Chocolate Banana Bread

This double chocolate banana bread recipe is irresistibly moist and intensely chocolatey. Chocolate banana bread is easy to make in one bowl and will become your favorite way to use overripe bananas! 

What would you get if  banana bread and brownies had a baby?  Answer: this chocolate banana bread! 

Seriously this is the best chocolate banana bread recipe ever. It's irresistibly moist and intensely chocolatey and has an almost brownie-like texture while retaining a tender crumb. Utter perfection in loaf-form. 

This double chocolate banana bread is easy to make in one bowl and will become your favorite way to use overripe bananas! 

Chocolate Banana Bread: Ingredients & Substitutions 

Let’s discuss the ingredients used in this chocolate banana bread recipe, as well as possible substitutions. 

• Salted butter. Unsalted butter works equally well. You can substitute up to half of the butter (¼ cup) with canola oil or even applesauce if you would like. For a dairy-free version use vegan butter (like Earth Balance) or coconut oil (however coconut oil will leave the bread with a little coconut flavor)!
• Overripe Bananas. Buy some extra bananas and let them get extra brown just to make this recipe! If you use under-ripe bananas (yellow or greenish) your bread will lack moisture and sweetness.  
• Granulated sugar. regular white granulated sugar and organic cane sugar work well in this recipe. 
• Light brown sugar. If you want a little more molasses flavor you may use dark brown sugar instead. Coconut sugar also works well. 
• All-purpose flour. Cake flour or bread flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour. I have not tried all-purpose gluten-free flour so if you do report back and let me know how it goes. 
• Unsweetened cocoa powder. Choose your favorite variety. For extra-dark chocolate banana bread use dark cocoa powder. 
• Cinnamon. The little touch of cinnamon in this chocolate banana bread recipe makes it extra special, you can omit it but I don't recommend it! 
• Chocolate chips. choose your favorite variety and darkness: milk chocolate, semi-sweet, dark, even white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips can be used to spice things up. 

How to make Chocolate Banana Bread

This chocolate banana bread recipe is easy to make in one bowl - but to ensure your success we'll walk through the process step-by-step and don't forget to watch the video!

Combine wet ingredients

Begin by whisking together the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Then add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and until combined and the mixture is smooth.

Add dry ingredients

Next, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon and stir until the mixture is smooth and uniform throughout.

Fold in chocolate chips

Once the batter is smooth, gently fold in the chocolate chips (or your mix-ins of choice),

Bake

Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake until the top is set and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. 

Cool

Let the double chocolate banana bread cool in the baking pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.

Then, after 30 minutes use a knife to release the sides of the bread from the pan if necessary and remove the chocolate banana bread from the pan. Transfer it to the wire cooling rack and let cool completely.

Serve

Once cooled, slice the chocolate banana bread and serve! Here are some serving suggestions: 

• Peanut butter or any other nut/seed butter. Try making this homemade peanut butter or vanilla almond butter!
• Nutella
• Jam
• Slather it with this cinnamon honey butter!
• Butter with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar
• Drizzle of honey or maple syrup

Store

Store any leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

How to freeze chocolate banana bread:

To freeze, individually wrap slices in plastic wrap an d store them in an airtight container in the freezer. That way you can pull out a slice at a time to enjoy. You can also wrap entire loaves and store them in a freezer-friendly plastic bag or container. 

Recipe FAQs

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Double Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe

Laura

This double chocolate banana bread recipe is irresistibly moist and intensely chocolatey. Chocolate banana bread is easy to make in one bowl and will become your favorite way to use overripe bananas! 

5 from 12 votes

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 55 mins

Cooling 1 hr

Total Time 2 hrs

Course bread, Breakfast, brunch, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 Slices

Calories 324 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  glass batter bowl
• ▢
  measuring spoons
• ▢
  measuring cups
• ▢
  spatula
• ▢
  9x5" loaf pan

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ ½ cup salted butter melted
• ▢ 4 overripe bananas – mashed (1 ½ cups)
• ▢ 2 eggs beaten
• ▢ 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ▢ 1 tsp baking soda
• ▢ ½ tsp fine sea salt
• ▢ ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a 9x5” loaf pan, set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, bananas, eggs and vanilla. Stir until combined.
• Add granulated sugar and brown sugar. Stir until combined and the mixture is smooth.
• Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon to the wet mixture and stir until the mixture is smooth and uniform throughout.
• Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
• Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake on the lower rack in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out with a few moist crumbs.
• Cool in the baking pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.
• Use a knife to release the sides of the bread from the pan if necessary.
• After 30 minutes, remove the chocolate banana bread from the pan and transfer it to the wire cooling rack and let cool completely.
• Once cooled, slice and serve.

Video

Notes

Store

Store any leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

How to freeze chocolate banana bread:

To freeze, individually wrap slices in plastic wrap an d store them in an airtight container in the freezer. That way you can pull out a slice at a time to enjoy. You can also wrap entire loaves and store them in a freezer-friendly plastic bag or container.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well. You can substitute up to half of the butter (¼ cup) with canola oil or even applesauce if you would like. For a dairy-free version use vegan butter (like Earth Balance) or coconut oil (however coconut oil will leave the bread with a little coconut flavor)!
• Granulated sugar. regular white granulated sugar and organic cane sugar work well in this recipe. 
• Light brown sugar. If you want a little more molasses flavor you may use dark brown sugar instead. Coconut sugar also works well. 
• All-purpose flour. Cake flour or bread flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour. I have not tried all-purpose gluten-free flour so if you do report back and let me know how it goes. 
• Unsweetened cocoa powder. Choose your favorite variety. For extra-dark chocolate cupcakes use dark cocoa powder. 
• Chocolate chips. choose your favorite variety and darkness: milk chocolate, semi-sweet, dark, even white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips can be used to spice things up. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice (1/12 of recipe)Calories: 324kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 270mgPotassium: 311mgFiber: 4gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 309IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

If you like this recipe, try these: 

• These are literally the best banana muffins you will ever make or eat! Seriously the best.
• This banana cake is better than Sara Lee and you have to make it asap!
• These mocha chocolate scones and these cinnamon chip scones are some of my all-time favorites. 
• Try this chocolate zucchini cake - YUM!
• Try our recipe for the BEST banana bread and chocolate chip banana bread. 
• Looking for a healthier banana bread recipe? Then try my beloved Paleo Banana Bread or this Double Chocolate Chocolate Zucchini Banana Bread!

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