Home Alone Chocolate Loaf

The other morning I woke up to three very ripe bananas hanging from the hook on the far left of my utility stand in my kitchen. I watched them for days, moving from green to perfectly ripe. Eventually they became speckled with spots and then, finally, covered in brown with no prayer to be eaten. I truly had intentions to eat one banana a morning, I even selected green ones because fruit tends to ripen quite quickly in my kitchen. Sunlight floods this little room, my safe place to create. I ate eggs. Some days toast. Seven days passed, I walked by them daily, and watch them turn more and more brown.

With a freezer fully stocked at max capacity with frozen bananas, I went for a hard pass on freezing anymore. I danced with the idea of making another oatmeal bake while I removed the bananas from their hook, pealing each one by one. Nope. I wasn’t inspired. My mind moved to mashing them with a ton of cinnamon and yogurt, topping with raisins and homemade granola. I still felt nothing. I’ve spent days in the house alone with the exception of my daily walk and chocolate has been at the top of my mind. Could you blame me?

Those bananas never stood a chance to be eaten as is. From the moment they were brought into my home they likely had another fate. I opened my pantry and set on my counter top oats, cocoa powder, peanut butter powder, coconut oil, salt, non-stick cooking spray and a few packets of Truvia because I was always curious about baking with a few shakes of the stuff. I walked over to the refrigerator and removed 2 eggs, almond milk, baking soda and baking powder. Something was going to happen, I just wasn’t sure what. Most of my baking experiments come from some chocolate covered delusion where in making said cake, loaf, muffin or bread from scratch will take me to the happiest of places - up in billowy clouds where loneliness and aloneness do not exist …

I plugged in my food processor, by far my favorite kitchen appliance, set my oven on 350 degrees, grabbed a large mixing bowl and a loaf pan.

Here’s what happened …

A soft, supple, chocolate loaf that I am uncertain either you or I will be able to create again. Clearly I’m not wholly sure how substitutions will work here, but I champion you to give them a try. Baking is quite scientific and I also know, when it comes to making things rise, one must add baking powder and/or baking soda and never forget the salt. I’ve made enough loaves to know there has to be an element of moisture, be it almond milk, yogurt, sour cream - to keep moisture and density in the loaf. The bananas were quite over ripe and sweet and, besides, I gravely dislike an overly sweet baked good. Baked goods should have a hint of sugar, not to be so saccharine as to hurt ones teeth or require flushing your mouth with water afterwards. Again, these are only the opinions of one woman who bakes and eats for one at this time. Take them or leave them, but do try your hand at making this chocolate loaf. You’ll never regret trying.

Home Alone Chocolate Loaf
3/4 cup of rolled oats
4 tablespoons of peanut butter powder
*can be subbed with nut butter, it’s this combined with the almond milk that makes a smooth, soft paste that keeps this loaf super dense while also being extremely moist
1/3 cup of almond milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
3-4 single serving packets of Truvia
*can sub in maple syrup, honey or 1-2 tablespoons of white or brown sugar - honestly I would have made this without any sweetener but the hint of additional sweetness came through in the most delicate of ways
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons of coconut oil + more for brushing the top of the loaf
3 ripe bananas *only very ripe bananas will do if you don’t want to add much sweetener; on round two of this baking experiment I used frozen bananas and they worked like a natural sweetening charm

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Prepare a loaf pan with non-stick spray or parchment paper and set aside
Using a food processor fit with a steel blade or a high powered blender, add oats and process until a fine powder/flour is achieved
Add bananas, peanut butter powder and almond milk - pulsing until combined
Add cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt, eggs and coconut oil - mixing until all ingredients are combined and smooth
Spoon batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake for 20-25 minutes
Check the chocolate loaf, at this point it should be risen and almost cooked to doneness, remove from the oven and poke holes in the top of the loaf with a toothpick - brush coconut oil on the top and in all crevices
Return loaf to the oven until fully baked, another 10-15 minutes - checking doneness with a toothpick which should have some chocolate residue when you pull it out, it should not be dry
Remove from the oven, brush one last time with coconut oil and allow to call
This step of brushing with coconut oil truly keeps the loaf moist for days
Once completely cooled, wrap in parchment paper, and then in foil - store in a large ziplock bag for 3 days at room temperature

Dare I say this brownie like loaf is best refrigerated and sliced cold if you’d like to experience a chocolate love attack at it’s best, you know, since hugs are banned … let this loaf hug you back.