Chocolate Banana Bread

I can’t get enough when it comes to banana bread recipes. From chocolate chip banana bread to classic buttermilk banana bread and banana muffins, I have so many variations on the site! I love it so much that I even made banana bread brownies. We’re THAT obsessed around here.

Ingredients You’ll Need

I’ve made so many variations of banana bread over the years that I have my “formula” down. It comes down to a few key ingredients, which I cover here along with some notes and substitutions. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for the full list of ingredients and recipe details.

• Butter – I know some recipes use vegetable oil (which you can technically use here, too), but when it comes to my banana bread, I’m a butter girl through and through. It makes this chocolate banana bread a little denser, with a richer flavor. Feel free to use salted or unsalted butter, and bring it to room temperature.
• Brown Sugar – I like to use light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar also works, or you can use granulated sugar in a pinch.
• Eggs and Vanilla – If you think of it, take the eggs out of the fridge so that they come to room temperature. You’ll also want to use real vanilla extract, not imitation.
• Sour Cream – Nothing makes homemade baked goods softer or more flavorful than sour cream. It’s also a great way to add moisture. Greek yogurt makes a good substitute for sour cream if needed.
• Baking Soda and Salt – Be sure to check the expiration dates on your baking soda. Leavening that’s expired leads to bread that won’t rise properly.
• Cocoa Powder – You’ll want to use natural, unsweetened cocoa powder since we’re baking with baking soda. Dutch-processed cocoa won’t work in this recipe.
• Bananas – Banana bread is always my excuse to use up a bunch of overripe bananas. They can be brown and spotty, as it adds to the sweetness of the bread. Mash up the bananas using a potato masher or fork.
• Flour – All-purpose flour works best here. I haven’t made this recipe with another type of flour, yet.
• Chocolate Chips – These can be semisweet, dark, or milk chocolate chips. You could also make this chocolate banana bread with chopped chocolate chunks.

How to Make Chocolate Banana Bread

Another beautiful thing about banana bread recipes is that they need just one bowl and very little hands-on time. This chocolate banana bread is no exception! Make the batter in a single bowl, then bake following the directions below. You’ll find the printable instructions in the recipe card after the post.

• First, mix the wet ingredients. Cream the softened butter with the sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Then, add the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream before you mix in the baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.
• Add the remaining ingredients. Next, mix in the mashed bananas, followed by the flour, a little at a time until that’s just combined. Lastly, fold in the chocolate chips.
• Bake. Transfer the banana bread batter to a greased and lined 9×5 loaf pan. Bake at 350ºF for about 1 hour, until a toothpick stuck into the middle of the loaf comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
• Cool. Leave your chocolate banana bread to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before lifting it out and onto a wire rack.

Recipe Tips

• Ripen bananas quickly. If you’re looking to ripen bananas quickly for this recipe, you can place them in a paper bag with another fruit, like apples, and leave the bag on the counter for a day or two.
• Line the pan. I recommend lining your loaf pan with parchment paper before adding the bread batter. I like to place a strip of parchment along the bottom and up the short ends of the pan and give the whole thing a light coating with cooking spray. This way, I can simply lift the banana bread right out of the pan after baking. 
• If you don’t have parchment paper, be sure to grease the bottom and sides of the loaf pan well with cooking spray, butter, or shortening. It keeps the banana bread from sticking.
• Remove the banana bread from the pan. Similar to baking a bundt cake, remember to remove the chocolate banana bread from the pan after it’s cooled for 15-20 minutes. Leaving it in the pan for too long traps moisture and can make the bread soggy. Removing it also helps prevent the outside crust from drying out in the residual heat. 

What Else Can I Add to Banana Bread?

Banana bread recipes are super versatile. I added chocolate chips to mine to really play up the chocolatey flavor in this chocolate banana bread, BUT you can get creative with this recipe! Add in:

• Nuts. Chopped pecans (or candied pecans), walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts for crunch.
• Candies. Add in chopped peanut butter cups, like I do in my peanut butter banana bread. Any chopped chocolate or small candies would also work in this recipe.
• Different chips. Try adding white chocolate chips, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips.
• Fruit. Add dried or fresh cherries, cranberries, or raspberries.

How to Store

• At room temperature. Store this chocolate banana bread airtight on the counter for up to 3 days.
• Freeze. Like most banana bread recipes, this one freezes well. Allow the bread to cool completely and then wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a large zip-top bag, or wrap it again in foil. Freeze it for 1-2 months and thaw at room temperature before serving.

More Banana Bread Recipes

• Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread
• Blueberry Banana Bread
• Pumpkin Banana Bread
• Pineapple Banana Bread
• Toasted Coconut Banana Bread