baking and breads

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are super soft and pillowy and packed with pumpkin pie flavor! Bonus: this recipe makes a BIG batch of cookies.

My mom has a saying about cooking / eating / observing an overly ambitious amount of dinner table food. “This could feed an army!” is the exclamation I’ve heard from her more than once in my life. It’s her way of noting how lucky we are, to live and enjoy such bounty with our family and friends.

It happens most every year when we cook to excess at Thanksgiving, or when I get a wild hair and decide I need to add just a bit more to the BBQ with a few more side dishes, plus another dessert, and oh heck, why not have hot dogs PLUS hamburgers. Just so nobody goes hungry.

These pillowy, cakey, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies fit that bill. This recipe is perfect. Especially if you’re baking for a crowd. Like for my mom’s invisible army. Or better yet, for a party! Now, that’s an idea I can get behind. Or better yet, I’ll lead the charge.

So hop to it soldier (I’m looking at you, Mom), and let’s get this cookie baking party started.continue to the recipe… about Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

How to Make the BEST Peach Cobbler

This easy peach cobbler is sweet, jammy, and just a bit caramelized with a perfectly tender-crisp topping making it the BEST comfort food dessert, like, ever.

The BEST Peach Cobbler Recipe

I took one bite of this homemade peach cobbler and melted. My eyes closed and my shoulders dropped just a bit as I exhaled a loud “mmmm” that literally escaped my lips. I.was.sold. It was one of those bites that was like a warm hug where whatever happened during the day that didn’t go quite right, POOF! just didn’t even matter.

God save the peach cobbler.

This peach cobbler recipe is totally delicious and absolutely addictive. My husband claims he could eat it ’til he’s sick, and I might be right there with him. It’s crispy. It’s gooey. It’s perfectly sweet and caramelized in the middle with a magically tender crunch on top.

It tastes amazing warm with melty vanilla ice cream pooling its edges, at room temp spooned straight out of the pan, or eaten as a stolen bite while nobody’s looking with the fridge door swung wide open—to that I can attest.continue to the recipe… about How to Make the BEST Peach Cobbler

My Favorite Pumpkin Roll Recipe

This pumpkin roll recipe with the best cream cheese filling is a favorite you’ll make year after year. It’s easy to freeze and serve with my tips for how to roll a pumpkin roll successfully every time.

Does the world needed yet another pumpkin roll recipe? This recipe proves the answer is YES.

This is one recipe that made me fall in love with pumpkin-flavored everything. The first of course being the classic pumpkin pie. I mean, what 8-year-old doesn’t love pumpkin pie? The third are my light as a pillow pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Fall wouldn’t be the same without them.

My mom always made this pumpkin roll recipe to welcome in fall and it was a popular neighbor gift for the holidays. As soon as we could smell the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin wafting from the oven, we knew the leaves would soon begin falling from the trees.

Today I’m sharing an important tip for baking it in the pan, the easy way for how to roll a pumpkin roll, and the how to make this pumpkin roll with or without nuts.

Looks like the world DOES need another pumpkin roll recipe.continue to the recipe… about My Favorite Pumpkin Roll Recipe

Killer Garlic Knots

These addicting, oregano-flecked garlic knots are made with pizza dough for a finger licking good snack, appetizer, or sauce sopper-upper at any meal.

This post is brought to you by DeLallo Foods

We love making our homemade pizza. In the summertime we make pizza on the grill. In the fall we make pesto pizza with balsamic chicken and peaches. And come winter a sheet pan pizza with BBQ chicken and blue cheese is a party just waiting to happen.

Sometimes after making individual pizzas we may even have leftover pizza dough looking for a home.

“Hmmm,” me thinks. What to do with leftover pizza dough? Jackpot! It’s only the perfect opportunity to make killer garlic knots instead of garlic bread for dinner.

But when they’re so easy to make, why wait for leftover dough? Whipping up this super easy, 3-step batch of homemade pizza dough to use for soft garlic knots, pizzas, and any other recipe that calls for a delicious crust, has never been easier to do.

continue to the recipe… about Killer Garlic Knots

The Best Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

I’ve searched for the best homemade cinnamon roll recipe forever. Perfectly fluffy and slathered with a buttery cream cheese frosting, this is it.

