Decadent Chocolate Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips Recipe
This easy Chocolate Banana Bread is a moist, tender, and chocolate lover’s dream! Made with Dutch process cocoa and semisweet chocolate chips, it balances rich chocolate flavor with the natural sweetness of ripe bananas. The combination of melted butter and oil ensures a flavorful, tender crumb, while a touch of sea salt enhances the sweet and salty contrast. Perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert, this loaf is the ultimate banana bread for chocolate fans.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50-65 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 9x5-inch loaf (approximately 10-12 slices) 1x
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3 large brown bananas (1 ½ cups mashed)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/4 cup canola vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided (¾ cup for batter, ¼ cup for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Heat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, Dutch process cocoa, baking soda, and sea salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Mash bananas and combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. Add the melted unsalted butter and oil, stirring until combined. Then stir in the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet banana mixture. Be careful not to overmix to keep the bread tender. Fold in ¾ cup of the semisweet chocolate chips gently.
- Prepare for baking: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of chocolate chips over the top of the batter for a chocolatey finish.
- Bake the bread: Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 65 minutes. Check at 50 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out mostly clean. Melted chocolate on the toothpick is okay, but avoid sticky batter to prevent overbaking.
- Cool the loaf: Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then, run a knife around the edges and carefully remove the bread from the pan. Let it cool on the rack until slightly warm.
- Serve and enjoy: Slice and serve your rich, moist Chocolate Banana Bread. Enjoy it fresh at breakfast, as an afternoon treat, or dessert with or without ice cream.
Notes
- Use overripe bananas for the best flavor and moisture.
- Don’t overbake the bread; check for doneness starting at 50 minutes.
- Use sea salt for a subtle, gourmet salty kick to balance the sweetness.
- The bread keeps well at room temperature for up to 4 days, wrapped in plastic wrap.
- Freeze the completely cooled loaf wrapped in plastic wrap and foil for up to 1 month. Defrost before slicing.
- For extra moisture, use a combo of melted butter and oil as specified.
- Be gentle when mixing the batter to maintain tenderness.
Keywords: chocolate banana bread, banana bread recipe, chocolate chip banana bread, moist banana bread, Dutch cocoa banana bread, easy banana bread
