This delicious Double Chocolate Banana Bread recipe is decadent and sweet! With super moist crumbs, a rich chocolate flavor, and chocolate chips throughout the loaf, the top is covered with more chocolate chips for an extra special finish!
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We love Classic Banana Bread, but sometimes when we have loads of overripe bananas to use up, I'm also in the mood for something chocolatey-now I don't have to choose! This super chocolatey bread loaf is basically banana-bread-meets-brownies in a perfect way, and I love it!
If you've never made banana bread before, then you're in for a serious treat! Banana bread is one of the easiest cake loaves to make, and it's very forgiving. The main ingredient is, of course, bananas. The great thing about banana bread is that it uses bananas that would otherwise get wasted!
Our family tends to go through loads of bananas each week, but sometimes the odd few don't get eaten. They get brown spots, then go mega brown, and I hate just throwing them away. Banana bread is the best way to use up those extras.
If you wouldn't normally ever get over-ripe bananas because you're the kind of organized person who buys the right amount of bananas and manages to eat them all then kudos to you!
I have been making banana bread for years now, and have tried many banana bread recipes. This one makes the most delicious banana chocolate loaf.
For more banana flavored treats, check out my One Bowl Banana Nut Muffins, these delicious Banana Pudding Cookies, or my Classic English Banoffee Pie!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Customize this recipe with your favorite type of chocolate.
- Using simple ingredients and all your leftover bananas!
- This recipe is super easy to follow, made even simpler with step-by-step pictures too!
What You'll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Flour - All-purpose flour is perfect for banana bread.
- Bananas - For the best results, use spotty ripe bananas full of brown or black spots.
- Brown sugar - Soft brown sugar gives this loaf a rich sweet taste.
- Butter - Use salted butter as it will help enhance the flavors and balance the sweetness a bit.
- Eggs - They will help the loaf to rise.
- Cocoa powder - Use unsweetened cocoa powder for a rich chocolatey flavor.
- Vanilla extract - Adds a subtle warm sweetness to the loaf.
- Baking powder & baking soda - Using both rising agents will keep the loaf from being too dense.
- Chocolate chips - Use milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips for this loaf. You'll need some to go inside the loaf and also some to sprinkle on top for decoration and added sweetness.
- Salt
How to Make Double Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Mash bananas. Preheat your oven to 350°F and mash the bananas in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. A few chunks here and there are fine, but you don't want it too lumpy. The riper your bananas are, the easier this will be.
- Add sugar, butter, and egg. Next, add the brown sugar, softened butter, and eggs, one at a time. Using an electric mixer whisk on low speed, cream the mixture together until fully combined.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the remainder of the dry ingredients: baking powder, baking soda, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
- Combine all ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula. Mix on low until fully combined.
- Pour into pan. Pour into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan that has been greased or lined with parchment paper. Make a small cut lengthwise about ½ inch deep in the center of the bread. Decorate with chocolate chips.
- Bake. Bake for 1 hour and 30-40 minutes, or until you get a clean toothpick from a toothpick test. Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf, if it comes out clean or with a few breadcrumbs, it is ready. Cool for 15 minutes in the baking dish and then transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled.
Recipe FAQ's
Quick bread refers to cakes or loaves that use chemical leavening agents like baking powder and baking soda instead of eggs and yeast. Using leavening chemicals makes them rise quickly, hence the name.
Quick breads are a great sweet treat that we sometimes have for a quick breakfast or an after-school snack. They're so versatile, if it's your first time making quick bread then you'll be surprised at how easy it is!
Store this chocolate banana bread in a Ziploc bag or in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. Refrigerating it will help it last a day or two longer. After about 5 days, banana bread starts tasting stale, even if it has been wrapped tightly or kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
Yes! One of the things I love about banana bread is that it freezes so well. You can freeze the whole loaf, or you can freeze individual slices.
To freeze the whole loaf, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or put it in an airtight container and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Simply defrost overnight in the refrigerator before bringing it to room temperature to slice.
To freeze individual slices, slice the loaf when it has completely cooled and wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Place the slices in a Ziploc bag and put them in the freezer. Simply take out a slice when you want some banana bread and leave it on the counter to defrost. You can put it in the microwave for a minute to defrost quicker if you prefer.
Tips for Success
- Every oven is different, so I recommend checking the bread during the last 30 minutes of the bake time.
- Use a high-quality natural cocoa powder for the best flavor.
How ripe is too ripe?
For the best results, use ripe bananas full of brown or black spots on the outside skin. The riper the banana, the more banana flavor and sweetness your bread will have. You can even use completely brown bananas that have gone squishy.
If you don't have enough over-ripe bananas to use at once, you can collect the over-ripe banana in the freezer to use later. Simply collect the squishy banana in a freezer-safe container or bag and put it in the freezer! Defrost thoroughly before using it in this recipe.
Substitutions and Variations
- Drizzle some melted chocolate on top instead of adding the chocolate chips for a different finish.
- Use sea salt or a sprinkle of coarse kosher salt on top for an extra salty flavor that further balances out the sweetness of this loaf.
- I used milk chocolate chips which tasted delicious in combination with the dark banana bread. I highly recommend using good-quality ones so they don’t melt on top quickly. Semi-sweet and dark chips are fine.
- Add fresh blueberries or raspberries to the loaf instead of chocolate chips for fruity bread.
- You can try using gluten-free flour if you prefer, but the texture may vary.
More Quick Bread Recipes
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
- Coconut Lime Glazed Banana Bread
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4-5 ripe bananas (2 cups mashed)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup salted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips + more for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with a parchment paper sling or spray with baking spray.
- Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl until smooth. A few chunks here and it is fine.
- Add sugar, butter, and eggs one at a time, and using a handheld mixer whisk on low until combined.
- In a separate mixing bowl combine dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula. Mix on low until everything combines.
- Pour into the prepared pan. Make a small cut lengthwise about ½ inch deep in the center of the bread. Decorate with chocolate chips.
- Bake for 1 hour and 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few breadcrumbs. Cool for 15 minutes in the baking dish and then transfer to a wire rack until cooled completely.
Notes
- Storage: Store this chocolate banana bread in a Ziploc bag or in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. Refrigerating it will help it last a day or two longer. After about 5 days, banana bread starts tasting stale, even if it has been wrapped tightly or kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Freeze: To freeze the whole loaf - Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or put it in an airtight container and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Simply defrost overnight in the refrigerator before bringing it to room temperature to slice. To freeze individual slices - slice the loaf when it has completely cooled and wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Place the slices in a Ziploc bag and put them in the freezer. Simply take out a slice when you want some banana bread and leave it on the counter to defrost. You can put it in the microwave for a minute to defrost quicker if you prefer.
This hit the spot today. Turned out perfectly and exactly as described. Will definitely make again!
Yum! That does sound delicious right now. Thanks for the nice comment!