The BEST Cinnamon Rolls Ever

Finding the best homemade cinnamon roll recipe has been my mission for more years than I can count on two hands.

Strike that.

Finding the best homemade cinnamon roll recipe and actually making it, now THAT is what has been my mission for that number of years.

I’ve Pinned hundreds of recipes on Pinterest, and liked all of them on Facebook. I’ve torn out every recipe from every magazine that’s shared cinnamon rolls deemed fit to bake. And it seems that just about every week of Friday Faves has one more recipe for the perfect cinnamon roll included in it.

Not that I’ve ever made any of them.

For some reason, the notion of baking homemade cinnamon rolls has always intimidated me. I blame it on my childhood. That’s when my early cinnamon roll baking adventures relied on using the pre-made dough from the can that came out of the oven tasting like they’d been baked 3 days before and then quickly turned into 5-day-old rolls as soon as they cooled.

It ruined the notion of cinnamon rolls for me until I had a REAL cinnamon roll from a true blue bakery and realized just how many light and fluffy pillows from cinnamon and brown sugar slathered with glaze bundles of heaven I’d been missing out on all those years.

Now THOSE rolls are the ones I want to bake. The homemade cinnamon rolls I want to be known for. The rolls that when family and friends take one bite they blissfully roll their eyes in satisfaction as they slowly absorb each sweet, flaky bite, and then look to one another in agreement and say, “Heidi makes THE BEST cinnamon rolls.”

And now, I have that recipe.

continue to the recipe… about The Best Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Crushing On Averie Sunshine of Averie Cooks and Flourless Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

These flourless peanut butter cookies are rolled in cinnamon-sugar just before being baked for an extra pop of flavor. Bonus: they’re also gluten-free!

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

If you’re a blogger, chances are you’ve received a comment—or many comments—on your blog posts by Averie Sunshine of Averie Cooks. If you’re a baker, you’ve probably discovered one of her many sweet treats in online searches or through many of her super popular Pinterest-favorited recipes.

Prolific, dedicated, and one of the hardest working bloggers who makes her blog her business, Averie of Averie Cooks creates recipes that put the sweet in “sweet tooth” like this cinnamon sugar flourless peanut butter cookie recipe that she’s letting me share at the end of this post, baked from her new cookbook Peanut Butter Comfort.

When her blogging journey began in 2009, Averie originally authored the blog Love Veggies and Yoga, aligning her lifestyle as a vegetarian and avid yoga enthusiast. There she shared yoga poses that went far beyond the Downward Dog, (Half Bound Lotus Standing Forward Bend, anyone?) and stretches most humans envision only at a sidewalk pretzel cart. Or maybe that’s just me.continue to the recipe… about Crushing On Averie Sunshine of Averie Cooks and Flourless Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

Pull-Apart Cinnamon Pecan Rolls

Store-bought frozen rolls make these super easy but delightfully delicious pull-apart cinnamon pecan rolls easy to make for any weekend or holiday brunch.

This post is in partnership with McCormick

I am a nut about Christmas traditions.

Even today, I still make sure the garish Christmas ornament I made in third grade from a paper plate wrapped with red and green yarn to look like a wreath and sporting a photo of my Brownie Scout-buck-toothed grin hangs in its place of glory, in the same spot, every year, on my mom’s elegantly decorated Christmas tree.

When it comes to holiday traditions, it’s the little things that count.

For our family, one of the most revered traditions is our Christmas morning breakfast. In fact it’s so special, we only serve it once a year, and this pecan cinnamon monkey bread is a favorite part of it. continue to the recipe… about Pull-Apart Cinnamon Pecan Rolls

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip and Macadamia Nut Cookies

These easy, wonderfully chewy oatmeal cranberry cookies are loaded with chunks of macadamia nuts, white chocolate chips and dried cranberries in an oatmeal batter good enough for breakfast too.

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies Recipe

See these cookies? They are chock-full. Chock-full of all kinds of flavors and goodness that go together like peas in a pod. But they’re much sweeter—and most everyone says much better—than peas. Obviously.

But they’re missing one thing for too many people.

They’re missing a giant glass of cold milk for some kids not as fortunate as mine to dip these still-warm-from-the-oven oatmeal cranberry cookies into before setting a glass next to Santa’s plate to wash them down and then wipe from his frosty mustache.

