Chocolate Laced Banana Bread

something about the weekends makes me crave comfort foods mostly in the form of baked goods. while visiting family in NM, we had a week of indulgence including many a baked good. my sister-in-law, A has celiacs and i am happy to report every treat we prepared was not only gluten-free but also super tasty. we made the blueberry strudel pancakes that were tender and fluffy, wonderfully chewy, goey chocolate chip cookies, as well as a chocolate laced banana bread. the common ingredient in those three treats? pamela's baking & pancake mix.

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this gluten-free baking mix includes the following ingredients: brown rice flour, white rice flour, cultured buttermilk, natural almond meal, tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, potato starch, grainless and aluminum-free baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, xanthan gum. i am impressed with the simple, easy-to-pronounce ingredient list and feel good about using this for baking even though i am not gluten intolerant. i have even used this mix since returning home for pancakes the other morning.

i used pamela's baking & pancake mix to whip up some banana bread in NM. since my niece is both a finicky eater and a huge chocolate fan, i added in some chocolate shavings to encourage her to try it. turns out, we all loved the bread with the chocolate shavings. it was moist and tender and tasted wonderful still warm with a touch of butter. you could use chocolate chips but the thin chocolate shavings just seemed to melt into the bread and each bite was ever so slightly laced with smooth, dark chocolate banana heaven.

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Chocolate Laced Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups pamela's mix
1/3 cup dark chocolate, finely chopped

preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

mix together mashed bananas, melted butter, agave, egg, and vanilla until smooth. stir in pamela's mix and stir until smooth. fold in shaved chocolate and pour into greased and floured loaf pan.

bake for 45-60 minutes. watch for a browned top. bread is finished when a toothpick insterted into the center comes out clean. cool slightly before slicing and serving.