Averie Cooks

-1 Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 9×5-inch loaf pan (make sure your loaf pan is not an 8×4 because it will be too small) with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
-1 Bread – In a large bowl, add the egg, sugars, cocoa powder, coconut oil, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
-1 Add the bananas and stir to incorporate.
-1 Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, optional salt, and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined; don’t overmix.
-1 Add 1 cup chocolate chips and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined; don’t overmix.
-1 Turn out between half and two-thirds of the batter out into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing it into corners and sides as necessary; set remaining batter and the pan aside.
-1 Cream Cheese Filling – In a large bowl, add all ingredients and whisk to combine. Alternatively, mix with a hand mixer.
-1 Evenly pour cream cheese mixture over the bread batter, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing it into corners and sides as necessary.
-1 Top with remaining bread batter, smoothing the top very lightly with a spatula as to not disturb cream cheese layer and pushing batter into corners and sides as necessary.
-1 Evenly sprinkle the top with about 1 to 2 tablespoons chocolate chips.
-1 Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes or until the top is domed, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted into the center crack comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. This is tricky because the cream cheese never gets totally solid so the toothpick test isn’t the most accurate. I highly recommend tenting the pan with a sheet of foil draped loosely over the top at the 35 minute-mark so the top and sides of the bread don’t become overdone before center cooks through (even though the bread is dark-colored from the chocolate, you don’t want it to taste burnt). Baking times will vary based on moisture content of bananas, cream cheese, climate, and oven variances. Bake until done; watch your bread, not the clock.
-1 Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 to 20 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving (I sliced my bread while it was still too warm and squished it and it fell in the center a bit; don’t do what I did). Bread will keep airtight at room temperature (I’m comfortable storing baked cream cheese items at room temp) or in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.