But that doesn’t have to be the case, because I’m doing something about that fact, and you can too. continue to the recipe… about Cranberry White Chocolate Chip and Macadamia Nut Cookies

How to Make Homemade Croutons

Nobody’s going to give you the side-eye if you buy a bag from the grocery store, but homemade croutons are so quick and easy to make, they’re totally worth making from scratch instead.

Homemade garlic croutons. They’re the crunchy toppers I crave for my fave tomato basil soup, and an essential part of every classic Caesar salad. And let’s face it, what kid doesn’t pick out all of the croutons from their dinner salad before they even touch the greens? Okay, and a whole bunch of adults too.

Grocery store or salad bar croutons can be dry, hard nuggets that could nearly break a tooth with each bite. But this homemade crouton recipe makes soft on the inside, crisp on the outside flavor crunches with each cube of bread bit bites.

Making croutons at home is super easy to do and takes only about 15 minutes to bake a batch. Baking them in the oven is the easiest way to cook them, but I’m sharing how to make them on the stove top as well. Add your own favorite seasonings and spices—garlic and herb is my favorite—and you’ll find yourself making these bread bites all of the time, too.

continue to the recipe… about How to Make Homemade Croutons

Cheddar and Jalapeño Skillet Cornbread

Crispy on the bottom but moist on the inside, this easy jalapeño cornbread is kicked up with jalapeños, creamed corn, cheddar cheese and green onions, and is a family favorite.

Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread Recipe

You know how they say owners start to resemble their dogs (as evidenced here)? I think the same thing may be happening to me, but with the food I eat.

Spicy and sweet…Yep, that’s me. Crispy on the outside but soft on the inside…Sure, I’ll admit to that. And, why yes, I do melt every time I come into contact with butter.

Just like the food I like to eat, I’m a contradiction in terms.

I’ve become a spicy-sweet, crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, better-with-butter humanoid version of…cornbread.

So does this mean I need to turn my bed into a cast iron skillet?

My mother-in-law, Pat, is a master at Southern cooking. As a little girl growing up in Arkansas and the second to youngest of 7 children, she would ask her her mom if she could help her cook but her mom was too busy putting from scratch food on the table for the large family to become a teacher too. “It was just easier for mother to do it herself,” so my MIL was more often shushed off to set the table instead.

But Pat paid attention. She watched. She learned from the sidelines. And she took those lessons through life to develop her own cooking style.

The other night Pat made this jalapeño cornbread recipe for us. Unlike her mother, Pat is happy to share her how to’s in the kitchen, even when I ask a million questions and sometimes interject a few ideas of my own.

But Pat takes it all in stride. She knows her way is the best way, and her way always starts in true Southern form.continue to the recipe… about Cheddar and Jalapeño Skillet Cornbread

Meyer Lemon Bars

These Meyer lemon bars are the perfect combination of sweet and tart. Feel free to make them with regular lemon juice if you don’t have Meyer lemons on hand.

The Best Lemon Bar Recipe

Earlier this week I asked my friends on Facebook which holiday recipes they wanted to see (you’re following FoodieCrush right?!!?). It came to a tie between Meyer Lemon Bars and a slow cooker Christmas Eve dinner. So I made you both. We’re starting with dessert first, as every meal really should. That slow cooker dinner? Look for it on Sunday, a little bonus holiday post.

I took on a gardening adventure this year. See, I live in the mountains at the edge of a desert. Some wouldn’t think of Utah as a desert, but it is. The summers are so hot the chickens lay hard boiled eggs and the winters are colder than a witch’s kiss. (You can thank my mother in law for that vision.)

So when I decided to attempt to grow my favorite Meyer lemon tree in this non-Florida/Southern California landscape, I was pretty much tempting fate.

My two little trees/shrubs/bushes did produce about 6 lemons. Which makes each lemon worth about $34. Which makes for some rather expensive Meyer Lemon Bars. But totally worth it going from MY farm to MY table. And of course, you can find them a lot cheaper in the grocery store.

Now, thanks to snow on the ground and that darn witch and her kiss, I’ve moved these babies indoors and I must say, they are happy, happy, happy. I even have a new greenie on the stem just hoping to one day meet its destiny with a vodka martini. Shaken, not stirred thank you very much.

