White Elephant- Black Banana Oatmeal Bread

I feel like half of my life was lived vicariously through my sister. She is six years older than me, always has been, so when I was just on the brink of awkward middle school she was well into her collage years. I love to reminisce her past with her, things she did, the Olan Mills photos she had taken with boyfriends, matching clothes she and her boyfriends wore (I won't mention the Hee Haw overalls that were a true treasure) things she made me do in secrecy promising to be my best friend if I didn't tell, typical big sibling, little sibling friendly banter. I know my shadow probably drove her crazy growing up because I loved to hear about her latest tee-pee runs, learn about what bands were cool and how high bangs should go. She and her group of friends were always up for pranks and parties and I loved living the wild moments through her days later. One of the white elephant parties she attended growing up has always been burned in my brain for the ultimate gift that was at that party. My sister drew her number and picked up an innocent looking gift bag and noticed it was a bit wet and soggy on the bottom before opening it. She reached her hand in to pull out the tissue paper and oh, so delicately wrapped up was a bunch of thawing black bananas that belonged to a mom of one of the rowdy boys. He mentioned how they always had black bananas hanging around in the deep freeze and didn't think his mom would notice if he gifted a few. Classic teenage boy. I am already preparing myself.
Black bananas are one of the few things you will consistently find in my freezer. We may not have any ice on hand or extra chicken but I will always have a bunch of bananas. I learned the trick from my mom that they freeze and make beautiful breads and cakes once thawed. I thought this was common knowledge but recently learned that it must have been a Texas thing. We love homemade quick breads around here and homemade banana bread is at the top of the list. For years I made another recipe that involved butter and creaming and it was okay but it seemed to be lacking in texture and depth of flavor. I created this little treasure a few weeks ago and have enjoyed making it a few times with my youngest Muffin. I like to make a batch of the mini loaves (it makes three) and freeze them to have on hand for a quick breakfast. You could easily sub coconut oil for the vegetable oil and could omit the chocolate chips and peanut butter drizzle...but why would you?

Black Banana Bread (makes 3 min loaves, 12 muffins or 1 large loaf)
3- Frozen Black Bananas, thawed, peeled and smooshed in a bowl (If you freeze them in the peels they will literally slide right on out when you remove the stem...they look a little gross so I will spare any photos

In a big bowl combine the following:
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 Eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt (I have used full fat and reduced fat but don't do fat free)
Combine all of the above, including the bananas and mix until combined.

Pour into greased and floured pans and bake at 350 degrees (45-50 minute for full loaf, 30-35 minutes for mini loaves or 12-14 minutes for muffins). Allow it to sit for a few minutes before turning out to your counter to cool.

3 Tbsp. Creamy Peanut Butter - Place the peanut butter into a small Ziploc bag and microwave for 15 seconds until warm and runny. Snip one corner of the bag and drizzle the peanut butter over the loaves. Allow this to cool to set up a bit. If you want to freeze for later, pop them into the freezer to firmly set up the peanut butter before wrapping with saran wrap. Thaw before serving.

Enjoy Ya'll!