Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe

About

A moist and rich chocolate banana bread that comes together with simple pantry staples. Perfect for using up overripe bananas with a decadent chocolatey twist.

1. 1

   Preheat the Oven

   preheat 10 min

   Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with butter or non-stick spray and set aside. While the oven heats, begin prepping your ingredients.

2. 2

   Mash the Bananas

   prep 3 min

   In a large mixing bowl, mash the peeled overripe bananas with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth with just a few small lumps remaining. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be.

3. 3

   Mix the Wet Ingredients

   prep 2 min

   Add the melted butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract to the mashed bananas. Whisk everything together until well combined and the mixture looks smooth and uniform, about 1 minute.

4. 4

   Combine the Dry Ingredients

   prep 2 min

   In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined with no streaks of cocoa remaining. This ensures the leavening is distributed evenly throughout the batter.

5. 5

   Fold Together and Add Chocolate Chips

   prep 3 min

   Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and gently fold together with a rubber spatula until just combined — do not overmix, as this will make the bread tough. Fold in the chocolate chips, then pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly.

6. 6

   Bake the Bread

   cook 55 min

   Bake in the preheated 350°F oven for 50–55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). The top should be set and slightly cracked. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil after 35 minutes.

7. 7

   Cool in the Pan

   rest 10 min

   Remove the loaf pan from the oven and let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. This allows the structure to set so it doesn't fall apart when you remove it.

8. 8

   Slice and Serve

   serve 5 min

   Turn the bread out onto the wire rack and let it cool for at least another 5 minutes before slicing. Cut into thick slices and serve warm or at room temperature. Store any leftovers wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days.