Chocolate Chip Banana Bread with Candied Bacon

banana bread with candied baconI’m back! You know that feeling when you’re catching up with a friend whom you haven’t seen in ages, and you’re both talking nonstop trying to update each other on what’s happened with your life since you were last together? That’s how I feel right now, you guys, my mind is going a hundred miles a minute! Can we stay up all night gabbing while eating ice cream sundaes? I prefer vanilla ice cream topped with chunks of fudgy brownies and drizzled with dulce de leche. (And boy oh boy, do I have some fudgy brownies coming up soon!)

The month of June was a whirlwind. I spent most of my time with my sweet parents and sister, and it felt really nice being on vacation, exploring the city, and traveling a little bit. I also have a new job! Next week I’m starting work at a super cool ad agency here in Boston. As for blog business, I signed up a couple of brand sponsors, and I’ve been receiving a lot of delicious samples in the mail, which I’ll share with you guys in my next Good Eats post.

But for now, CHOCOLATE and BACON in Banana Bread.

Recently I received several pounds of bacon in the mail, and I wanted to experiment with some sweet and savory recipes. I’m working with Jones Dairy Farm, a wonderful family-owned company that produces all-natural bacon, ham, and other meat products. It’s the same company that sent me and a few other bloggers on a trip to the Culinary Institute of America a few months ago. I’ve met the Jones Dairy Farm folks and they are so passionate about their craft, so I really admire the company. They also just released a 125th Anniversary Cookbook, A Celebration of Taste: 125 Recipes Celebrating 125 Years which you can read for free!

banana bread mix chocolate chips and baconcandied baconI love banana bread and I’ve been wanting to make one studded with dark chocolate chips. I decided to amp it up even more by adding chopped up candied bacon. Yes, that would be bacon covered in dark brown sugar, baked until crispy, and then chopped in little pieces. I strongly urge you to make one or two extra strips for snacking. (Just look at those glistening strips!)

I used coconut oil in this quick bread – it lends an intoxicating smell while baking and ensures a tender loaf. Plus, I like the tropical combination of bananas and coconut.

chocolate chip bacon banana bread

oven baked candied bacon bacon chocolate banana bread

This Chocolate Chip Banana Bread with Candied Bacon is incredible. The banana bread is soft and sweet, with slight undertones of caramel from the brown sugar. The dark chocolate chips lend an intense dessert-like flavor, and the pieces of candied bacon – OMG the candied bacon! – makes the most delicious salty-sweet bite.

Yield: 1 loaf

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread with Candied Bacon

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

1 teaspoon butter to grease loaf pan
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Candied Bacon

6 slices bacon (I used Jones Dairy Farm Dry-Aged Cherrywood Smoked Bacon)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Make the candied bacon. Arrange 6 (or 8) slices of bacon on a baking sheet lined with foil. Pat brown sugar on both sides. Bake for 20-24 minutes or until crispy. Chop into little pieces, roughly the size of chocolate chips.
  3. Make the banana bread. Butter a 9" x 5" loaf pan, then dust with flour.
  4. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
  5. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together sugars and eggs.Add coconut oil, mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix to combine.
  6. Fold in flour mixture.
  7. Add chocolate chips and chopped candied bacon.
  8. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean.

chocolate chip banana bread with candied bacon

Eagle-eyed readers may notice that I used only six slices of candied bacon in the recipe, when I clearly have eight slices pictured above. But I already mentioned making an extra slice or two for snacking, right? I may have been gone for a month, but that doesn’t mean my eating habits have changed.

Thank you, my dear readers, for sticking around while I went on a little blog hiatus. There will be more stories and food coming next week!

For more bacon-centric and other mouth-watering recipes, you can follow Jones Dairy Farm on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instragram.

Disclosure: I received compensation and product samples to develop this recipe for Jones Dairy Farm.

 

   

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