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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Chocolate Banana Bread
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
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas, from 2 to 3 brown bananas
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set a rack in the middle position. Grease a 9 x 5-in (23 x 13-cm) 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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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Having had great success with the Pumpkin and Cranberry breads on this site, I decided to try the Chocolate Banana Bread. I was a bit worried because it is almost impossible to find ‘natural’ cocoa here in Canada, and I had to use Dutch process, so I took one of the other reviewer’s suggestion and added 1 tsp of both soda and powder, otherwise made the recipe exactly as written.
I am happy to report that the loaf is amazingly delicious and it rose perfectly! I added slightly less sugar than the cup called for, and think I will go for the full cup next time. I also used mini chocolate chips, which dispersed perfectly throughout the loaf.
Dear fellow canuck, planning on trying this soon so I went looking for unsweetened cocoa. Found it at BulkBarn. Bluenose Gal
Try Frye’s premium cocoa, in the yellow and red can its unsweetened, used it for years, just buy in grocery store, I am Canadian. It works wonderfully in this perfect recipe.
I followed this recipe exactly. It was moist and the chocolate wasn’t overbearing, you can still taste the banana. Next time I will add walnuts. Yum! 🙂
Best recipe! My 6 year old always wants chocolate banana bread now, though I’ve used this recipe as a base for plain banana and zucchini bread too with great results.
I made this bread for my grandsons to have for breakfast. It was a huge hit and they requested it for dessert too. It was very tasty and not too sweet. I will have to make it again when they visit for Christmas.
Hi Jenn! Shana Tova! I want to make this for tomorrow night. Do u recommend waiting till tomorrow or can I make it today? Your brisket is in the oven as we speak!
Go ahead and make it today, Brooke. It keeps very well and that way, you can check it off your list :).
Thank you for a fab site, your recipes have never failed me and your banana bread is loved by all my family. I want to try this recipe and wondered if you were going to add a metric conversation on here please?
Hi Shirley, So glad you enjoy the recipes! I’ve added metric conversions to this banana bread. To view them, scroll down to the recipe and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. Hope you enjoy!
We tried it and wow!!!
You are so kind to convert this for your english fans. Thank you so much for another amazing recipe!
Will your chocolate banana bread recipe work with raw cacao powder instead of cocoa powder?
Hi Ruth, I think it would probably be ok, but I can’t say for certain as I’ve never baked with raw cacao powder. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.
I made it with raw cacao powder and it was fantastic!!
I’ve made it with both cacao and cocoa powder and while both are great I preferred the cocoa powder for sure!
This recipe is sensational! I’m a professional cook, baker at heart. I x4 the recipe to use up some over-ripe bananas at work and didn’t tinker with the ingredients like I normally do. One of my corporate chefs happened to be on site and she couldn’t stop raving over it ? The only tweak I’d make is to use mini chocolate chips, for better distribution. Definitely a keeper, thanks!
Made this today. Very good! Will be making it again.
Followed this recipe exactly. It’s excellent.
I used very ripe bananas which is the key to this delicious bread.