Banana Bread with Oat Bran, Pecans, and Chocolate Chips

Since most of us are looking for healthier recipes in the New Year, here's one of my favourite, healthy snacks.  You may notice a trend involving bananas but I've got to do something with all the bananas collecting in my freezer.  Frozen bananas are starting to form a little army in there and I'm afraid that they'll attack if I don't start to dismantle their ranks.  I was also able to use my KitchenAid mixer which is always a bonus.  I have to admit that I've just starting throwing entire lists of ingredients into it and letting them mix.  So far, this method seems to be working but I'm sure I'll encounter a recipe someday where this turns out to be a mistake.

This recipe comes from one of my favourite cookbooks, Eat, Shrink and Be Merry.

Banana Bread

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup oat bran

Fresh Out of the Oven

2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 large or 4 medium)
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts if you prefer)
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahreinheit.  Spray two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside.  It's important to use two smaller pans or the banana bread won't cook through without burning.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Mix well and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, beat together eggs and brown sugar on medium speed of electric mixer for 2 minutes.  Add bananas, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.  Beat again until well blended.
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Do not use electric mixer for this step.  Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.  Do not over-mix batter. (I did use the mixer but just used the stirring function.)
• Divide batter evenly among loaf pans.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Cool loaves in pans on a wire rack for about ten minutes and then remove and slice to enjoy!  If you are planning on saving and freezing, the recipe recommends removing the loaves from the pans after about ten minutes before cooling entirely and then freezing in plastic wrap.

Nutritional Information:
Each loaf makes 8 slices and 1 slice (serving) is 173 calories.