I decided to harvest a few of my coveted lemons to showcase in one of my favorite holiday recipes, turning my classic Lemon Bars into Meyer Lemon Bars. What’s the diff? The lemon of course!

Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular store-bought Eurekas. The taste is somewhat like a cross between a lemon and an orange.

I started making this recipe by the time I was about 12 years old and I made it each and every Christmas until I hit the age of about 30. I haven’t made it in a while, but have had such an itch, I just had to scratch.continue to the recipe… about Meyer Lemon Bars

Grandma’s Peach and Blackberry Cobbler

Fresh fruit flavors are the star in this decadent but oh so easy peach and blackberry cobbler recipe that calls for a spoonful straight from the pan.

You can have your cake, you can keep your candies. Because my #1 choice for dessert will always fall in the crumble or cobbler category, and when fall rolls around there’s not much I crave more than my grandma’s peach and blackberry cobbler. Unless it’s my go to crumble, that is.

While I’m attributing this decadent but oh-so-easy dessert to the archives of my dear old Grandma Mary Jane, the recipe card my mom took a photo of with her iPad and sent to me when I couldn’t remember the exact proportions (oh my, what would Grandma have thought of that!) is actually named Essie’s Peach and Blackberry Cobbler.

But who’s Essie?

With grandma no longer here, and my mom out of the country as I write this post, I’m guessing Essie is a dearly departed aunt/cousin/really good baker.

Doesn’t the name Essie conjure up images of the sweetest, white haired, comfortable-shoe-wearing great aunt pulling wonderful smelling delights from the oven? Can one of my smartie pants aunts please weigh in here please?

Since I can’t be sure, and since Grandma always made this anyway, the kudos are going to go to her. And to my mom. Because she’s a grandma now, and she makes it too, thereby I declare it shall now be called Grandma’s Peach Cobbler.

While my grandma always made this with Brigham City peaches picked just a half hour from home (or when I was really little straight from the backyard orchard my grandpa obsessed over every harvest), I couldn’t leave it straight up simple so I added to the bevy of baking with the addition of blackberries as big as my thumb.

I’m serious. These things could have passed for beehives! Now wouldn’t that become a succulent honey? Blackberry honey. Something to ponder.

While this easy blackberry cobbler recipe is always good as a dessert later in the day, my favorite way to eat it is straight up from the oven, just cool enough not to turn the top of my mouth into tar paper but still piping warm for maximum flavor melds.

Mind you, I’m not talking about dessert here either. Let’s talk about eating this for breakfast as any good cobbler or crumble should be assigned to.continue to the recipe… about Grandma’s Peach and Blackberry Cobbler

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This double chocolate zucchini bread is the best of both worlds: healthy thanks to zucchini and a true chocolate craving cure with a double dose of cocoa and chocolate chips.

Ah September, the most bountiful month of the year, you are my favorite one of all.

I literally can’t even think of going into my neighborhood grocery or taking a stroll though the local farmers market without being stopped in my tracks by the fruits of summer’s labor. And I mean literally stopped because there’s no way I’m going to pass up samples of fresh local peaches and perfectly ripe, juicy watermelon. It makes enduring August’s inevitable round of late summer heat waves totally bearable.

Of course you know fruit isn’t the only seasonal bounty out there come harvest time. How dare we even think of leaving out the veggies in our seasonal haul. And if you’re a home gardener, you’re very likely up to your earlobes in everyone’s favorite grow at home varietal: the mighty zucchini.

One of the most obvious recipes that puts zucchini to work is everyone’s favorite: zucchini bread. And as will happen with classics like this, everyone has their favorite. I did too. Until I tried this one, and now I am not ashamed to say, I’ve totally jumped ship. Sorry mom, your recipe is no longer the favorite child. (Even though I know I still am.)

I can’t take credit for this double chocolate zucchini bread recipe because a far more talented baker created it well before blogs were even a twinkle in the world wide web’s eye. Before blogging (thank you www.com) Letty of Letty’s Kitchen was the Executive Pastry Chef at Deer Valley Resort for more than 30 years.

If you’ve yet to visit Deer Valley, you are missing out on some of the most amazing desserts you’ll ever taste. And most of those are desserts Letty created or had a hand in (and a spoon, and a whisk and probably a whole lot of finger that she licked) and were published in the cookbook The Chocolate Snowball: and Other Fabulous Pastries from Deer Valley Bakery featuring some of Letty’s and Deer Valley’s signature sweet eats.

