Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
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This chocolate chip banana bread is irresistible! It’s tender and buttery with the perfect crumb. If you enjoyed my banana walnut bread recipe, you’ll love this bakery-style loaf with melted chocolate chunks. So decadent!
📌 PIN CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD
This delicious bread is loaded with home-baked goodness. Just like the loaves from Grandma’s kitchen. Those that have enjoyed it say it’s the BEST banana bread they’ve ever tried! They claim it’s an award-winning recipe.
Soft, luscious, and sliceable, it’s super moist with loads of melty chocolate. It’s the perfect choice for breakfast, brunch, snack or dessert.
If you have over-ripe bananas on the counter, this is the recipe to make right now. Or peel and freeze the bananas to make chocolate chip banana bread later. Just bring the fruit to room temperature before starting the recipe.
During the holiday season, both this gingerbread loaf and chocolate The sparkling sugar and pieces of chocolate on top make this bread look extra special. Just like an elegant as a loaf from a treasured bakery.
If you have leftover chocolate chips, put them to good use! Make chocolate chip cupcakes, chocolate chip ice cream, double chocolate chip muffins, chocolate chip cheesecake bars, or chocolate chip granola bars.
🛒 INGREDIENTS
This easy chocolate chip banana bread recipe comes together quickly with some ripe bananas and pantry staples.
- Bananas: This flavorful over-ripened fruit is the star of the recipe.
- Salted Butter: Adds a rich buttery taste to the batter.
- Light Brown Sugar: Contributes sweetness with a slight hint of caramel flavor. It also provides moisture for a tender loaf.
- Large Eggs: Provide moisture and structure.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavors in the recipe while providing a distinct, delicious bakery aroma.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure and an elastic framework that expands to support the other ingredients.
- Baking Soda: A leavener that right out of the gate provides a big lift for loaf so the texture is fluffy rather than dense. Instead of adding too much baking soda which can cause a soapy flavor, we also rely on baking powder to reach the desired level of airiness.
- Baking Powder: This leavening agent works in conjunction with the baking soda. We take advantage of its double leavening to add even more rise and lightness to the chocolate chip banana bread loaf.
- Sea Salt: Brightens and enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.
- Dark Chocolate Chips: Adds chocolaty flavor and a bit of texture.
- White Sparkling Sugar (optional): For sprinkling
🥣 EASY INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
Missing an ingredient for this chocolate chip banana bread? Don’t put on your shoes and head to the market. Instead, head to your fridge and pantry. Check for these easy ingredient swaps.
It’s convenient and money-saving to use ingredients you already have on hand!
- Salted Butter: Use unsalted butter plus an extra pinch of salt. Or use margarine instead.
- Light Brown Sugar: This ingredient adds a bit of moisture and a light caramel flavor to banana bread. Sub with dark brown sugar. In a pinch, use granulated sugar.
- Dark Chocolate Chips: Swap with milk chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips. You can also use chocolate chunks. Another great option: bars of baking chocolate chopped into small morsel-sized pieces.
- Vanilla Extract: Sub this delicious flavor enhancer with bourbon, brandy or amber rum. Or sub with vanilla bean paste 1:1.
- All-Purpose Flour: Either pastry flour or cake flour can be used as a 1:1 substitute for this chocolate chip banana bread recipe. Just know, cake flour can make the surface of the bread more tacky/sticky by the second day.
👩🏻🍳 RECIPE TIP: Do not use a stand mixer for this recipe. Use basic kitchen tools: large mixing bowl, whisk, wooden spoon and rubber spatula. Mixing by hand will give you more control and prevent over-mixing.
📖 RECIPE STEPS
RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 5 (1.25 pound) metal loaf pan with a slightly oversized piece of parchment paper. Later, the excess paper will be used as “handles” to easily lift the bread from the pan. Lightly grease both the pan and parchment paper with baking spray.
IMPORTANT: If using a glass loaf pan, bake the banana bread at a lower temperature: 325°F. Start checking for doneness at about 45 minutes.
- STEP 1: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, melted butter, light brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.
- STEP 2: Add dry ingredients to the bowl: flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix them into the wet ingredients until just combined and no large lumps remain. Do not over-mix the batter or the bread will be dense.
- STEP 3: Add 3/4 cup chocolate chips to the batter and gently fold them in. Pour banana mixture into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle sparkling sugar over the surface. Sprinkle remaining (1/4 cup) chocolate chips over the top.
- STEP 4: Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it. Let it cool to room temperature (about 1 hour) before slicing.
🧈 USE ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS: When ingredients are at room temperature, they can be mixed together easily. Using cold ingredients requires more stirring to combine. This causes the batter to be over-mixed.
