I'm excited to share with you another recipe with my work with Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk! I have been working on the ultimate chocolate chip banana bread recipe made with almondmilk and I was so excited when I got it right!

Sometimes, when I have an idea, it works on the first or second try. Sometimes it takes 4 tries or even 7 tries. You should see me dancing around the kitchen when a plan finally comes together (okay maybe you don't want to see me dance haha!). Ever since I started working with Almond Breeze, I wanted to start baking with almondmilk. I knew it could be done!

This banana bread recipe is super moist and is packed with flavor. I used the Almond Breeze Almondmilk Vanilla and I love the flavor it gives to the banana bread…and by the way, it's my favorite Almond Breeze flavor to have with my cereal in the mornings.

Now that I have this recipe under my belt, I can't wait to try more baking & cooking with Almond Breeze Almondmilk…including trying my vanilla cupcakes, these nutella milkshakes and my french toast sticks!

First things, first put that butter on the counter so it can soften.

Then, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Then take 3 tablespoons of the flour mixture and mix with the chocolate chips. I learned this a couple of years ago…this is how you keep the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom when you pour it into the batter.

Then, peel the bananas.

I know, I know, banana bread purists will complain that these are not ripe enough (but I agree to a certain extent). Your bananas should be black but guess what? This recipe works even with the ripe bananas above. Yay!

Peel and then mash the bananas. I find that mashing with a potato masher works best!

For this recipe, I use a mix of granulated and light brown sugar. I used an electric hand mixer to cream the butter with the sugars.

After mixing in the egg, this is what the batter looks like.

After adding the vanilla extract,Almond Breeze Almondmilk Vanilla and grape seed oil and mixing it together, this is what the batter looks like. It starts to look curdled. But don't worry.

Add the mashed bananas and mix with a rubber spatula. I find that I like the bread better when I mix in the bananas with a spatula vs. using the hand mixer.

Add the flour mixture in two batches and fold in with the spatula.

Now add, the chocolate chips (that were mixed in with some of the flour).

There's your batter!

Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees F.

And there you have a wonderfully moist, chocolatey banana bread…that you'll thank me for!

Share it with your friends or keep it all for yourself, I won't judge.

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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 1 9x5 loaf

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 3 medium overripe bananas peeled and mashed
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup Almond Breeze Almondmilk Vanilla
• 1 teaspoon grape seed oil

Instructions

• Place butter on the counter to soften. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
• Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix ingredients together with a rubber spatula to combine and set aside.
• Take 3 tablespoons of the flour mixture and add to a small mixing bowl. Add chocolate chips to that small bowl and combine. (This will ensure the chocolate chips don’t sink to the bottom of the bread). Set aside.
• Mash the bananas with a potato masher or the back of a large spoon in another separate bowl.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with an electric hand mixer. Beat for about 60 to 90 seconds. Add eggs and mix thoroughly. Add vanilla extract, the almondmilk and grapeseed oil to the butter and sugar and mix until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute.
• Add bananas and mix with a rubber spatula. In two batches, using the rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture until combined, don’t over mix. Then, fold in the chocolate chips (that have been combined with the flour mixture).
• Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place loaf pan on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.
• Slide cooling rack on top of the loaf pan and flip over. Allow the bread to cool upright on the cooling rack, at least 30 minutes to an hour before slicing. Store leftovers in a sealed container.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk. I only work with brands that I love and always share with you my own and honest opinions.
 

The post Chocolate Chip Banana Bread appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

Sniff, sniff…milkshake week is over! I can't believe it. Be sure to scroll all the way to down and click over to all of the great milkshakes our friends shared today, especially Lindsay's Cherry Lambic Beer Milkshakes (woah!). And the giveaway, the giveaway!

This milkshake is the shake that started it all for me. I wanted to make fried banana milkshakes a few months ago…inspired by my brown butter peach milkshakes from last year.

I love love bananas. Banana candy (think laffy taffy), banana bread, banana muffins, bananas in smoothies, bananas with peanut butter, everything. So why not bananas in a milkshake but kicked up several notches?