I’ve been a huge fan of Letty’s skills for years and so of course I had to buy her cookbook, and I haven’t stopped baking from it since the day Amazon dropped it on my doorstep. Because these recipes were created for a ski resort, each one has high altitude adaptations for home cooks like me.

continue to the recipe… about Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

The Best No-Bake Cookies Recipe – with Coconut!

These easy no-bake cookies are loaded with goodness and they’re even a little bit of healthy. Old-fashioned oats, cocoa, and the surprise addition of coconut make these classic no-bake cookies (without the peanut butter!) the very best.

No-bake cookies are a starter-cook-in-the-kitchen classic recipe that’s oh so easy to make.

That’s the good part.

So what’s the bad part?

It’s just that they’re so dang easy to make you can whip up a batch whenever the craving strikes. And then eat the whole bowl. By yourself. In one sitting.

Just ask my husband. That was his M.O. when back in the day after high school football practice he would make no-bake oatmeal cookies at least once a week. As all big brothers do (or more aptly don’t), he refused to share any of the batch with his siblings. Brotherly love. It’s real.

But here’s the best part…

Once you make these no-bake beauties yourself, you’ll see why he was so selfish. And you won’t blame him one bit for keeping them all to himself.continue to the recipe… about The Best No-Bake Cookies Recipe – with Coconut!

Blueberry Buckle Recipe With Lemon Glaze

This award-winning blueberry buckle recipe is studded with sweet, juicy blueberries and topped with a crumbly streusel and lemon glaze for a sweet breakfast or dessert.

You could say I never got my thrill on blueberry hill. Unless it was baked in a decadent blueberry muffin or my favorite blueberry quick bread.

I’m okay with admitting that fresh blueberries have never been a favorite of mine. They were always the loose marbles of the fruit salad that I would pick around in favor of fresh strawberries, chunks of cantaloupe, and definitely give me all of the pineapple.

Times have changed.

The nutritional values that blueberries possess were drilled into my head back when my job was designing health food magazines. Every issue had an article or blurb about their merits as a driving force in lowering blood cancer, fighting off the elements due to their antioxidant powers and strengthening bones to keep osteoporosis at bay.

Now, I can call myself a lover of the fresh, sweet, juicy blueberry. But I’ll forever be a fan of a good dessert (or breakfast?) treat with blueberries baked right in.

continue to the recipe… about Blueberry Buckle Recipe With Lemon Glaze

The Berry Best Four Berry Pie Recipe

This mixed berry pie is made with four kinds of berries and a buttery homemade pie crust. It’s the ultimate summer pie recipe!

If you live in the great state of Utah, you know that today, the 24th of July, carries nearly the same celebratory weight as the king of patriot days, July 4th. It’s the day Utahns celebrate statehood with parades, fireworks and a nod to the pioneers who walked thousands of miles until they stopped in our little valley and declared, “This is the place!”

Happy Pioneer Day! Or as us heathens who prefer to center all holidays around food prefer to call it, Happy Pie & Beer Day!

I’ll take a slice and a swill of both, please.

After posting my round up of 20 Classic Summer Pies to Love, I got the pie bug. I had the homemade pie fever. I had the lust to bake. So I set myself to task. I armed myself with a summertime selection of fresh berries: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.

Then I turned to my favorite pie crust recipe, which I have come to realize is nearly as soft, sweet and supple as sugar cookie dough. Cookie as a crust? Not officially, but it strikes a resemblance.

There may have been a little inspiration for the cutaway crust thanks to the cover of this magazine. They used a cookie cutter. I used a big mouth straw, and ate the little roundie cutouts as I went.

A double crust pie loaded with fresh berries is nearly as patriotic as parades, firecrackers, and a side of beer with your pie.

continue to the recipe…

Confetti Cake With Buttercream Frosting

This homemade version of confetti cake has one of the tenderest crumbs I’ve ever tasted, but the buttercream frosting with colorful sprinkles takes it over the top.

Perusing through Shelly Jaronsky’s blog Cookies and Cups is like touring Willy Wonka’s magical Chocolate Factory. It’s full of tantalizing sweets and treats that are a feast for any sugar-lover’s eye—and palate.

