Cherry Chocolate Loaf

The combination of fresh cherries and dark chocolate makes this beautiful moist loaf irresistible!

I've made this recipe before using dried cherries (also yummy) but decided to use fresh cherries this time as they are beginning to reappear on the market and are just such a glorious mess to work with!  Put on your best apron and have some fun -

Cherry Chocolate Loaf:

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ½ cup milk (or milk substitute)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (or half white half whole)
• 1 cup oatmeal (plus 1 Tbsp to sprinkle on top of loaf before baking)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted & pieced* (plus a few pieces to sprinkle on top of loaf before baking)
• 1/2 cup 75% cocoa chocolate, coarsely chopped (plus a few pieces to sprinkle on top of loaf before baking)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a medium sized bowl, combine: egg, milk, olive oil, vanilla and mashed bananas, mixing well.  Gently add in cherries.


In a separate larger bowl, mix together: flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder and chocolate.  Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mixing only until combined.

Pour batter into an oiled 9 x 4 loaf pan (other sizing will work just fine though cooking time may vary).  Sprinkle loaf with additional pieces of chocolate and cherry, and a coating of oatmeal before placing in oven to bake for 47 minutes.  





Turn oven off after 47 minutes and allow loaf to sit in oven for another 10 minutes before removing to cooling rack (if loaf is over-browning you can loosely tent with aluminum foil).  Allow loaf to cool on rack for at least 10 minutes before removing from loaf pan - then allow to fully cool before slicing.

For muffins, pour batter into 12 oiled cups and sprinkle each cup with chocolate, cherry and oatmeal.  Bake at 400 F for 18-20 minutes.


*The easiest way to pit cherries for this type of recipe is with your fingers (messy but efficient!).  Simply split the cherry with your thumbs and gently pull the flesh off the pit.  The riper the cherries, the easier/faster the process.

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Photos by Trinity Nutrition