Chocolate Banana Bread

• All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for the loaf. Measure it by spooning the flour into your measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife rather than scooping directly from the bag, which can pack in too much flour and lead to a dry loaf.
• Natural unsweetened cocoa powder: Gives the bread its rich chocolate flavor. Be sure to use natural cocoa powder rather than Dutch-process cocoa, as its acidity reacts with the baking soda to help the loaf rise properly.
• Baking soda: The leavening that gives the bread its lift and tender crumb. It reacts with the acidity in the natural cocoa powder and sour cream. (Baking powder is never a suitable substitute; for more on the difference between the two, see my guide to baking soda vs. baking powder.)
• Salt: Enhances both the chocolate and banana flavors while balancing the sweetness. All sweet treats need a touch of salt!
• Unsalted butter: Adds richness and buttery flavor. Make sure it’s softened to room temperature so it creams easily with the sugar.
• Sugar: Sweetens the bread while also contributing to its soft, tender texture.
• Large eggs: Bind the batter together and provide structure.
• Mashed bananas: The riper the bananas, the better. Look for peels that are heavily speckled or mostly brown, as overripe bananas are sweeter, softer, and mash more easily into the batter. Frozen bananas work well too (see my post how to freeze bananas for details on freezing and thawing). Pro tip: To quickly ripen bananas, store them in a loosely sealed brown paper bag.
• Sour cream: One of the keys to this recipe. It makes the loaf exceptionally moist and tender while its acidity works with the baking soda to create a lighter texture. Full-fat plain Greek yogurt can be substituted in a pinch.
• Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavors and enhances both the chocolate and banana.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Create little pockets of melted chocolate throughout the loaf for a double dose of chocolate. Feel free to stir in a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch, or substitute some of the chocolate chips with white chocolate or peanut butter chips for a fun variation.
• Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This step helps create a tender crumb, so don’t rush it.

Pro tip: Make sure your butter is fully softened before you start — it should give easily when you press it but still hold its shape. If it’s too cold, it won’t cream properly; if it’s too warm and greasy, you won’t get that light, fluffy texture.

Step 3: Add the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated before adding the next.

Step 4: Add the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat gently until just combined.

Step 5: Mix in the bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix in the mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla until just evenly incorporated. It’s important to avoid overmixing once the flour is added, as it develops the gluten in the flour, which can make quick breads tough instead of tender.

Step 6: Fold in the chocolate chips. Add the chocolate chips and fold with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated. The batter will be quite thick—that’s exactly what you want. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Don’t worry if it isn’t perfectly level, as it will even out as it bakes.

Step 7: Bake and cool. Bake for about 70 minutes, or until done. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs attached but no wet batter. Because chocolate batters are dark, it’s harder to judge doneness by color alone. Let the bread rest in the pan briefly, then turn it out onto a rack to finish cooling. The bread is best freshly baked, but keeps at room temperature for up to 3 days or can be frozen for longer storage.

Freezing tip: If you’d like to enjoy the bread as an occasional snack when a craving strikes, before freezing, slice the bread and wrap the slices individually— that way you can pull out exactly what you need rather than thawing the whole loaf.

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