Posted Apr 23, 2021, Updated Mar 01, 2024 What would you get if banana bread and brownies had a baby? Answer: this chocolate banana bread! Seriously this is the best chocolate banana bread recipe ever. It’s irresistibly moist and intensely chocolatey and has an almost brownie-like texture while retaining a tender crumb. Utter perfection in loaf-form. This double chocolate banana bread is easy to make in one bowl and will become your favorite way to use overripe bananas!
Chocolate Banana Bread: Ingredients & Substitutions
Let’s discuss the ingredients used in this chocolate banana bread recipe, as well as possible substitutions.
Salted butter. Unsalted butter works equally well. You can substitute up to half of the butter (¼ cup) with canola oil or even applesauce if you would like. For a dairy-free version use vegan butter (like Earth Balance) or coconut oil (however coconut oil will leave the bread with a little coconut flavor)! Overripe Bananas. Buy some extra bananas and let them get extra brown just to make this recipe! If you use under-ripe bananas (yellow or greenish) your bread will lack moisture and sweetness. Granulated sugar. regular white granulated sugar and organic cane sugar work well in this recipe. Light brown sugar. If you want a little more molasses flavor you may use dark brown sugar instead. Coconut sugar also works well. All-purpose flour. Cake flour or bread flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour. I have not tried all-purpose gluten-free flour so if you do report back and let me know how it goes. Unsweetened cocoa powder. Choose your favorite variety. For extra-dark chocolate banana bread use dark cocoa powder. Cinnamon. The little touch of cinnamon in this chocolate banana bread recipe makes it extra special, you can omit it but I don’t recommend it! Chocolate chips. choose your favorite variety and darkness: milk chocolate, semi-sweet, dark, even white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips can be used to spice things up.
How to Make Chocolate Banana Bread
This chocolate banana bread recipe is easy to make in one bowl – but to ensure your success we’ll walk through the process step-by-step and don’t forget to watch the video! Begin by whisking together the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Then add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and until combined and the mixture is smooth. Next, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon and stir until the mixture is smooth and uniform throughout. Once the batter is smooth, gently fold in the chocolate chips (or your mix-ins of choice),
Bake
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly grease, then pour the batter evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake until the top is set and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. You can also make chocolate banana muffins or chocolate chip banana muffins instead of bread!
Cool
Let the double chocolate banana bread cool in the baking pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Then, after 30 minutes use a knife to release the sides of the bread from the pan if necessary and remove the chocolate banana bread from the pan. Transfer it to the wire cooling rack and let cool completely.
Serve
Once cooled, slice the chocolate banana bread and serve! Here are some serving suggestions:
Peanut butter or any other nut/seed butter. Try making this homemade peanut butter or vanilla almond butter! Nutella Jam Slather it with this cinnamon honey butter! Butter with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar Drizzle of honey or maple syrup
Store
Store any leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Freeze
To freeze, individually wrap slices in plastic wrap an d store them in an airtight container in the freezer. That way you can pull out a slice at a time to enjoy. You can also wrap entire loaves and store them in a freezer-friendly plastic bag or container. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
