This Mexican panqué de plátano is a family favorite bursting with banana goodness and delightful, melty chocolate morsels. You’ll love its incredible moistness on every bite!
In Mexico we love panqué! There are other types of this treat such as panqué de nuez. If you listen closely, panque sounds a lot like pound cake, and it’s often the term used for this kind of bread in Mexico and other Latin American countries.
Mexican banana bread goes by a few names like pan de plátano, pastel de plátano, or panqué de plátano. You can usually find it at panaderías (bakeries) or coffee shops around the country.
I love making panqué de plátano often because what sets it apart is using Mexican crema and the fantastic smell of cinnamon. These ingredients give it a unique and delicious flavor that I just can’t get enough of!
Ingredients
- Bananas: The star ingredient, ripe bananas adds natural sweetness and moisture to the bread. The riper, the better for flavor.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour to make the base for the batter.
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar or for a bold flavor you can also use brown sugar.
- Chocolate: I like to use dark chocolate chips.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter, melt it, and then allow it to cool down slightly before using it.
- Mexican crema: This gives the bread a distinctive flavor and moist texture, in a pinch, you can use sour cream or yogurt.
- Eggs: Use medium eggs.
- For fluffiness: Baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt.
- Flavor and aroma: Vanilla extract and ground cinnamon.
How To Make Panqué de Plátano
Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175°C). Butter and flour a bread loaf pan about 9.8 x 6.1 x 3 inches (24x15x7cm).
- Peel bananas and place them on a plate. Using a potato masher or a fork, mash bananas until creamy.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Place mashed bananas in a bowl and add melted butter, cream, eggs, cinnamon powder, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.
- Add flour mixture and sugar, then mix to combine ingredients.
- Add chocolate chips and fold in.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a few shakes so the mixture will even on top.
Bake for about 45-50 minutes. Use a toothpick or a skewer inserted into the center of the bread to check for doneness. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it’s ready.
Place the pan on a cooling rack and let it rest for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove the panque from the pan.
Allow the panque de platano to cool down a bit then slice and serve.
Tips & Notes
- Use very ripe or overripe bananas for maximum flavor. They should have brown spots on the skin, indicating they’re sweet and soft, perfect for mashing into the batter.
- To speed up the ripening of bananas for this recipe, preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C. Put the unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake them for around 12-15 minutes. Once cooled, you can then use them in the recipe.
- You can also add extra ingredients like nuts, raisins, or a sprinkle of nutmeg to elevate the flavor profile.
- If you have lots of bananas sitting on your kitchen countertop, peel them and freeze them. Next time you’ll crave this panque just thaw them and use them in this recipe.
- Make sure you slice the banana bread only until is completely cooled down, otherwise, it will fall apart.
How To Serve
In Mexico, we like to enjoy panqué de platano in the morning along with café de olla or a glass of cold milk, or in the afternoon as a sweet treat with Mexican hot chocolate.
This Mexican banana bread can also transform into a delightful dessert when paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, fresh berries, and a generous drizzle of cajeta caramel on top.
How To Store
To store, let the panque de platano cool down completely and place it in a cake stand or a container with a loose lid. It lasts for 2-3 days at room temperature in winter. In summer if it’s too hot, I recommend storing it in the fridge instead.
You can also freeze it for up to 2 months. Just wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and place it in a resealable bag before storing.
When you are ready to eat, thaw your Mexican banana bread overnight in the fridge to have it ready the next morning for breakfast.
More Mexican Desserts
Panqué de Plátano
Equipment
- 1 Loaf pan about 9.8 x 6.1 x 3 inches (24x15x7cm)
Ingredients
- 3 overripe mashed bananas (read notes)
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup butter (melted)
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ⅔ cup Mexican crema (or sour cream, or plain yogurt)
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (175°C). Grease with butter and flour a bread loaf pan.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Place mashed bananas in a bowl and add melted butter, Mexican crema, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.
- Add flour mixture and sugar, then mix to combine ingredients.
- Add chocolate chips and fold in.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove the panqué from the pan and place it on the cooling rack.
- Allow to completely cool down before slicing it and serving.
Notes
- You can quickly overripe bananas (plátanos) to make this recipe. To do this, preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C, place the bananas unpeeled on a baking sheet, and bake for about 12-15 minutes. Let them cool then proceed with the recipe.
- So you have lots of overripe bananas? Peel them and freeze them. Next time you’ll crave this panque just let them defrost and use them in your recipe.
- Make sure you slice the bread only until is completely cooled down, or it will fall apart.
Nutrition Information
Did you like my Panqué de Plátano recipe? Then please don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below. Happy baking!