On Saturday mornings on the Dane County Farmers Market, there were many stands offering mini quick breads. I always bypassed the first one I encountered. And the second. I was holding out for the third stand, the stand with the widest variety of flavors.
Mini loaves of lemon poppyseed, zucchini chocolate chip, orange white chocolate and apple cinnamon bread lined the racks on the right side of the tent. Pumpkin chocolate chip was always a favorite, closely followed by strawberries and cream, but my final choice for the week was usually dictated by what was in the day-old half-priced bin. I was living on a college student budget, after all.
I’d bring home one little plastic-wrapped loaf, two if I really couldn’t decide between flavors. Bites would be pinched off when I needed a quick bite on the way to class. Little pieces would be crumbled over yogurt. Nibbles would be taken as I studied for exams.
Now that I live in New York, I need my little quick-bread fix. I don’t have a mini loaf pan, so I can’t quite achieve the proportion of crispy edges to moist and fragrant insides, but I can at least come close to the texture. This might explain why I’ve made so many varieties of muffins and quick breads in the past year:
- Applesauce Spice Bread
- Chocolate Malt Bread
- Meyer Lemon Spice Bread
- Wholesome Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Whole Wheat Chocolate Chai Muffins
- Whole Wheat Raspberry Muffins
- Zucchini Banana Bread
And now I’m adding one to the list.
Double Chocolate Quick Bread
With the addition of miniature chocolate chips, every bite is filled with a little extra punch of chocolate. You could also use chopped chocolate or nuts in place of the chocolate chips.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup skim milk
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder.
Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the applesauce and milk. Stir until there are no dry lumps left.
Fold in the chocolate chips, and pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake at 375F for 35-38 minutes, or until the edges begin to pull away from the pan and the top is firm. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Psst. The best way to store quick breads is the same as the best way to store muffins!
Yum! Great recipe addition to the amazing list haha
Oh my… this looks divine! Warm and comforting to welcome in September
Quick breads have always held a special place in my heart, too– when I was growing up my mother would make 5+ varieties as her contribution to the “family Christmas spread” (…while my uncle made 20+ varieties of cookies, hehe.)
I can’t wait to give this a try!
That’s awesome…on the breads and the cookies!
Just went back to read the storage tips. Im’ going to try that next time with my muffins b/c all too often the last 1 or 2 get moldy before we can eat them!
This looks yummy! I might have to try some baking this long weekend! It’s been too hot to bake too much, so I am looking forward to Fall!
I am grateful that it is starting to cool down here. Fall is my favorite season + cooking is a lot more fun!
I saw the title of this post and immediately knew I would love it! Thanks for sharing.
Yay for the Madison Farmers Market! When my sister and I were there a few weeks ago we stopped by our stand
They had two day-old loaves left and we got them both! One of which was strawberries and cream 
Your probably taste even better than there’s though
I don’t know… the strawberries and cream mini bread is pretty amazing…
Oh my goodness this looks amazing! And within my cooking powers! Double win!
Woot! (And love your blog name!)
Oh! my this bread made me hungry. It really looks delicious and feels like eating something just like this.
Thanks for this delicious dessert recipe. This chocolate bread is best for my favorite hazelnut chocolate spread.