Brown butter is so pretty, isn't it? It only takes a few minutes to brown butter. Don't take your eyes off that pan!

Bananas after they went into the skillet with the brown sugar.

Look at that…

I even scooped some of the brown butter and put it on top and served it with the milkshake, because brown butter is life and I had to.

These shakes are little because they are rich and you need them in your life. Boom!

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Fried Banana Milkshakes Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 ripe bananas sliced
• 2 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 4 large scoops of vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 cup milk

Instructions

• In a medium skillet, melt butter on medium heat. As the butter browns, add bananas and brown sugar and mix. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes until bananas are cooked through. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Add vanllia ice cream, milk and fried bananas (reserve some butter sauce for topping) to a blender and pulse until thoroughly mixed. Pour into two small glasses and serve with butter sauce on top.

Be sure to check out my Peanut Butter and Brownie Milkshakes and my Cappuccino milkshakes too!

So sad it's over but we can all take comfort in the recipes below…be sure to hop around and check them out! This was so fun, we have to do this again next year, no?

• Fried Banana Milkshakes from The Little Kitchen
• Cherry Lambic Milkshakes from Love & Olive Oil
• Heavenly Apple Pie Milkshake from fifteen spatulas
• Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake from Cookies and Cups
• Grasshopper Pie Milkshake for Adults from Boulder Locavore
• Cookies & Cream Coffee Milkshake from Bake Your Day
• S'mores Milkshakes from Katie's Cucina
• Healthy Banana Cream Pie Milkshake from Texanerin Baking
• Toasted Marshmallow Shake from kokocooks
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Oreo Milkshake from My Baking Addiction
• Chocolate Coffee Milkshake from Jelly Toast
• Chocolate Coffee Milkshake from Crunchy Creamy Sweet
• Strawberry-Rhubarb Milkshake from Dairy Good Life
• S'Mores Milkshake {Toasted Marshmallow & Chocolate Milkshake} from Foodie with Family

The post Fried Banana Milkshakes appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Austin, Texas and had the most amazing doughnuts (or donuts) at Gourdough's Doughnuts. Okay, let me remind, I was going there to attend and speak at BlogHer Food. I was rooming with my friend, Lindsay and weeks before she texted me and said she wanted to go to this doughnut place. Fast forward and we're in Austin, it's our last day (and it's hot) and I just wanted a breakfast taco, they are amazing, more on that later. I wasn't really interested in these ridiculously crazy doughnuts. We had already looked online and saw the crazy toppings like fried chicken and honey butter.

Thanks to Kelly for letting me share her picture of our Gourdough's feast.

And then so we get there and had to wait for them to stop serving just their breakfast doughnuts, I had a breakfast taco from another truck right next to them. Yep, these doughnuts are served out of a trailer. The doughnuts were amazing. Beyond amazing. Even though I was full from my breakfast taco, these doughnuts were a can't miss.

The toppings were fantastic (my favorites were the funky monkey, the brownie batter one and the peach one) and the doughnut fried perfectly with a nice crunch even under all of those toppings. Gourdough's is famous for a reason.

And there's our group, ha, that's Rachel taking a shot from overhead.

So when I was invited to join in a group of bloggers to recreate at home the doughnuts we had in Austin, I jumped at the chance! Why not? And was so glad I got to pick this one.

Who doesn't like bananas? I don't understand anyone's hatred of bananas. I'm slightly obsessed myself and even love any type of banana candy. These bananas are cooking and getting caramelized in butter and brown sugar. And they are perfect! Be sure to use ripe bananas!

The other day before making these, I was just thinking of how I could make them a little different from Gourdough's and I thought of nutella! Bananas go so well with nutella sooo why not? Oh-MY-Goodness, it was perfect. I never knew that nutella and cream cheese icing would go so well together. I'm dreaming of other concoctions for this combo! Let me know if you think of any ideas!

In the top photo, there's one doughnut in the front that I sprinkled brown sugar and didn't add any nutella to – the way Gourdough's prepares it. It's awesome too! You can make it either way you choose!

