Toffee Banana Bread

I am a huge banana bread lover.  I found a recipe that used toffee chips in place of chocolate chips and I just knew that I had to try it.  The toffee is baked into and on top of the bread.  It caramelizes adding a crunch to the top and a gooey sweetness to the middle.   This is definitely a fun twist on classic banana bread and I recommend it highly!  Let’s bake!
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your loaf pan.

Combine bananas, butter, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl and mix on medium speed for about 3 minutes.
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Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
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In a separate bowl whisk the dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
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Add the dry mixture to the wet banana mixture and stir until combined.
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Fold in 1 cup of the toffee bits.
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Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and top with the remaining 1/3 cup toffee bits.
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Bake for 50-60 minutes.  Cover with foil if top starts to brown too much.  (I covered mine with foil after 25 minutes.) Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.  Slice just before serving and enjoy!!
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Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces chocolate covered toffee bits; divided into 1 cup and 1/3 cup (I used a bag of Heath bits from the baking aisle.)
Optional ingredient: chopped walnut

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.; grease a 5X9” loaf pan.

Combine the bananas, butter, sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until thoroughly mixed; add vanilla.

Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add to the banana mixture and stir until combined. Fold in 1 cup of toffee chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with remaining 1/3 cup toffee chips.  Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. I covered mine with foil after 30 minutes in the oven to prevent the toffee topping from becoming too crunchy.  Cool on rack for at least ten minutes before removing from pan.

Remember that banana bread is always better the next day….if you can wait that long!

Recipe adapted from: The Dutch Baker’s Daughter

Related Recipes:

Brown Sugar Banana Bread
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Pineapple and Coconut Granola
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Chewy ‘Big Clusters’ Maple Granola
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#ChooseJOY

Weekend Wrap-Up

Saturday:
I busted open a fresh pair of Saucony Kinvara’s.  These will be my Boston Marathon shoes!!
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I wore them to pace my Fleet Feet CMM group for 18 miles…felt great!
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I didn’t feel like cooking steel-cut oats after my run, so I had the next best option…Umpqua Instant Oats.  They’re SO good!!
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It was game day, so I sported my Kentucky blue.  Spoiler alert: they lost, but it was one heck of a season!
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I decided that I’m tired of skinny jeans.  Yes, they’re cool.  Yes, they make me feel like a sausage link.  So, I bought a pair of bootcut jeans.  Note: the pair that fits me best is for a curvy body type!
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I celebrated my long run with a glass of champagne.  It’s a good tradition.
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Were you able to see the blood moon eclipse?
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Easter Sunday:
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I went for an early morning workout, and came home to my husband!!  He was supposed to be out of town, but managed to come home for the day.  Great surprise!!!!
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I see this joke every year and it always cracks me up!
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I took advantage of some down time and enjoyed our front porch swing 🙂
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If you’ve been reading along for a while, you know that we don’t have any kids.  Easter is one of those days where I wish we did.  It would be so much fun to play Easter bunny.  Plus, I could share their candy.  (NOTE: this is totally not a reason to have a kid!)  But, I didn’t have a single jelly bean, Peep, or Reese’s Egg this year.  Crazy!  Follow me on Twitter HERE!!!
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It’s hard to believe that Lent is over.  For 44 days, I gave up sweets and added a daily Joy Jar ritual.  I’m so glad the sweets are back in my life!! However, I do plan to continue with my Joy Jar.  It’s such a nice practice to write down something I’m thankful for every day.  And, I love the physical reminder of seeing my jar accumulate gratitude.
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Totally random question: Are you dipper?  I always order my salad dressing, ketchup, syrup, etc…on the side.  I feel like I should have outgrown this practice in kindergarten.
Do you believe in the omen of the blood moon?  Is there a big change or event happening in your life?
Easter highlight?  unexpectedly getting to spend the day with my husband!
Favorite Easter candy? I like Peeps (preferably the bunnies) and Reese’s Eggs.
#choosejoy

3 Per Pic

Thoughts on Thursday
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Breakfast Club Run
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OTF with Corrie
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Post workout rolls
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She’s bringing wine.
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Blessed Good Friday
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Treadmill.  Core.  Smoothie.
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Rainy Day Roses
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Awesome mail day!
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Speaks the truth
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Long run fuel.
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Here it comes.
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What’s your long run or race for the weekend?
Who’s tapering and how’s it going?
What are your Easter plans?
Have a wonderful Easter weekend and choose JOY!

The Friday Five

1.  The Elsa Top from Lilly Pulitzer.  I order one or two new ones each spring. They’re so comfortable, flowy, and remind me of the beach.  (Sizing: I wear an XS and it’s still loose.)
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2.  Would you do this crazy Slip N Slide?!!  

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1) You’ve clicked on baa.org dozens of times to see the countdown badge.
4) You’re sick of all the run routes from your home.
5) You’ve been to the Adidas offical 2015 Boston Marathon Apparel site.  A lot.  [The jacket is already hanging my closet!]
12) You already know what you’re wearing on race day, and you have the shoes (with light mileage) ready to run.
4.  Laughing at:
Well played Honda!

Mime Through Time

5. When Phoebe calls Joey as “Estelle” and Joey doesn’t know because there’s no caller ID.
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7. ~Smoking indoors~
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8. The one where Joey and Ross get locked on the roof and don’t have cell phones.
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19. Ordering something from a paper catalog. On the phone.
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Have a blessed Good Friday and Choose JOY!