Combinations of chocolate and coconut hardly go unnoticed around here, so when I saw this recipe for Dark Chocolate Banana Bread (with Coconut) from Tasty Kitchen members Chrissy and Lauren, I just had to try it. I had to. The line between “need” and “want” gets kind of blurred when chocolate is involved. And dark chocolate in moderation can be a healthy thing, don’t cha know?

 
 
 

Overall this bread may look sinful, but considering the list of ingredients, it’s on the healthier side: dark chocolate, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, eggs, brown sugar, Greek yogurt, coconut oil, overripe bananas, shredded coconut, and a little turbinado sugar.

(Just so you know, I made a couple of substitutions using what I had on hand: all-purpose white flour instead of whole wheat, and sweetened shredded coconut for the unsweetened coconut.)

Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F and preparing a 9x5x3″ (or thereabouts) baking pan.

 
 
 

Chop the dark chocolate. Don’t eat any! The cake needs it.

 
 
 

In a double boiler or in the microwave, melt the dark chocolate and set aside.

 
 
 

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. (Shhh … don’t tell anyone, but I just whisked mine altogether. My sifter is wonky and leaks all over the place. Whisking worked just lovely for me.)

 
 
 

Add the eggs and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl, and beat them together on medium speed.

 
 
 

Look, an action shot! Beat for about 30 seconds.

 
 
 

The Greek yogurt, coconut oil, and mashed bananas go in next for a little mixing.

 
 
 

More action! Mix until well combined.

 
 
 

On a low setting, gradually add in the flour mixture.

 
 
 

Mix until just incorporated. Nice.

 
 
 

Fold in the shredded coconut.

(Again, I used sweetened shredded coconut instead of the unsweetened called for in the recipe. I liked it with the added sweetness and didn’t feel it was overly sweet.)

 
 
 

Evenly spread the batter in the prepared baking pan.

 
 
 

Now for the healthy melted dark chocolate. Pour the melted chocolate over the batter.

 
 
 

To swirl in the melted chocolate, drag a knife back and forth several times through the batter. Can you say “yum?”

 
 
 

Sprinkle the top with more shredded coconut and the turbinado sugar.

 
 
 

Bake until done (see recipe below for bake times). Notice the toasted coconut? Toasted coconut is one of the most delectable things ever. I could eat it as a snack. It’s lovely on this bread, but be careful to avoid burning the coconut while baking. If needed, loosely cover the top with foil the slow the toasting.

 
 
 

This bread turned out wonderfully. It was so gorgeous I hated to cut it. But I did anyway.

I’ll be making this one again soon. Maybe in muffin form next time.

Thank you so much to the Chrissy and Lauren for sharing this new favorite with me and my family. Check out other wonderfulness over at their site: From the Little Yellow Kitchen.

 
 

Printable Recipe

 
 
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Amy Johnson is a blogger who writes about food, travel, the home (both inside and out), and various observations and random musings about anything and everything. Visit her blog She Wears Many Hats for a dose of deliciousness, practicality, hilarity, or just plain fun. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children.