Easy Chocolate Banana Bread
This easy chocolate banana bread recipe is the perfect way to use up ripe bananas and satisfy your sweet tooth.
Moist and chocolatey with a hint of banana flavour, this treat is studded with decadent chocolate chips and walnuts. It’s sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it!
You get a double-hit of chocolate with cocoa and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Adding chopped walnuts gives the bread a variety of texture, but the nuts are completely optional.
The top of the loaf, dotted with chocolate chips, gets all cracked and shiny and caramelized — it’s my very favourite part of the bread!
How long does Chocolate Banana Bread take to make?
It takes only about 10 minutes to mix the ingredients together, and then about an hour in the oven.
Let’s talk about the ingredients for Chocolate Banana Bread
Bananas – Use very ripe bananas for the best results! You only need 2-3 and the riper they are, the easier it is to mash them and mix them into the batter.
Chocolate chips – Semi-sweet chocolate chips are delicious in this banana bread, but you could use dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or chop up your favourite chocolate bar!
Walnuts – I love the texture walnuts add to this banana bread! You can leave them out if you need to. If you do leave out the nuts, I would increase the amount of chocolate chips to ½ cup.
Sour cream – Adds delicious moistness and a tangy counterpoint to the sweet banana and chocolate flavours.
Variations on Chocolate Banana Bread
Walnuts – The walnuts are optional, but you could use any other nut you like. Try almonds, peanuts, or hazelnuts!
Sour cream – I would substitute sour cream with full fat, plain Greek yogurt.
Chocolate chips – Any chocolate chip works; use whatever kind you like! For a fun twist, try peanut butter chips!
The Chocolate Banana Bread Method
First, mix together your dry ingredients, whisking to combine.
Then in a larger bowl, mash your bananas with the rest of the ingredients.
Fold in the dry ingredients, stirring gently until just barely combined.
Then pour the batter into a 9×4 or 8×3 loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
The banana bread takes about an hour to bake, at 350° F.
Let cool completely before slicing the bread. If the bread is too warm, it may fall apart.
Easy Chocolate Banana Bread
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 loaf pan 9×4 or 8×3
- 1 masher
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup cocoa sifted to remove lumps
- 2-3 very ripe bananas
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips plus more for sprinkling; optional
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and set side.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and sifted cocoa powder and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, peel and mash bananas until very smooth. Add butter, sour cream, both sugars, vanilla and egg, and stir to combine.
- Fold in dry ingredients, plus chocolate chips and walnuts, until just barely combined. You don’t want to overmix the batter.
- Spoon the batter into prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top if desired.
- Bake for about 60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing into 1 inch slices.
Notes
