Crock Pot Banana Bread

Despite my best intentions, I'm an infrequent user of the crock-pot. It sits tucked away on a high pantry shelf, making access at best difficult and at worst, dangerous. The heavy glass lid threatens to fall on my head whenever I pull it down, and this scares me.

The most common applications for the CP in my kitchen are making apple or pear sauce, cooking farro overnight (makes for a great "instant" breakfast) or making a kick-ass bolognese sauce.

The best application though, is Crock-Pot Banana Bread. I'd never heard of such a thing until my husband made a batch in his CP while we were dating. He's the banana bread baker in the house, and has dabbled with and perfected this recipe. This banana bread is perhaps the favorite care package item mailed off to college, in great risk of not even making it in the door before consumption.

It's baked in this funky round "pan" that sits in the CP, and looks a bit like a big coffee can. I don't know if this insert comes standard with crock-pots or is a charming accessory. It makes a cylindrical loaf, and fun half-round slices. Cooking time is about 2 hours or so. The slow heat makes for a very moist bread, not as dense as pan based banana breads. Mini-chocolate chips (never optional), add to the deliciousness of this treat.

The size and shape of this loaf would also lend itself to a great little banana cake. I think it could probably be sliced into 3 or 4 layers, frosted with any number of frosting options...chocolate, rum butter-cream, some type of brown-butter cinnamon.....mmmm. I haven't tried this yet, but I'm looking forward to that adventure in the kitchen.

Crock Pot Banana Bread

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 small ripe bananas, mashed
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2+ cup dark chocolate chunks 

What to do
Turn crock-pot on high. Grease and flour manufacturer's insert. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. In another bowl, cream applesauce with butter & sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Add milk and vanilla. Mix completely. Stir in bananas until well mixed. Gradually add flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Place insert into crock-pot. Carefully add batter. Cover. Put lid on crock-pot and bake, checking for done-ness at the 2 hour mark. Our crock-pot usually bakes this loaf in 2 hours or just a bit over.