Fans Love Bobby Flay’s Espresso-Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: ‘5 Stars Isn’t Enough’

Fans of Food Network chef Bobby Flay had a lot to say about his coffee-infused chocolate chip banana bread — and it was all good.

With chopped semisweet chocolate speckling this not-too-sweet bread and its decadent espresso-cinnamon topping, Flay’s five-star ratings for this recipe aren’t too surprising.

Fans of Bobby Flay say his banana bread is the best they’ve ever tasted

Banana bread is banana bread, right? Not this recipe. That’s what the majority of reviewers of Flay’s spin on the classic baked quick bread had to say.

“Made this today. Awesome Bobby! And the butter spread is equally tasty, the husband doesn’t like bananas, he likes this! … No more boring banana bread here,” wrote one reviewer.

Another home cook said, “This recipe is AMAZING!!!!! 5⭐’s isn’t enough!!”

“Lots of flavors between the bananas, chocolate and the espresso powder.  And the cinnamon butter tops it off perfectly.  Even better the next day,” said another cook.

Lastly, one reviewer emphasized the bread’s deliciousness even on its own without the accompanying topping: “This has got to be the most delicious banana bread I’ve ever had and/or made. Even without the espresso butter. Everyone devoured it last time I made it.”

For more reviews, video, and the complete recipe, visit Food Network’s site.

Flay’s banana bread recipe is thoroughly unique

The Beat Bobby Flay star’s banana bread recipe calls for the bread: unsalted butter, instant espresso powder, all-purpose flour, baking soda, kosher salt, medium-ripe bananas (Flay says their peels “should be pretty black”), granulated sugar, brown sugar, an egg, and chopped semisweet chocolate.

For the espresso cinnamon butter, you’ll need unsalted butter, confectioners’ sugar, instant espresso powder, ground cinnamon, and fine salt.

Flay, in the Food Network video, above, notes that for the butter mixture, you’ll want to “use room temperature butter here so it’s easy to actually mix all these ingredients together.”

The secret sauce that makes Flay’s banana bread so good

Flay’s banana bread is assembled much like other banana breads. The dry ingredients of flour, baking soda, and salt are mixed together in one bowl. Then the wet ingredients are stirred together and combined with the dry.

The secret ingredient to the celebrity chef’s unforgettable bread is butter that’s been slowly and gently cooked, until it’s sizzling and deep brown in color. And the browned butter’s flavor is incredible: it’s a caramelized, rich taste that, combined with the instant espresso, infuses the final banana bread with an intensely complex tastiness.

The chopped chocolate is stirred into the batter last. Chopped-up semisweet chocolate, as opposed to chocolate chips, results in wonderfully uneven pieces that spread out all through the bread.

Flay adds that it’s important to wait at least 15 to 20 minutes before removing the banana bread from the loaf pan.

Tasting the bread, Flay says in the video, “This is outta sight. Tastes so good.”