It’s especially a goldmine for all of you self-proclaimed cookie monsters out there, with so many cookie recipes your sweet tooth won’t know what hit it.

Shelly knows her desserts and is a woman after our own hearts.

Shelly recently released her first book, The Cookies & Cups Cookbook: 125+ Sweet & Savory Recipes Reminding You to Always Eat Dessert First, and we’re elated to have a copy to pillage when our sugar bug strikes.

Today we’re sharing Shelly’s recipe for Confetti Cake, a recipe that has been made no less than four times by my 12-year-old daughter. It’s already become her signature baked good and once you make it, I’m betting it will become part of your go-to arsenal too.continue to the recipe… about Confetti Cake With Buttercream Frosting

Blueberry Oatmeal Quick Bread

This incredibly easy blueberry bread gets an added dose of healthy with the addition of Greek yogurt and oats, making it an even better option than banana bread or blueberry muffins.

This quick bread recipe is a favorite I originally shared back in 2013. Lately I’ve been making it over and over again—it’s that perfect food gift for welcoming the new baby (hello, baby Max!) or saying hello to new neighbors. So while I was at it, I took new photos to share again here.

This oatmeal blueberry bread recipe came about after standing at the kitchen counter one day with a half dozen super ripe bananas, swatting my husband’s headed-to-the-garbage-can-hands in an attempt to quell their discarded fate.

I knew by the super sweet smell and the mooshy touch—not to mention Smudge’s squinched up expression each time she passed them by thanks to their rather unattractive state—that I’d be lucky to squeeze even one more day in before my opportunity to make banana bread would be gone. And just like that, it was.

That’s when blueberries came to my quick bread rescue, for a quick bread worthy of any breakfast, brunch, or treat.continue to the recipe… about Blueberry Oatmeal Quick Bread

Milk Bar’s Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

These soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies by Christina Tosi are the fastest homemade cookie recipe I’ve ever made, and they come together in just one bowl, no mixer required. The hit of flaky sea salt really sends them over the top.

Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Because it’s Monday. That’s why.

Mondays call for a stiff cup of coffee in the morning and possibly a martini with three olives to cap off the night. But homemade chocolate chip cookies — they’re in order no matter what time of the day.

Last Friday was the official chocolate chip day of the year. But since my sugar rolodex was on hiatus, I missed it. Ironically, I had this chocolate chip cookie recipe ready to rock and roll for today.

I may be a day or two late, but this cookie is FAR from a dollar short. Make that a chocolate chip short. Hardly. Because this baby is PACKED with chips. In fact, the amount of dough pretty much comes secondary to the number of chips, making for an extra rich, soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie with crispy edges.

All I did was add a sprinkle of flaky salt and I have a new favorite.continue to the recipe… about Milk Bar’s Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This chocolate chip banana bread is made sans oil and instead uses Greek yogurt to add moisture. This is easily the best banana bread recipe I’ve ever made!

When she speaks, I listen. And when her friends speak, I listen louder.

Yes, I meant to say that. Louder. Because actions are louder than words and when they eat every morsel, every crumb, I know we have a winner.

Smudge is becoming a big help in the kitchen. I find myself stopping in my tracks to watch her flit from counter to cupboard, completely unaware of anything going on around her as she sings softly under her breath to the tune that never seems to end in her head. For good measure she’ll give a twirl, an elegant flick of her wrist then cock her elbow, throw her hand behind her head and rock a pumping sprinkler dance.

And then we return to the never-ending song in her head.

Recently a friend of hers came over for a playdate. What did they want to do? Bake banana bread. Well alright then, let’s do it. And we did. And they ate. And I listened when her friend declared this recipe was, “the best banana bread I’ve ever eaten.”

Umm, yeah. Perhaps because it tastes like a giant slice of banana bread chocolate chip heaven?

Hey, I’m just here to listen.

I’ve experimented with plenty of banana bread recipes, including the recipe I used in 7th grade that called for vegetable oil as the main moistening ingredient, resulting in a greasy crumb that deflated quickly. Using Greek yogurt in this easy banana bread recipe gives ample moisture minus the greasy fingers. This is banana bread, not french fries people.

Of course adding in a few chocolate chips to any recipe can only make the world go ’round a little easier, a little sweeter.

