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One of the most loved recipes on the site is our banana bread, and one thing people seem to like to do to change it up is to add chocolate chips to it. That’s sort of a no-brainer, right?
Dear banana bread lovers, putting chocolate chips in your banana bread is like having your bananas and chocolate go on a date. Lovely and sweet, yet still separate and distinct. After a while both want something more—a merging of wills, a commitment!
Well, if chocolate and banana were to marry, this would be the result—a richly chocolate banana bread, infused with cocoa, speckled with chocolate chips, with warm hints of butter, vanilla, and allspice.
- Wondering how to freeze, store and thaw your banana bread? Click here for all the ins and outs on how to keep your banana bread at its best!
How to make the best chocolate banana bread
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe
Use very ripe or over-ripe bananas. The peels should be at least half browned, and the bananas inside squishy and browning.
Do not use Dutch processed cocoa for this recipe, only natural unsweetened.
Melted coconut oil can be used in place of the butter. The flavor will change a little and you may get a hint of coconut in the result.
There is only 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of baking soda in this recipe for leavening, so make sure your baking soda is still good! (See more info on baking soda and baking powder.)
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe bananas (easily mashable)
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed, light or dark)
- 1 teaspoon salt (1/2 a teaspoon if using salted butter)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Special equipment:
Method
1 Prepare pan and preheat oven: Butter or spray with cooking spray the inside of a 5x9-inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the middle.
2 Purée bananas: Using a blender, food processor, or a fork, purée the peeled ripe bananas until smooth. You should have 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups of banana purée.
3 Mix wet ingredients and sugar: Place the banana purée into a large mixing bowl. Stir the melted butter. Stir in the brown sugar and salt. Whisk to break up any clumps of brown sugar. Stir in the beaten egg and vanilla extract.
4 Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and allspice.
5 Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir until just incorporated.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
6 Bake: Pour batter into a buttered loaf pan. Place in a 350°F (175°C) oven and bake for 1 hour.
Note that because of the chocolate chips that melt in the bread as it cooks, it's hard to check for doneness using a tester that you insert.
One way to test is to gently push the center top of the chocolate banana bread down with your finger. If it feels relatively firm and bounces back when you release your finger, that's a good sign that it's done.
7 Let cool: Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan.
Gently remove the loaf from the pan and place on a rack to cool completely.
Slice with a serrated bread knife to serve.
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Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family's recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
Chocolate Banana Bread
Was very moist. I will make again but didn’t care for the allspice.
Next time I will omit it.
xxxxxyyyyy
I forgot to put the egg in..its in the oven now..how will it turn out ?
Hi Lilly, I’m guessing that the bread didn’t rise as much. How did it turn out for you?
Followed the recipe as provided. I was worried about the amount of salt (a full teaspoon!) and my concern turned out to be justified: the bread is too salty.
xxxxxyyyyy
This looks yummy. My kids will not eat it if its just pure banana bread but if it is choco flavor with choco chips they will definitely eat it. But I dont have an oven yet, is it okay if i use steamer for this recipe? Thank you
Hi Adel,
You could steam this bread, though I’ not sure how long it will take to steam. It will be like a steamed banana pudding, which is not unheard of–Gemma Stafford of the Bigger Bolder Baking YouTube channel has a recipe for one in her cookbook (which I love, BTW).
Always loved the regular version specially when I didn’t have a electric mixer! Tried this one but How come this recipe calls for a teaspoon of salt and the non-choco version just a pinch? That’s quite a difference.
Good catch, Rashleigh! We’re glad to know you pay so close attention. Here’s what Elise says about the salt in the chocolate version: “Salt plays well with chocolate and intensifies the chocolatey flavor.”
Ahhh! I made this and I thought I may have used the incorrect measuring spoon for the vanilla bec the bread came out more bitter than I expected. I am now suspecting that this is due to the salt and the intensive (Gittard) Dark chocolate! Awesome and quick recipe for sure!
Plus, if you are using Dutch-process cocoa, it’ll also add to the salty flavor, as it’s treated with alkaline salts to make darker and less acidic. I find it makes baked goods saltier than natural cocoa powder, so if I’m using it, I sometimes reduce the salt a bit.