I'm Elyse. Some of my most vivid and cherished memories are around a table with friends and family, and I want that for you, too.
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There was a time in my life—not that long ago—that I was lauded for my expert knowledge of gas station snacks. I used to have an intense commute, and I also truly adore processed foods, so breakfast and post-work snacks/dinners were bought and consumed on the go. I knew which Arcos had the best hot dogs and which 76s still had hot coffee at 7 a.m. Certain gas stations had a ‘bakery’ section, where I could get a donut with said coffee, while others were stocked with a legitimately wild amount of protein bars. A Clif bar with coffee was a go-to breakfast and I have a weird nostalgia attached to the combo. It reminds me of early morning drives where my car was filled with the sounds of an audiobook or a fake argument I was trying to resolve by playing both roles out loud.
My personal favorite Clif bar is the white chocolate macadamia nut one. So, when I was looking to create a maximalist banana bread, I was inspired by my gas station finds. And this won’t be the last time. Get ready for Moon Pies, Hostess Pudding Pies, Pop Tarts, the chocolate zingers, and more! Also, if you have a favorite gas station treat, let me know! I’d love to eat and recreate it! But for now, let’s talk banana bread.
Do We Need Another Banana Bread Recipe?
Remember during the beginning part of the pandemic when folks went banana bread wild? There are literally thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of banana bread recipes out there to satiate the masses. And if I’m being fair, they are all probably really good. So do we need another recipe? No. Could I find my specific kink of Clif bar/banana bread hybrid though? Also, no. So, here we are.
This white chocolate macadamia nut banana bread recipe doesn’t utilize traditional banana bread spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, but feel free to play around with it. The addition of ground flax seed further bumps the nuttiness of the macadamias, so while I realize it’s a bit of a specialty ingredient, I do think it adds to the flavor.
A quick tip for this banana bread: It takes a full hour to bake, so if you want it for breakfast, I recommend baking it the night before. Allow it to fully cool and then wrap in plastic wrap and leave it on the counter. Personally, I think it tastes best when it’s had this extra time, plus you don’t have to wait an hour for breakfast, win-win! Tightly wrapped this bread (cake?) will stay good for 4 days in high-humidity kitchens and longer if you are some of the lucky few with proper ventilation. (Please know I type that jealously.)
Chopped macadamia nuts, white chocolate chips, and tons of banana flavor, this banana bread/cake has it all!
Ingredients
Scale
For the crumble:
1/4C chopped macadamia nuts
1/4C old fashioned oats
1/4C all purpose flour (almond flour is also really good here if you have it on hand)
1/4C brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4t kosher salt (or a pinch if your macadamia nuts came salted)
2T unsalted butter, cubed
For the banana bread:
3 overripe bananas
2 large eggs, room temperature
3T buttermilk, room temperature
6oz (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1t vanilla extract
1/2C granulated sugar
1/2C brown sugar
2C all purpose flour
1T ground flax seed
1 1/2t baking soda
1t kosher salt
1/2C chopped macadamia nuts
1/2C white chocolate chips
For the drizzle:
1/4C white chocolate chips
1T – 2T heavy cream
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350F and prep a loaf pan by lining the long sides with parchment paper (think taco shell). Give the entire inside of the pan a good spray of nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Make the crumble: Combine all of the crumble ingredients in a medium bowl. Begin pinching and massaging the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a loose, damp-ish sandy mixture—free from any big clumps of butter. Set aside.
Make the banana bread: In a large bowl, mash the bananas until thoroughly pulverized. Add the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine. Add both sugars and whisk again to incorporate.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, flax, baking soda, and salt.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to combine. Being careful not to overmix.
Fold in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate and then pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the crumble over the top and gently press it into the batter to ensure adherence.
Bake for 60 – 75 minutes. (My old oven was pushing me to the full 75 minutes) BUT at the 45-minute mark, tent the top with aluminum foil to make sure the crumble doesn’t burn. You will know it’s done when you give it a gentle wiggle and there is no rippling and when a cake tester comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for another 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and use your parchment taco to pull the loaf out and let it cool for another 15 minutes on a wire rack while you make the drizzle.
Make the drizzle: Combine the white chocolate and heavy cream n a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on 15 second burst until melted, stirring in between to properly combine. If the mix looks too thick, feel free to add the extra 1T of reserve cream, 1t at a time until you have the desired consistency.