Chocolate Banana Bread
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Rich, chocolaty, and loaded with banana flavor, this chocolate banana bread is as delicious as it is easy to whip up! Enjoy it as a breakfast treat, afternoon snack, or dessert—it’s perfect any time of day.
I usually think of banana bread as a breakfast treat (or, let’s be honest, something you grab a little slice of every time you pass through the kitchen). But this chocolate banana bread is so rich and decadent, you could easily top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and call it dessert. With chocolate chips and cocoa powder for a double dose of chocolate and sour cream to keep it irresistibly moist, this quick bread is always a family favorite.
“Exquisite, fabulous, hands down the most beautiful, moist, decadent, delicious, cake-like, chocolaty, awesome banana bread I’ve ever had.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Banana Bread
- All-Purpose Flour: The base of your chocolate banana bread. Measure it by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
- Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Adds a rich chocolate flavor. It’s important not to substitute this with Dutch-process cocoa powder due to differences in acidity.
- Baking Soda: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the banana bread rise.
- Unsalted Butter: Provides moisture and richness. Using it at room temperature ensures it creams well with sugar.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness and contributes to the bread’s tender texture.
- Large Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and add structure.
- Mashed Bananas: The star ingredient for moisture and flavor. Use very ripe, brown bananas for the best taste. To quickly ripen bananas, store them in a loosely sealed brown paper bag. (Overripe bananas can be frozen—simply peel and store them in a resealable bag in the freezer, ideally 2 to 3 bananas per bag, as this is the common amount used in recipes.)
- Sour Cream: Adds richness and ensures the banana bread is moist.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor of the bread.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Add gooey, chocolatey pockets to the bread. If you’d like, you can also add a handful of chopped nuts, like walnuts or pecans for extra texture and flavor. You can also substitute some of the chocolate chips with white chocolate or peanut butter chips for a different twist.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by Step Instructions
To begin, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk well and set aside.
In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition.
Next, add the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture.
Beat gently until just combined, then mix in the mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla.
Add the chocolate chips and fold with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated. Be sure not to overmix the batter.
Pour the chocolate banana bread batter into a greased loaf pan and spread evenly.
Bake until done, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Let the chocolate banana bread rest in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. The bread is best enjoyed fresh, but it can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
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Ingredients
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¼ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Hershey's (see note)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas, from 2-3 brown bananas
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until there are no more lumps in the cocoa powder and the mixture is well combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients and beat gently until just combined. Add the bananas, sour cream and vanilla and mix on low speed to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let the loaf rest in the pan for about 10 minutes, run a blunt knife around the edges to loosen, then turn it out onto a rack to cool completely.
- Note: There are two types of unsweetened cocoa powder: natural (such as Hershey's) and Dutch-processed. Dutch-processed will not work in this recipe.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bread is best enjoyed fresh, but it can be wrapped in aluminum foil and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you'd like to keep it longer, the bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap, or place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Calories: 273
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Sugar: 24 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Sodium: 327 mg
- Cholesterol: 58 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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5 stars indeed! Wonderfully rich and not too sweet. I substituted Greek yogurt for the sour cream and baked in a ceramic bundt pan. Loveeeeeee.
Jenn you never cease to amaze me with your amazing recipes. This was absolutely delicious! I have an old Banana bread recipe I have used for the last 2 decades which I will be replacing with this one! It came out moist and cake-like and not too sweet! My husband LOVED it so much and said it was the best Banana Bread he has ever had! I can’t wait until my sons come home so that I can make it for them!! I so appreciate you always helping to make me a wonderful cook!!
Jenn, I have made this Chocolate Banana bread so many times. I have made it for my Husband and myself, also for my children and grandchildren. They LOVE, LOVE it. I use the mini chocolate chips in mine. This is the Best chocolate banana bread recipe.
Thank You,
Jennifer
How long would you recommend baking for mini loaves? I was going to use pans that are 4.33inX3.14inX1.29in
Hi Amy, I’d start checking them at about 30 minutes. Enjoy!
can I use CACAO powder instead of cocoa?
Hi Anne, I don’t recommend it. Sorry!
Since I’m concerned about lead in cocoa and chocolate, I used the Nativas cocoa powder they sell at whole foods and it worked fabulous.
This was the best banana bread ever. Best texture by far of any banana bread. Definitely my go-to now. Thank you for putting the measurements in grams. I weighed out the bananas and had only 83% of the bananas. So I cut the by rest of the ingredients by 83%.
I’d be curious to try a brown butter roasted banana version without chocolate. Can you please post one LOL?
This is an incredible recipe! I made it with King Arthur gluten-free flour, 0% plain Greek yogurt because I had no sour cream, and Hershey’s special dark cocoa, which is a mixture of natural and Dutch. Two and 1/2 very ripe bananas. Beautiful texture, moist and delicious.
I used the chocolate chips and frankly, I don’t think it added anything and I’ll leave them out next time. Normally, I say the more chocolate better, but the texture and flavor of this was just perfect just the way it was.
I used Dutch processed cocoa and it turned out good. I am sure that natural cocoa powder would give it a better rise and a better texture, but I like the depth of flavor that Dutch cocoa imparts. (Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cocoa, it’s fantastic, thank me later)
This recipe makes an excellent chocolate banana bread – so moist, and flavorful! I substituted monkfruit sweetener for half of the sugar, and had great results. I chose to bake it in a seasonal bundt pan, which reduced the bake time to 50 minutes.
Thank you for a great recipe!