Grenada: Recipe for Banana Bread, Chocolate & Spices

My recipe for Banana Bread with Grenada Spices and Chocolate.

I attended the 6th Grenada Chocolate Festival (this was my fifth time) and as part of the festival I was asked to do a demonstration to the festival guests.

I decided to bake my favourite Banana Bread recipe but with slight ingredient variations.  At home I usually add raisins and sometimes walnuts however we were not at the Grenada Raisin Festival!  As it was the Grenada Chocolate Festival I decided to use locally produced, bean to bar, single origin Grenada chocolate, local spices and honey.

Grenada is known as the Spice Island so I thought it would also be a great idea to use some local island spices and decided nutmeg and cinnamon would be perfect. I also wanted to drizzle the warm loaves with local Grenada honey for that added dimension.

I asked for a couple of helpers as I wanted to make three loaves to feed the crowd watching the demo.  My initial helpers Rob and Kacie stepped up to the table already set up with ingredients and tools for three.  I found it difficult to hold the microphone and mash bananas so Sarah offered to be the third baker letting me talk to the audience and tell everyone what the next steps were as we carried on baking.

As you can imagine there was a bit of friendly rivalry to see who could mash the bananas the best and who was best at chopping the chocolate!

My recipe is one that I have been making since I was a young girl and really is the easiest recipe for Banana Bread I have ever come across.  It is delicious warm out of the oven spread thickly with butter or cold the next day for breakfast or afternoon tea.  If the loaf lasts a couple of days it is perfect to toast before buttering.

NOTE: I have always measured this recipe in US cup measures.

5 from 5 votes

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Grenada Chocolate and Spice Banana Bread

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

 

My usual Banana Bread with the addition of Grenada Chocolate and spices

Servings: 10 slices

Author: Heidi Roberts

Ingredients

• 3 soft bananas
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 100 gm Grenada Chocolate 75%
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 cups Self Raising Flour

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 3.

2. Grease and flour a 2lb loaf tin (I use those greaseproof loaf liners instead).

3. With a fork mash the three peeled bananas in a large bowl.

4. Add the egg and mix well.

5. Add the sugar and mix well to combine.

6. At this point add the chocolate pieces and spices (or raisins and/or walnuts.

7. Mix well.

8. Add the flour gradually to the mixture making sure it is well combined each time.

9. Check there are no bits of flour remaining.

10. Pour mixture into prepared tin.

11. Bake for 1 hour.

12. Banana Bread is done when a skewer or sharp knife is inserted into the centre and comes out clean.

13. Cool for 5-10 minutes before taking out of the loaf pan.

14. Cool completely on a wire rack.

15. Slice and serve with butter!!

All done and ready to go into the oven!

The three banana breads baked for one hour and when still warm I drizzled them with Grenada honey.

Sliced and with the chocolate still warm they were gobbled up quickly.  Sticky fingers were licked and there was a gentle hum of ooohhhs and aaaahhhs! Want to make these at home. They are a crowd pleaser and certainly quick and easy. You will never throw those old bananas away again.

What is your favourite ‘go-to’ baking recipe. Please tell me in the comments below.

If you want the Chocolate Adventure of a Lifetime the 7th Annual Grenada Festival will be 01 May – 06 May 2020. Both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic fly there from the UK twice a week and there are loads of flights from the USA.

Here are a couple of other posts from my trips to Grenada and the Grenada Chocolate Festival.

Painting The Calabash

Recipe: Crayfish Bay Chocolate Cake

Making Pizza at Vendome RC School

I was not paid to do my demonstration nor was I required to write a positive review.  All opinions are my own and all photographs are my own unless otherwise credited. No photographs may be reproduced in any manner without written permission.