Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe is sweet and moist with a tender crumb, and loaded with chocolatey flavor! Serve it as a breakfast, a snack, or a dessert – it’s so versatile! Loaded with sweetened ripe bananas, this spin on this classic will have you flipping a coin to see which you make tonight! 

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There is nothing like a hearty delicious banana bread. They are easy to make and super convenient for a quick breakfast or even snack or dessert. I usually have ripe bananas lying around, and this is a wonderful way to use them up. However after making the traditional banana bread for quite some time, I started changing it up and began making a delicious chocolate chip banana bread that really tasted incredible. As most know, chocolate and banana are a perfect match so adding melty chocolate chips to a batter makes it even better!

Ingredients 

You’ll need the typical ingredients such as flour, baking soda, salt, and vanilla extract for chocolate banana bread. But the key components to this recipe are unsalted butter, brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, and a precise amount of ripe bananas.

Be sure that everything is at room temperature for best results. And of course we can’t forget the chocolate chips! How much chocolate chips to put in your banana bread will depend a bit on the size of the chips and how chocolatey you want it.

Personally, I’m not sure there is such a thing as too many chocolate chips.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Preheat your oven. Prep your oven and your loaf pan. The oven rack should be centered and the oven preheated to 350F. Grab a loaf pan and spray with cooking spray, while also lining it with parchment paper. Leave a few inches of parchment paper overhanging on the sides to assist with removing the finished loaf from the pan without having to tip it over. 

Prep the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl whisk or sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Then set aside as you prepare the wet ingredients. 

Cream the butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides every few minutes. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides after each incorporation. 

Bring it all together. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Add the Bananas. Then add in the chocolate chips. Scrape down the sides and beat on low speed for another 30 seconds to a minute. 

Pour into a loaf pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake for about 1 hour and check with a toothpick or skewer in the center for doneness. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Tips and Q&As for Chocolate Banana Bread

How to turn this recipe into muffins?

If you’re looking for the same great flavor, but in a more compact, easy-to-travel form; you can bake this recipe as muffins! Use the same batter and portion out evenly between 12 standard muffin tins. Bake at the same temperature but check after 20 minutes with a toothpick. If clean, pull them out and allow them to cool fully before packing for lunch! 

Why is my banana bread not moist?

The consistency of chocolate banana bread depends on two things: flour and banana. The banana, when fully incorporated into the batter will make the banana bread super moist. Bananas do vary in size, so be sure to weigh the bananas for accuracy. 

Another reason your banana bread could be dry is due to how the flour is weighed. Never scoop flour directly from the bag or jar, you’ll end up with more flour than you actually need. Be sure to grab a spoon and carefully spoon it into your measuring cup. For even more accuracy, weigh out sifted flour using a digital scale. 

Why is my banana bread not fluffy?

Chances are you overmixed the batter. It’s easy to do, no hard feelings. But as the batter is mixed, gluten is developed. The more gluten is developed the more dense and chewy the baked bread will be. 

Can bananas be too ripe for banana bread?

Not at all! The blacker, the better! As bananas age the peels will start to change in color. The color of the peel will also indicate the sweetness of the banana inside. A black banana, while mushy in texture, will be higher in sugar compared to its bright yellow counterpart. Bonus points – that mushy texture of ripened bananas will make them easier to incorporate into the batter and thus prevent an overmixed batter. 

What chocolate chips should I use?

Semi-sweet chocolate chips are easy to find and add just enough sweetness to the finished chocolate banana bread. 

How to ripen bananas quickly

Got golden yellow bananas on the counter and just counting down the days until you can make chocolate chip banana bread? Don’t blame you there! You can speed up the process by placing the bananas in a paper bag or even an airtight container with an avocado, orange, or apple for a day or so. The ethylene gas will help to speed up the process of ripening! You can also microwave fork-pierced bananas in 30 second increments until softened. 

Storage

How do you keep banana bread moist on top?

Keeping baked banana bread moist while storing can be as simple as a damp paper towel laid over the top of the loaf, and stored in a Ziploc bag. This will help to retain moisture and cut down on oxygen compared to those left out on the counter. 

Amazing Bread Recipes

If you love this chocolate chip vibe, you will definitely love this Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread. Make sure you also give a try to this Hummingbird Bread, Apple Fritter Bread, Banana Cake, Zucchini Bread and Banana Bread French Toast!