Chocolate Strawberry Banana Bread Recipe

This post is part of a sponsored campaign to bring awareness to Heifer’s School Milk Feeding Program.

What pairs well with a warm slice of Chocolate Strawberry Banana Bread? Why milk, of course!

Being from the Dairy State, it’s no surprise that milk is a staple in our home.

We drink it at meal times, especially breakfast and dinner, or to wash down delicious baked goods such as these other strawberry desserts.

Chocolate Strawberry Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2-3 ripe mashed bananas (about 1 cup when mashed)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, quartered
• About 3 TBS flour to toss strawberries in

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease and flour loaf pan (I used a 9×5).
3. Add egg, brown sugar, oil, granulated sugar, cocoa, sour cream, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
4. Gently stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until just combined.
5. Fold in bananas.
6. Toss strawberry pieces in a few tablespoons of flour. I learned this helps prevent all the strawberries from sinking to the bottom of the batter!
7. Fold in strawberries.
8. Batter should be thick. If it seems too thin, you may need to add up to another 1/4 of flour.
9. Pour batter into loaf pan and smooth the top with your spatula.
10. Bake for 55-65 minutes. I’d recommend checking it at 55 minutes. It’s done if a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean or with some crumbs. If it’s covered in batter, give it more time but keep an eye on it!
11. Let cool for about 15 minutes before removing from the loaf pan. Place it on a wire cooling rack.
12. Pour a glass of cold milk and grab a slice! Bread will keep for… I don’t know how long because it always gets gobbled up within a day or two.

For as long as I can remember, milk has been part of my daily life, even when my parents struggled to make ends meet. At my elementary school, kids could bring money to buy a carton of milk for a morning snack which was separate from the milk provided at lunch time.

I’ve come to take milk for granted. We almost always buy a new jug of milk before the other one runs out. Being out of milk requires a store run, even if we don’t need anything else.

Understanding the importance of nourishing our children and teaching communities valuable skills is why I am happy to support the work Heifer is doing.

Heifer’s School Milk Feeding Program

Since 2008, Heifer’s Tanzania program has focused on helping dairy farmers increase milk production. They are now broadening that focus to create more viable and diverse markets for these farmers. With the help of farmers, government agencies, and school districts, Heifer has created a school milk feeding program to encourage a generation of milk-drinkers and increase the well-being and nutrition of eager students.

Supporting the program will positively impact communities by:

• Providing milk for children who suffer from a lack of proper nutrition
• Empowering students to focus on learning instead of hunger
• Creating a reliable market for producers
• Increasing farmers’ incomes and reducing poverty

One packet (200ml) of milk contains at least a quarter of the daily calcium requirements for children.

The ultimate goal of the program is to provide 9,000 pupils (ages 9 and under) in the Njombe, Iringa, Mbeya, and Songwe regions with a packet of free fresh milk every day Monday – Friday during the school year.

Make a donation of any size! Just $75 can provide one student with fresh milk for a school year (that’s just 40 cents a day). For more information about this program, please visit Heifer International.

Printable Chocolate Strawberry Banana Bread Recipe