Preheat oven to 350F with the oven rack positioned in the middle of the oven. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. For easier release, use parchment to create a “U” shaped piece to line the bottom and sides of the pan. This lets you lift the loaf out.

Mash bananas in a plate or cutting board (I find it easier than in a bowl) or inside a zip bag, until the bananas resemble puree. Set aside.

Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and add to a medium saucepan. Melt butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter turns a rich brown color, begins to foam a little, and begins to smell nutty. Turn off the heat and pour the butter into a large heat-safe mixing bowl. Let the butter cool to room temperature for about 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon (or nutmeg) if using, and salt.

In the large bowl with the cooled brown butter, add the white and brown sugars and whisk until combined. Add the mashed bananas, egg, and vanilla, and mix until fully combined.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, gently mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing; stop when there’s no visible flour left. Add most of the chocolate chips to the bowl and gently fold them into the batter with a spatula.

Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading batter evenly from end to end. Sprinkle the top with the reserved chocolate chips.

Bake the banana bread loaf for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Check around minute 40 to see if your banana bread browned quickly, if so, finish baking it with a foil tent over the top.

Remove the loaf pan from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes, before lifting the parchment paper to release the loaf, or flipping it gently over, and transferring the banana bread onto a cooling rack to let it cool completely and slicing.

Store the banana bread at room temperature in an airtight container for 3 days, in the fridge for 7 days, or freeze in individual slices for 1 month for the best texture.