Our rare Ecuadorian Cacao Nacional melts into the batter, adding rich cocoa depth with delicate floral notes, subtle fruit, and a smooth finish that complements sweet, ripe bananas beautifully. Rather than overpowering the loaf, the chocolate becomes part of its story, bringing complexity to every bite.
It's the kind of recipe worth making slowly, sharing generously, and enjoying over several mornings (if it lasts that long).
Dark Chocolate Banana Bread with Walnuts recipe using jcoco Single Varietal Cacao Nacional
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks, plus more for pan
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 slightly heaped cups of mashed banana, from 4 extra-large or 5 medium-large bananas
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
- 1 heaped teaspoon ground cinnamon
- A few gratings of fresh nutmeg (optional)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) raw or turbinado sugar (on top)
- 3 ounces chopped walnuts*
- 3 ounces chopped jcoco 85% Single Varietal Cacao Nacional*
How To Make It
*Ingredients added to the original recipe to make this unique dark chocolate banana bread.
Head over to Smitten Kitchen for the full directions on making this banana bread. While combining the ingredients, fold the chopped chocolate and walnuts into the batter and bake as instructed.