But when I’m in a need for a basic proven recipe I’m often drawn to my go-to 1,028 recipe tomb: The New Best Recipe Cookbook by Cook’s Illustrated. I’ve slightly adapted the recipe by adding a touch more vanilla, subbing pecans for walnuts, and yes, the aforementioned chocolate chips.

What’s in Choc Chip Banana Bread?

The beauty of homemade banana bread is that it uses very few ingredients, but is so incredibly flavorful and moist (yes, I just said moist). This banana bread with yogurt uses the following key ingredients:

All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Baking soda
Salt
Chopped pecans
Bananas
Plain Greek yogurt
Eggs
Unsalted butter
Vanilla extract
Chocolate chips

Make sure to buy plain Greek yogurt, preferably whole fat or low-fat (non-fat yogurt is much tangier and the lack of fat will result in a drier loaf). The brand you buy doesn’t matter, just get whatever’s on sale.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

To make this homemade banana bread, you just have to stir together the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet in another. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry, then pour the batter into a greased loaf pan.

Bake the chocolate chip banana bread for a good 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. I like to eat this moist banana bread warm with butter, but it’s also delicious at room temp with a glass of milk.

How to Store Banana Bread

Choc chip banana bread will last for a few days on your counter. Make sure to wrap it in foil to prevent it from drying out, though. If desired, you can rewarm slices of banana bread in the microwave or oven.

Can You Freeze Banana Bread?

Homemade banana bread freezes really well and can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze the whole loaf, let it come to room temperature before wrapping it in a few layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil (this prevents the bread from developing freezer burn). When you’re ready to enjoy the frozen loaf, set it on your counter in its wrappings to thaw.

You can also slice and freeze the banana bread and keep it in a freezer bag, but I find that it dries out more quickly in the freezer if it’s pre-sliced. But if you think you’ll eat the chocolate chip banana bread quickly enough, it shouldn’t be an issue!

Do I Have to Add the Nuts?

If you have a pecan allergy or don’t have any on hand, feel free to omit them. You can also substitute them with another type of nut if preferred.

Tips for the Best Banana Bread

The bananas you use for this chocolate chip banana bread recipe should be overripe and almost black in color. If your bananas are far from being ripe enough to use in banana bread, poke them all over with a fork and then bake them at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned. Let the bananas cool completely before adding them to the batter.

I’ll also say that although I love me some warm banana bread, you don’t want to slice into this loaf when it first comes out of the oven. Give the moist banana bread time to firm up and cool down a bit before slicing.

Lastly, I used semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe because I like how the slightly bitter chocolate contrasts with the super sweet bread. But you’re welcome to use any chocolate chips or chunks you have lying around in this banana bread!

More Quick Bread Recipes You’ll Love

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrusheats.

4.29 from 7 votes

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This chocolate chip banana bread is made sans oil and instead uses Greek yogurt to add moisture. This is easily the best banana bread recipe I've ever made!

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Banana Bread, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Servings 9 people

Calories 478.53 kcal

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup pecans toasted and coarsely chopped
3 bananas very ripe and mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
2 large eggs beaten lightly
6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour bottom and sides of a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan and set aside.
Whisk first five ingredients together in large bowl; set aside.
In a medium bowl mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, vanilla and chocolate chips. Gently fold banana mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top is golden brown. Cool in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm with a swath of sweet butter or at room temperature with a cold glass of milk.

Recipe Notes

If you need to ripen your bananas quickly, poke them all over with a fork and then bake them at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned. Let the bananas cool completely before adding them to the batter.
Recipe slightly adapted from The New Best Recipe Cookbook from Cook's Illustrated

Nutrition Facts

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Amount Per Serving

Calories 478.53 Calories from Fat 221

% Daily Value*

Fat 24.5g38%

Saturated Fat 10.28g64%

Cholesterol 57.92mg19%

Sodium 240.48mg10%

Potassium 350.36mg10%

Carbohydrates 59.21g20%

Fiber 4.43g18%

Sugar 29.6g33%

Protein 7.41g15%

Vitamin A 327.37IU7%

Vitamin C 3.54mg4%

Calcium 40.06mg4%

Iron 3.1mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

More Banana Desserts to Try

Obviously as I was creating this post I was on the hunt for more lovely banana-inspired recipes and I must say, the banana is severely neglected out there unless its in a muffin, pancake or bread variety.

