Banachochiz Pizza: Banana, Chocolate, and Cheese Pizza

The combination of banana, chocolate, and cheese is nothing new in Indonesia.

You can find it in many desserts, sweet breads, martabak, and street snacks. There is something about the sweetness of banana and chocolate paired with the saltiness of cheese that simply works.

One lazy afternoon, I was craving something sweet.

I spotted a very ripe banana and a jar of Nutella sitting on my kitchen counter. Normally, I would make a banana and Nutella sandwich, but I had run out of bread.

Then I remembered that I still had a leftover pizza base in the fridge.

A little light bulb went off in my head.

What if I turned it into a dessert pizza?

Since no Indonesian banana-and-chocolate dessert ever feels complete without cheese, I decided to add some grated cheddar as well.

What You’ll Need

• 1 pizza base

• Hazelnut chocolate spread (such as Nutella)

• 1 ripe banana

• Grated cheddar cheese

Method

Preheat the Oven

Preheat your oven to 220°C.

Prepare the Pizza

Spread a generous layer of Nutella over the pizza base. I like to use enough to cover the surface without making it too thick.

Slice the banana thinly and arrange it on top of the chocolate spread. I usually cut the banana diagonally because the slices look larger and cover the pizza more evenly.

Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over the top.

Bake

Place the pizza in the oven and bake until the cheese turns golden and slightly bubbly.

Keep an eye on both the cheese and the pizza base so that neither becomes too dark.

Mine was ready in about five minutes.

The Result

The first bite reminded me why Indonesians love this combination so much.

The sweetness of the banana and chocolate is balanced by the salty, slightly savoury flavour of the cheese.

Simple ingredients, but somehow they work perfectly together.

My husband looked at it and asked,

“Who would want to eat chocolate and cheese together?”

A few bites later, he was helping himself to another slice.

Sometimes the simplest kitchen experiments turn out to be the most satisfying.

 

If you’re ever tempted to try this recipe, let me know what you think. I am sure you will have a moment between love and hate.