The chocolate chip banana bread recipe I will share with you today has been in my family for generations. I still remember baking with my mother and the inviting smell that would take over in the kitchen.
To this day, I bake this banana quick bread with my kids because of how good it tastes with its moist texture, soft crumb, and chocolate-filled bites along the way.
It is honestly one of the easiest bread recipes and gets use out of ripe bananas that are a bit too ripe to eat on their own.
Baking this one-bowl banana bread will be the easiest thing you do, and you won’t even need any fancy kitchen utensils or ingredients to make it. So let’s get straight into it!
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- You will absolutely love the moist texture of this tender banana bread, which also has a soft crumb.
- This classic banana bread is special because you get a bit of gooey chocolate in every bite.
- The ingredients in this recipe are super simple, and baking this bread is a piece of cake!
- This bakery-style banana bread is versatile, as you can have it for breakfast, as a snack, or as a dessert.
What Makes This Banana Bread Special?
When I say that this moist banana bread is a special recipe, what I mean is how it actually tastes so good that you will leave anyone wanting for seconds.
Because I use ripe bananas in this recipe, you will get a special banana flavor that doesn’t get overbearing. Instead, it adds moisture and sweetness to the bread.
Even though you can make this banana bread with chocolate chips, I used semi-sweet dark chocolate chunks to get that gooey, chocolatey flavor at every bite.
The classic version of this bread, without the chocolate chips, is great too. But it doesn’t have the added richness that chocolate can add.
Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Bananas: You’d think using any kind of banana would suffice for such a snack bread. But using perfectly ripe bananas gives this recipe exactly the right amount of banana flavor and moisture it needs.
- Unsalted Butter: Using unsalted butter gives the bread moisture and lets you have control over the amount of salt you want in your recipe. You can also use olive oil or vegetable oil if you want a dairy-free version.
- Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: You need to add sugar to make a sweet bread. But you should make sure you don’t overdo it and keep the sweetness balanced.
- Eggs: Using eggs will make the batter stick well to the dry ingredients.
- Semi-Sweet Dark Chocolate Chips: You can use chocolate chunks. But I like to use chocolate chips for an extra gooey texture.
- Salt: You have to add a bit of salt to balance the sweetness.
- Baking soda: This will give your bread the desired fluffiness.
- All-Purpose Flour: You need to make sure you measure your flour properly. And you can go for a vegan alternative to all-purpose flour if you’d like.
- Cinnamon Powder: This gives the recipe a little spicy kick.
- Vanilla Essence: This makes the chocolate flavor richer.
Expert Tips for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- If you want to keep your breakfast bread moist, you need to make sure you use ripe bananas and add your unsalted butter to the batter when it is melted, not at room temperature.
- To prevent the chocolate chips or chunks you put on the top of the bread from sinking, add a little flour to the top of the batter before adding the chocolate.
- If you end up with a dense or gummy texture, it is most likely that you overmixed the batter, which produced a lot of gluten. So, don’t overmix!
- The perfect loaf pan size for this bread will be one of 9×5 inches.
- If you want to bake the bread perfectly, you need to preheat the oven to 320F or 160C.
How To Serve
- You can serve this easy banana bread after letting it cool down at room temperature, or you could serve it warm.
- Depending on what you like, you can add any kind of spreads or toppings when you serve, like butter, nut butter, ice cream, etc.
- This yummy chocolate chip banana bread pairs well with tea, coffee, or even milk.
Storage, Reheating & Make-Ahead Tips
- If you want to store this banana bread without it losing moisture, put it in an airtight container or wrap it in plastic wrap.
- You can leave it on the counter for up to 2 days, and it will still be fresh and taste great.
- This is a freezer-friendly banana bread. So, to freeze it, you can put the entire loaf into a freezer-safe airtight container or put aluminum foil between each slice before putting it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- You can easily take it out of the freezer and thaw it at room temperature. If you want to reheat it, you can put it in the oven or the microwave for a few seconds.
Variations to Try
- Walnut or Pecan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: You can make a nuttier version of this by adding a handful of roasted walnuts or pecans.
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip: You can add a big dollop of peanut butter for a peanut butter version.
- Dairy-Free or Vegan Adaptation: Use olive oil or vegetable oil instead of butter for a vegan version.
- Mini Loaf or Muffin: You can easily use the same recipe and switch out the loaf pan for a muffin tray or make a mini loaf for aesthetics.
- Double Chocolate Banana Bread: Add cocoa powder to make a double chocolate banana bread version.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (Moist, Soft & Loaded with Chocolate)
Ingredients
- 3 large Ripe Bananas
- ½ cup / 110 g Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup / 50 g Sugar
- ½ cup / 113 g Melted Butter
- 2 Medium-Size Eggs
- 1 tsp / 5 ml Vanilla Essence
- 1 & ½ cup / 190 g All-purpose Flour
- 1 tsp / 4 g Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp / 1.5 g Salt
- 1 cup / 180 g chocolate chips
Instructions
Prepare The Bananas
- In a large mixing bowl, get 3 large ripe bananas and mash them together using a fork.
Make The Batter
- Then, add brown sugar and granulated sugar to the melted unsalted butter and mix until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add two eggs and vanilla essence to the mixture, and whisk everything until well combined.
- Sift all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon powder.
Add Chocolate Chips
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, and make sure everything is mixed well.
- Now, take your chocolate chips or semi-sweet dark chocolate chunks and fold them into the batter.
Bake, Cool, & Serve!
- Preheat the oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit or 160 degrees Celsius.
- Take a 9×5-inch loaf pan and grease it, and line it with parchment.
- Pour the batter into the pan, then put it in the oven and bake for 60 to 65 minutes.
- Once baked, insert a toothpick in the center; if it comes out clean, then remove the pan from the oven and let the banana bread cool for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let it cool completely.
- Slice the chocolate chip banana into thick pieces and enjoy the delicious homemade banana bread!
Recipe FAQs
How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?
The bananas should be so ripe that they develop brown spots all over and turn a bit mushy.
Can I use whole wheat or gluten-free flour?
Yes, you can absolutely use whole wheat or gluten-free flour to make this banana bread.
How do I keep banana bread moist?
To make sure your banana bread is moist, you have to use perfectly ripe bananas and add melted butter to your batter.
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