So,….when I got married my sister threw me a bridal shower. At this shower she had each guest fill out a card with their favorite recipe for me to have. One of my oldest friends, oh sweet Caroline, gave me the MOST delicious recipe for Banana Bread.

This recipe has been absolutely one of my FAVORITES,…my go-to for a quick and yummy breakfast treat, a mid afternoon snack, an all around delicious bread that I make for all occasions.

Her hint: throw in some chocolate chips and it’s even more divine! So, I did what EVERY girl would do, I made this bread and threw in chocolate chips, as many as I could! Afterall, it’s chocolate, you know. However, when making this bread there was always one odd point that left me unsettled every time I began mixing the ingredients…

“Cream 1/2 cup butter (2 sticks) or 1 stick + 1/4 cup canola oil”

“What does that exactly mean?!”, I’d think to myself. Do I cream 1/2 cup of butter OR 2 sticks (which equals 1 cup of butter) or 1 stick + 1/4 cup canola oil?? And is the one stick in her recipe really 2 sticks in my recipe which to her equals half a cup? And do I still add the canola oil?! WHAT DO I DO?! Ahhhhh!

Well, being me and only liking something that will, FOR SURE, taste good I always added the 2 sticks of butter because more butter = better. Can we all agree on that?! And, like I said, they were never a disappointment.

So a couple of weeks ago, Caroline and I had a conversation via Facebook, here’s how it went:

Me: “hi cara! so i have a question… can I share your YUMMY banana chocolate chip bread on my website? is it a secret recipe and i shouldn’t share? i can give props to your amazing baker ability! let me know.”

Caroline: “Sure, go ahead! i was just talking about that the other day. Did I accidentally put two sticks of butter on there?”

Me: “YES you did!! that is why they are SOOO yummy! I noticed it when you first gave me the recipe cause you said something like 1/2 cup of butter and then in parenthesis (2 sticks!) I’ve made them that way ever since…..i know it’s ridiculous, but they are SOOOOO good!!!!”

Caroline: “i think i got confused : ) … yeah, it is way better that way, you are right!”

OOPS! So, there you go my friends, not meant to be 2 sticks of butter, but shoot….they’re WAY better with it, so I’d definitely recommend you going for it too. All props go to Caroline for putting, on this earth, the BEST EVER BANANA BREAD recipe for ALL OF US to enjoy and share.

Here is it,…enjoy!

From the Kitchen of Caroline:

Leo’s Banana Bread (Special) <— this is what Caroline calls it, I call it THE MOST AMAZING BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFIN RECIPE EVER!

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

-2 cups flour

-1 tsp. baking powder

-1/2 tsp. baking soda

-1/2 tsp. salt

-2 sticks butter (1 cup <— let’s just call it what it is!)

-1 cup packed brown sugar

-2 eggs

-1 cup mashed bananas

-1 cup chocolate chips (I ALWAYS end up putting waaaay more!)

Cream butter + sugar. Add eggs + banana. Add dry ingredients (I mix dry ingredients ALL together before adding to wet).

Caroline says to pour 1/2 batter into 9 x 5 loaf pan, sprinkle with 1/2 chocolate chips, pour in rest of batter, and then sprinkle the top with the rest of the chocolate chips.

I usually make this bread into muffins and normally mix the chocolate chips in with the batter, then drop a few fresh chips on top at the end!

If you bake the loaf, time will be about 50-60 minutes… muffins will take about 18-22 minutes.

YUM!