Chocolate Banana Bread

This recipe for Chocolate Banana Bread is moist, light and delicious with specks of chocolate chunks. Enjoy a slice with a coffee for breakfast, or simply on its own as an afternoon snack.

This first appeared on Sift & Simmer in March 2018. Photos and recipe updated September 2021.

Why this recipe works

This Chocolate Banana Bread can be made in one bowl, meaning less clean up!

It's ready within 2 hours.

It's made with less oil, yet it's still moist and deliciously rich from the chunks of chocolate strewn throughout.

Ripe bananas add natural sweetness to the banana bread.

Ingredients you'll need

You'll need:

• 3 ripe bananas: the more ripe the banana, the more sweet it is; dark speckled bananas are perfect for this recipe
• large eggs
• avocado/vegetable oil: you can use any neutral vegetable oil, or substitute with melted butter
• vanilla extract: use a pure vanilla extract for the best flavour
• yogurt: or sour cream; if you don't have yogurt on hand, you can substitute with half the amount of milk + 1 tablespoon white vinegar (to produce a "buttermilk")
• granulated sugar: or any sweetener you like
• cinnamon: ground; you can adjust to your taste
• baking soda: reacts with the yogurt/sour cream/buttermilk to produce bubbles and help the banana bread rise
• baking powder: another leavening agent that helps the banana bread be light
• all-purpose flour: regular flour
• cake flour: is a lower protein flour that contains less gluten; using half cake flour and half all-purpose flour leads to a lighter banana bread
• chocolate chunks: I used semi-sweet/dark chocolate chunks; if you use a milk chocolate, you may need to decrease the amount of sugar in the recipe

How to make it

Preheat oven to 350F/177C.

Line an 8" by 4" loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, use a fork to mash the banana.

Add in the eggs, avocado oil and vanilla extract and give it a whisk.

Stir in the yogurt/sour cream, sugar, and sift in the cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder.

Add in the all-purpose and cake flour and use a spatula to fold until just incorporated.

Lastly, fold in the chocolate chunks.

Transfer the mixture to a prepared loaf pan.

Give the pan a few taps to release any trapped air bubbles.

Bake for 60-65 minutes at 350F, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with slight crumbs clinging to it.

If the top appears to brown too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.

Note: Depending on your oven, it may require more or less baking time.

Note: if you stick the toothpick into chocolate or a chunk of banana, it could "appear" wet.

Remove from the baking tray and let completely cool on a wire rack.

Slice and serve. 

How to serve

Serve the Chocolate Banana Bread at room temperature, or slightly warmed up.

Pair it with:

Lavender Earl Grey Tea Latte/London Fog

Hojicha Hot Chocolate

Iced Honeycomb Lavender Latte

How to store

Store the Chocolate Banana Bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Alternatively, you can store it in the fridge for up to 1 week.

You can also individually wrap up slices of banana bread and freeze for up to 3 months.

To reheat, remove the slice of banana bread from the freezer and reheat in the microwave for 1 minute, or until warm.

FAQs and troubleshooting

Can I add nuts?

Yes, you can add nuts. Just fold them at the end with the chocolate chunks.

Can I omit the chocolate?

Yes, you can omit the chocolate.

You may need to increase the sugar by 1-2 Tbsp.

Can I make these into muffins?

Yes! You certainly can divide the batter into 12 muffins. Bake at the same temperature (350F), however, the bake time will vary -- keep an eye on them around the 20-25 minute mark.

Other recipes you may like

Be sure to check out these recipes:

Lemon Lavender Pound Cake

Most Delicious Matcha Pound Cake

Earl Grey Bergamot Loaf

Pumpkin Spice Loaf

Matcha Coconut Loaf

Let me know if you try my Chocolate Banana Bread recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below.