I say, “Raise the banana flag!” Let’s give the banana it’s sweetened day in the sun. Here’s a selection of food bloggers doing just that, and doing it well.

Modesty must be Glory’s thing because according to her Glorious Treats’s Banana Caramel Cream Dessert isn’t groundbreaking. I beg to differ.

Gluten- and dairy-free but full of flavor with a history in family lore and subject that leaves Shauna in stitches, Gluten-Free Girl’s Coconut-Banana Cream Pie is sure to make us smile too.

Cassie makes sure the health nuts aren’t left out with a chia see and whole wheat flour recipe for Bake Your Day’s Vegan Banana Nut Breakfast Cake that’s enough to convert even the non-vegans in some of us

Diana layers her nana-nanas with an extra banana-flavored icing thanks to banana extract in Created by Diane‘s Banana Icing on Banana Walnut Muffins.

Craving more life balance, less stress, and better health? Check out my Nourished Planner, the daily planner to help create simplicity and under-schedule your life.

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Growing up there was pretty much just a handful of cookies that we (as in the royal ‘we’ that would pretty much just be ‘me’) would make at home to satisfy the old sweet tooth. No-Bake Cookies, Sugar Cookies and Snickerdoodles were all part of the arsenal. But none got as much action as this oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe did in my teenage cookie craving days.

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I’m a bit obsessed with baking pies thanks to the over the top pie crusts I’m incessantly inspired by because of the Instagram account of my favorite local pie company.

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Last year when my niece Chandler announced she was engaged, I knew I wanted to host a bridal shower for her. With her wedding date set for early May, coming up with spring shower ideas would be perfect timing.

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Sometimes hearty, sometimes boozy, whipping up St. Patrick’s Day recipes is the perfect excuse to gather friends for a potluck, brunch, and yes, even if you’re in the mood for easy green food ideas.

There are many reasons traditional St. Patrick’s Day recipes are so beloved. If you’re wondering what to serve or how the Irish actually celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, this list of recipes has you clovered. (See what I did there?)

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When it comes to Thanksgiving, my brother-in-law has the right idea. His take on dessert? “You need a little sweetness to take away the fullness.” Truer words may have never been said, especially when it comes to Thanksgiving day dessert.

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There’s no way you’re going to forego your favorite pecan pie for T-day dessert. And don’t even think about me suggesting you skip the classic pumpkin pie flavors that reel in childhood recollections of fall’s favorite holiday.

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There’s nothing more traditional in my long-legged life than the cake I have every year for my birthday. It may be made by someone who loves me, or purchased from a bakery to add to the celebration.

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January is birthday month for me. Time to take a look, evaluate, and see who and what I am and what challenge I see in my future. Sometimes I love what I see, sometimes, not so much.

But if I don’t take a look at myself and cross check my perception versus reality, then where is the next challenge to conquer, the next mountain to climb? Or even a reason to get out of bed?

Are you happy? Are you yearning? Are you challenged? Are you bored? Are you still searching?

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In Ree Drummonds’s signature style, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays: 140 Step-by-Step Recipes for Simple, Scrumptious Celebrations replicates the recipe style that’s made legions of The Pioneer Woman fans melt with each blog post.

Plus it features this recipe for Caramel Apple Pie. I mean, what’s not to like?

If you’re looking for a cookbook that introduces fancy cooking techniques and intricate recipe stylings, keep on looking through those bookshelves, because this is NOT that book. And that’s exactly why it’s so good, because it’s a treasure trove of family favorites and other scrumptious excuses to gather around the table for a year of holiday celebrating.

With regular appearances by her basset hounds Charlie and Walter, plus photos and stories featuring life on the ranch with her two-legged family members, A Year of Holidays features real-life food for the family with hundreds of step-by-step photos. There’s so much in there it’s sure to turn even the most novice chef into a confident cook in the kitchen.

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Along with holiday do-ahead game-plans—what to do the day before, and the day of the big day to make your celebrating easy for even the hostess— here’s why, in Ree’s words, you need to make the recipes in this book:

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17 Friday Night Homemade Pizza Recipes to Make This Fall

Pizza is the ultimate gathering food, and these 17 homemade pizza recipes are the best reason to forget all about delivery and make yours at home instead.

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Instructions

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