Whether served for breakfast or a snack‚ this lightened up banana bread with chocolate glaze is sure to please. Wonderfully moist with extra nutrition added and lots of chocolate‚ it is a recipe you will want to put on repeat. Banana bread is something I make frequently. I buy bananas practically every time I go to the grocery store. A banana and a spoon full of peanut butter or almond butter is my go-to‚ no fuss breakfast. Because I buy them so frequently‚ there are many times they get to that overripe stage before anyone eats them. Then it’s time to make banana bread. I have tried many recipes over the years and there are a lot of good ones out there. Most recently I made the one on the cover of the current Cooking Light Magazine. You’ve probably seen it. Doesn’t it look to die for? It’s covered with a fabulous‚ silky chocolate glaze. It’s a lightened up banana bread made with skim milk‚ lite sour cream‚ and egg whites. A hefty dose of mashed bananas (1 2/3 cups)  helps keep the bread super moist and filled with wonderful banana flavor. Lightened Up Banana Bread Recipe I altered the recipe a little to make it even healthier‚ subbing out 1 cup of the 2 cups of all-purpose flour for 3/4 cup whole wheat flour and 1/4 cup ground flaxseed. I’ve been experimenting adding ground flaxseed to a bunch of different foods. And the results are very good. You can add it to breads‚ pancakes‚ waffles‚ muffins‚ and smoothies. Ground Flaxseed If you buy a bag of ground flaxseed‚ you will want to use it often because ground flaxseeds (whole flaxseeds will keep longer) are very perishable and will only keep for 3-6 months and they should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Simple Chocolate Glaze I also changed the chocolate glaze. I first made the glaze that the Cooking Light recipe calls for by melting 2 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate with 2 1/2 tablespoons of half and half‚ but I didn’t like the way it turned out. It was thick and dull looking‚ nothing like their picture. I spread it on the bread anyways‚ but then I made a second batch by melting the same amount of chocolate with just 1 tablespoon of shortening and it made a nice‚ liquidy chocolate glaze with a brilliant shine. So yes‚ I ended up with a double batch of chocolate on my banana bread. Use Overripe Bananas The bananas should be at least as ripe as the bananas in the picture above‚ preferably riper. Mash them well with a fork and then measure them. You need 1 2/3 cups of mashed banana which is 3 medium to large bananas. Variations Add nuts if you like. Either walnuts or pecans work really well. Use 2 cups of all-pupose flour instead of a mixture of all-purpose‚ whole wheat flour and flaxseed. How To Store Can be kept at room temperature for 4 days‚ in the refrigerator for 1 week‚ or freeze for up to 2 months. Are you a huge fan of banana bread? You’ll also want to try Triple Chocolate Banana Bread‚ Peanut Butter Cup Banana Bread‚ Funfetti Banana Bread‚ and Butterscotch Banana Bread . Print Banana Bread with Chocolate Glaze Whether served for breakfast or a snack‚ this lightened up banana bread with a chocolate glaze is sure to please. Wonderfully moist with extra nutrition added and lots of chocolate‚ it is a recipe you will want to put on repeat. Course BreadCuisine AmericanKeyword bananas‚ chocolate‚ quick bread Prep Time 10 minutes minutesCook Time 55 minutes minutesTotal Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes Servings 16 Calories 185kcal EquipmentElectric Mixer9×5-inch loaf pan Ingredients1 cup sugar1/4 cup butter‚ softened1 2/3 cups mashed ripe banana‚ about 3 bananas1/4 cup skim milk1/4 cup lite sour cream2 large egg whites1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour3/4 cup whole wheat flour1/4 cup ground flaxseed1 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon vanilla extractCooking spray2 ounces semisweet chocolate‚ finely chopped1 tablespoon shortening InstructionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly coat a 9 X 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well blended.Add banana‚ milk‚ sour cream‚ and egg whites. Mix until blended.In a medium bowl whisk together all-purpose flour‚ whole wheat flour‚ flaxseed‚ baking soda‚ and salt.Add flour mixture and vanilla extract to banana mixture‚ beating just until blended.Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes‚ or until the top feels firm when pressed on. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.For glaze‚ place chocolate and shortening in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Drizzle over bread. NotesCan be stored at room temperature for 4 days‚ in the refrigerator for a week‚ or frozen for up to 2 months. Nutritional info is provided as an estimate only and will vary based on brands of products used. NutritionCalories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 176mg | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 121IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mgWant to Save This Recipe?Save This Recipe Originally posted October 6‚ 2013. Recipe Source: adapted from Cooking Light   The post Banana Bread with Chocolate Glaze appeared first on Spicy Southern Kitchen.