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Funky Monkey Doughnut with Nutella Recipe

Prep Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12 to 14 Doughnuts

Ingredients

Doughnuts

• 1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 6 teaspoons warm water
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 Tablespoons warm water
• 1 large egg beaten
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour divided, plus extra for dusting surface
• vegetable oil for frying (fill a French oven with about 2 inches of oil)

Grilled Bananas

• 3 ripe bananas sliced thick
• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar

Cream Cheese Icing

• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons whole milk
• 1/4 to 1/2 nutella chocolate hazelnut spread (optional)
• brown sugar for sprinkling optional

Instructions

Doughnuts

• Add yeast to a measuring cup and add 6 teaspoons of warm water, mix. Allow yeast to sit for at least 10 to 15 minutes. If using quick rise yeast, add skip the above step and add the 2 Tablespoons warm water to the quick rise yeast and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
• Add to stand mixer bowl or a large mixing bowl, add yeast, 2 Tablespoons warm water (if using active dry yeast), milk, shortening, butter and egg and blend for 30 seconds with beater attachment, or until ingredients are combined. then, add sugar, salt and half of the flour. Mix on low seeped until combined. Add the rest of the flour and mix at a low speed until all flour has combined. Remove the beater attachment and add the dough hook and beat on a medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl (and is smooth), about 5 to 7 minutes. If the dough is too wet, add more flour, a 1/2 tablespoon at a time. Remove dough from stand mixer bowl and place in a well-oiled bowl, cover with a damp paper towel and place in a warm spot to rise for an hour and a half or until doubled in size. (I used the proofing feature in my oven and sometimes I use my back porch if it's warm enough outside, the cooler it is, the longer it may take for the dough to rise.)
• Heat the oil in a French oven or large heavy bottomed pot until it reaches 350 degrees F.
• Prep a baking sheet with flour. Add flour to a cutting board or pastry board and place dough on it. Using your hands, flatten the dough until it's about 1/2 inch thick. Cut out 3-inch pieces with a cookie or biscuit cutter. Place on the floured baking sheet and cover with a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise once again for 15 minutes.
• Prep a baking sheet lined with foil and place a cooling rack on top. Place doughnuts into oil, about 4 at a time. Cook about 40 seconds to a minute on each side. Remove from oil and add to the cooling rack. Allow to cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes before adding the toppings. While they are cooling, you can work on the toppings.

Grilled Bananas

• Melt butter in a non-stick pan on medium low heat. Add brown sugar and cook for 2 to 4 minutes on medium heat. Add bananas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until browned to your preference. Remove and place on a plate and allow to cool.

Cream Cheese Icing

• In a medium sized mixing bowl, add butter and cream cheese. Mix until blended with an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar 1/3 cup at a time and mix until combined. Add milk and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes on medium speed.

Assembly

• Place donuts on a platter or plates. Place cream cheese icing in a decorator bag fitted with a coupler and a round tip or spread cream cheese icing with a butter knife or offset spatula on top of each doughnut. The same for the nutella if you're using that. Add two to three grilled bananas on top of each doughnut and sprinkle with brown sugar (if not using nutella). Serve immediately.

Notes

Doughnuts adapted from Alton Brown

Make these, you'll enjoy them!! If you want to skip the big step of making the doughnut dough, you can always fry some biscuits and top them with these toppings. I was originally going to do this until my friend, Suzanne, came over and showed me how to make fried doughnuts…we made Boston Cream ones…oh my, they were amazing!

Check out these other Gourdough's inspired recipes from around the internets. Don't they look wonderful?

The Mother Clucker | Cherry Bombs | The Funky Monkey

The Baby Rattler | Black Out Cupcakes | ODB

PB & J | Granny's Pie | Heavenly Hash

The Carney | The Flying Pig | Dirty Berry

Bring the Heath | Son of a Peach | Mama's Cake

The Puddin' | Naughty & Nice | Miss Shortcake

The post Funky Monkey Doughnut with Nutella – Gourdough’s Inspired Recipe appeared first on The Little Kitchen.