🍌 EXPERT TIP: HOW TO MASH BANANAS QUICKLY
Use a stand mixer with paddle attachment, or an electric hand mixer. Break ripe bananas into 3 or 4 pieces. Start beating on low speed. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high.
🧑🏼🍳 RECIPE FAQ
These are the most commonly asked questions when making chocolate chip banana bread, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.
Every recipe for banana bread requires over-ripe bananas. As bananas ripen, they become sweeter as the starches convert to sugar. These tender flavorful bananas are important for a luscious taste and texture.
Place the bananas in a brown paper bag and leave it on the counter. Let the bananas sit there overnight. By blocking oxygen to the fruit, it releases ethylene gas, a chemical that speeds up the ripening process.
It’s not recommended. Along with ripe bananas and butter, sugar is important for a tender moist loaf. If sugar is reduced, the banana bread will be dry and not as flavorful.
Add 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt to the batter. Another option: 1 1/2 tablespoons whole milk.
Line a muffin pan with parchment-paper baking cups. Fill each well 3/4 full. Bake 18 minutes at 350°F, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, or the muffins spring back when gently pressed on the top. Do not over-bake.
Chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans are the perfect add-in for chocolate chip banana bread. Or try a sprinkling of peanut butter chips, or sweetened shredded coconut. You can also add a touch of warm comforting spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
The usual culprit: batter that’s been over-mixed. When this happens, gluten in the flour over-develops and the bread becomes heavy and dense. During baking the loaf will sink in the middle.
A generous dollop of homemade whipped cream. A piped-on swirl of vanilla buttercream frosting or cream cheese icing. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or gelato. A drizzle of chocolate fudge or butterscotch topping.
Cover the sliced end in plastic wrap. Place the loaf in an airtight container, or slip it into a large zip-top bag with the air pressed out. Store chocolate chip banana bread in a cool dry place for up to 3 days.
To protect the bread from freezer burn, wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in parchment paper. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container or a zip-top freezer bag with the air pressed out. For best results, defrost and enjoy within 1 month.
MORE BREAD & muffin recipes
If you loved this chocolate chip banana bread, you’ll also enjoy these pumpkin bagels, and our whole collection of delicious bread recipes.
- Mom’s Zucchini Bread
- Gingerbread Loaf
- Banana Walnut Bread
- Pumpkin Cheese Bread
- White Bread Loaf
- Bran Muffins
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins
rate this recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
During stay-at-home times, I’d often drop off a loaf of this chocolate chip banana bread at the doorsteps of family and friends. The luscious taste of this tender bakery-style loaf lifted spirits and brought joy.
Feedback from taste testers: this is the best chocolate chip banana bread recipe! It has the perfect texture, the correct lift and moisture. But it’s the chocolate chips and sparkling sugar that make it extra special.
If you agree this recipe’s a keeper, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero! Share it with a friend. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.
CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD
- Total Time: 55 Minutes
- Yield: 1 Loaf of Bread 1x
Description
This chocolate chip banana bread is tender, moist and loaded with chocolate. Make this irresistible loaf in 4 easy steps! It’s so darn good.
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe (medium-sized) bananas, mashed
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
- 1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips, divided
- Optional: 1 tablespoon white sparkling sugar (or turbinado sugar) for sprinkling
Instructions
RECIPE PREP: Line a 9 x 5 (1.25 pound) metal loaf pan with a slightly oversized piece of parchment paper. Later, the excess paper will be used as “handles” to lift the bread from the pan. Lightly grease both the pan and parchment paper with baking spray.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mashed banana, melted butter, light brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to the bowl: flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just combined and no large lumps remain. Do not over-mix the batter or the loaf will be heavy and dense and will sink in the middle when baked.
- Add 3/4 cup chocolate chips to the batter. Gently fold them in. Pour banana mixture into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle sparking sugar over the surface (optional). Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips over the top.
- Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it. Let it cool to room temperature (about 1 hour) before slicing.
NOTE: If using a glass loaf pan, bake at 325°F. Start checking for doneness after 45 minutes. If the loaf is still raw, continue checking in 5 minute intervals. Glass pans cook differently than metal pans.
Notes
How to add more moisture to the loaf: Add 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt to the batter. Another option: 1 1/2 tablespoons whole milk.
How to store this bread: Cover the sliced end in plastic wrap. Place the loaf in an airtight container, or slip it into a large zip-top bag with the air pressed out. Store chocolate chip banana bread in a cool dry place for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 45 Minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD > YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you ever tried making banana bread with chocolate chips? What do you think of this easy delicious recipe? Share your thoughts in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
