Spiced Chocolate Rum Banana Bread Recipe

What is it about banana bread that makes it so utterly irresistible? This perennially popular baked good is one of the ultimate comfort treats — like a warming hug in food form, you'll never fail to brighten someone's day by offering them a slice of deliciously moist, freshly baked banana bread.

This banana bread recipe, from the kitchen of Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye, not only offers a great way to use up any browning bananas left over in the fruit basket, but it will also help you enhance your banana bread game in a big way. One of the reasons why banana bread is so universally loved is how simple and customizable it is; something which many other baked goods can't boast of, and this recipe does just that. Rye combines the richness of chocolate, the toffee-like sweetness and depth of dark rum, and the warmth of cinnamon to create a wonderfully moist banana bread that switches things up but is still perfect for any occasion. Delicious enjoyed fresh from the oven, or toasted and smothered with butter or Nutella, banana bread truly doesn't get much better than this.

To begin this spiced chocolate rum banana bread recipe, first you will need to gather the ingredients. You will need very ripe bananas, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, ground cinnamon, salt, butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, dark rum, and whole milk.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Mash 3 bananas in a bowl, then set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In a stand mixer, add the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Beat the eggs and vanilla extract into the butter and sugar mixture.

Mix in the mashed bananas.

Fold in half of the flour and cocoa mixture to the wet ingredients.

Add the rum to the bowl and mix to combine.

Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir to make a thick batter.

Mix in the milk to loosen the batter.

Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top.

Halve the remaining banana and place the slices onto the top of the batter.

Bake the banana bread for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until it springs back to the touch.

Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.

At first glance, it might seem a little unusual to incorporate alcohol into banana bread, but once you have given this recipe a try you'll see why it works so well. In fact, alcohol can be found in a number of cakes and bakes, from a Guinness chocolate cake to the rich Jamaican rum cake. With both chocolate and rum originating from tropical regions, it makes sense that they combine to make an especially delicious flavor pairing. Their shared richness and sweetness make for a harmonious combination which complement the fruity banana and spiced elements of this banana bread.

This recipe utilizes a dark rum, which has a much bolder taste than white rum, and adds notes of toffee, honey, and nutty vanilla; ideal flavor pairings with chocolate and banana. If you have any spiced rum in your cupboard, it also makes a great option for this banana bread recipe, with the spices and molasses flavoring adding warmth and sweetness to the final product. If you are a coffee lover, you could also swap out the rum for Kaluha, to give your banana bread a delicious chocolate-coffee flavor. While the alcohol burns off in the cooking process so you don't need to worry about your banana bread making you tipsy, you may still wish to omit the alcohol. To do this, simply replace the liquid quantity with milk, sour cream, or yogurt to maintain the bread's lovely moisture.

Unless you are a particularly avid home baker or chocolate lover, you may well not be clued up on the various types of cocoa powder and how to cook with them. Choosing the right cocoa powder for your dishes will make all the difference in how they turn out, and the same applies to this spiced rum banana bread. This recipe uses a dark double-dutched cocoa powder, which adds a more intense chocolate flavoring to the banana bread that pairs well with the depth of the rum and the warmth of the cinnamon. However, the recipe can also be made using a natural cocoa powder, you will just want to make sure that the fat content is around 20% so that it doesn't dry out the banana bread. If you are a real chocolate lover, you may also wish to add some dark chocolate chips to the banana bread to increase the intensity of the chocolate, regardless of which cocoa powder you use for this recipe.