Just because your mind is swirling with all things turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie doesn’t mean there is not room for a little Fluffer Nutter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread in your life.  After all, you need something to eat for breakfast the morning after the big feast.  I must admit, I have never actually had a fluffer nutter sandwich (translation:  marshmallow and peanut butter sandwich) before.  Even though I have never tasted this sandwich that has a cult-like following,  I can imagine how delectable this combination would be.  Which is why when I came across a recipe for Fluffer Nutter Banana Bread, I knew I needed to try it with my own twist.

Imagine puffs of marshmallow fluff oozing out of the banana bread as it bakes so that when it emerges from the oven, the lightly browned bread is topped with perfeclty toasted marshmallow fluff.  And if that isn’t enough to make you swoon, what about the fact that when you cut into this bread, molten chocolate chips melt all over your knife?  And these features are really just added bonuses considering that the banana bread itself is super moist and laced with peanut butter.

So, as you are stuffing your face with sweet potatoes and green bean casserole (and I will be right there with you ), maybe you will only request half of a piece of pie at the end of the big meal so that you can save room for a slice of this Fluffer Nutter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread on Friday morning.

combine oil, peanut butter and sugar

add bananas, eggs and milk and mix well

add flour and baking soda and mix

pour half of batter into prepared pan

top with softened marshmallow fluff

sprinkle with chocolate chips

top with remaining batter and bake

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My husband and I are very different when it comes to one thing:  he is a food purist and I want to re-invent, add to and modify everything until I am certain that I have come up with the best possible creation.  Take ice cream for example.  If it’s buy one get one ice cream half gallons at the grocery store and we each choose a flavor, he will always choose plain old vanilla and I am likely to choose the container that has Fudge Brownie, Cookie Dough and Caramel Tracks all in one carton.  Or if we go to one of the self-serve fro-yo places where you have about 10 flavors of yogurt and 50 toppings to choose from, he will get PLAIN frozen yogurt!  I, on the other hand, couldn’t care less about the yogurt, but I need to make sure that I get at least one piece of every kind of chocolate candy into my dish.

So, today when I began making this Double Chocolate Banana Bread and he happened to notice the recipe, he asked why I was messing with an already good thing when we already love both of our mom’s banana bread recipes.  I love having reliable classic recipes that I can count on, but I also love to kick the classics up a notch.

That is exactly what you get with this Double Chocolate Banana Bread.  This is one of the moistest banana breads I have ever tasted and the cocoa powder and plenty of chocolate chips make it just rich enough that it could pass for dessert.

I almost went really wild and dropped some peanut butter into the batter.  You could also make a peanut butter frosting drizzle or add nuts to the batter.  But, we have to save some fun for next time….

cream together butter and sugar

mix in egg and vanilla

mix in bananas and yogurt

mix in dry ingredients

mix in chocolate chips

pour batter into prepared pan and bake

 Are you a food purist, or do you like to mix it up a bit?

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My mom makes the best banana bread.  Yes, I am well aware that many people think that their own mothers or grandmothers make the best banana bread and so it should be.  Whenever I have a banana or two that are past their prime (cue the fruit flies), I stick them into my freezer for later use.  Banana brad is great for using the overripe fruit, but once in awhile, I want something other than bread.

It’s no secret that I love frosting of any kind and so I knew that these Banana Bars with Brown Sugar Frosting and Walnuts were calling my name.

These bars are everything that you are used to getting from your banana bread:  moist, dense and plenty of sweet banana flavor.  The thick layer of brown sugar frosting is so rich that you crave the earthy bitterness that the walnuts provide.

This recipe can be made for a large group in a jelly roll pan, but I cut it in half and made it in an 8-inch square baking dish.  However, I did not cut the frosting recipe in half because I prefer a thick layer of frosting that nearly matches the thickness of the bars!

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Banana Bars with Brown Sugar Frosting and Walnuts

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: bake dessert banana fruit bar

6025654

 

Ingredients (20 bars)

For the bars

• 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 ripe, mashed banana
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the frosting

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup walnuts

Instructions

For the bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease an 8-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar.

Add yogurt, egg and vanilla and mix until well blended.

Add mashed banana and mix.

Add dry ingredients and mix to incorporate.

Pour batter into baking dish and spread with a spatula to smooth.

Bake for ~25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting

In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and milk and heat over medium heat to bring to a boil stirring constantly.

Boil for 30 seconds, then remove from heat and quickly stir in vanilla and powdered sugar until combined.

Immediately pour frosting over bars and sprinkle walnuts over the top.

Allow frosting to cool before cutting and serving.

Recipe adapted from Baking Basics and Beyond by Pat Sinclair

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in a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar

add egg, yogurt and vanilla

add banana

add dry ingredients and mix well

pour into prepared pan, bake and cool completely

to make frosting, combine butter, brown sugar and milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil for 30 seconds

remove from heat and quickly stir in powdered sugar and vanilla

pour over cooled bars and top with walnuts

allow frosting to cool before cutting and serving

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