Chocolate Banana Bread
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This chocolate banana bread is so sinfully delicious, you might just find yourself topping it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and serving it for dessert!
I usually think of banana bread as something to eat for breakfast (or, let’s be honest, something to cut a tiny slice from every time you walk through the kitchen). But this chocolate banana bread is so rich and decadent, you could really top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and call it dessert. Packed with chocolate chips and cocoa powder for a double chocolate punch, and made irresistibly moist from the addition of sour cream, this quick bread is a major family-pleaser.
Table of Contents
“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 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.
- 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, making it extra indulgent.
- 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.
Incorporating well after each addition.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.
Beat gently until just combined.
Mix in the mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla.
Add the chocolate chips.
Fold with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated. Do not overmix.
Pour the 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make this bread gluten-free by substituting the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend. Look for a 1:1 or measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend to ensure the texture remains as close to the original recipe as possible.
Absolutely! You can customize your bread by adding nuts like walnuts or pecans for extra texture and flavor. You can also consider adding dried fruit or substituting some of the chocolate chips with white chocolate or peanut butter chips for a different twist. Just fold your additional mix-ins before transferring it to the baking pan.
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, you can freeze the bread 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.
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Chocolate Banana Bread
This chocolate banana bread is so sinfully delicious, you might just find yourself topping it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and serving it for dessert!
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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Would it be possible to make this in a 9 inch cake pan instead of a loaf pan (which I do not have)…and perhaps double and make two — one for now one for freezing?
Hi Diane, Yes and yes 🙂 You’ll probably need to reduce the baking time; I’d start checking around 35 minutes.
Great news and so helpful! Really appreciate this info!
I just made it in a 9 inch cake pan, thanks to your suggestion. In my oven it took about 40 minutes and is divine! We served it with salted caramel ice cream. Another hit! Thanks Jenn!!!
This recipe is definitely a keeper! What a delight. This cake was easy to bake, had a lovely texture, as well as being moist and oh-so chocolatey, just how I like ’em. I topped it off with a chocolate/cream ganache. Mmmmmm.
Thankyou Jenn, you are truly an inspiration.
Made this chocolate banana bread today. Wow – it was delicious. I initially made it for my 5 year old son to add to his school lunches for a little treat since he loves chocolate. When I told my hubby I was making this treat he thought it sounded too rich & didn’t think he would like it & I kind of agreed with him. Wow were we both surprised. The batter was light & it baked into the most moist & delicious cake like banana bread. I think the addition of the sour cream helped make it so moist & cut the sweetness of the chocolate. I used very ripe bananas & the bread was really out of this world. You won’t be disappointed with this recipe. My whole family LOVES it!!! The only change I made was to use “mini” semi-sweet chocolate chips because that’s all I had on hand & it was perfect!!!
This is so good!! I’ve made it 3 times and this last time I noticed the metric measurements and it made it so much easier for me to make. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
I made this recipe as muffins. I substituted chocolate bitters for vanilla and added some espresso powder and chopped pecans. They were a hit at a recent gathering and I received several requests for the recipe!
Have made this chocolate banana bread many times, it’s a hit every time. Last time I made 2 and I froze one for upcoming company. It was perfect.!!
Everyone raved over this and there was nothing left on the serving plate but the crumbs. EXCELLENT!!
This is the best banana bread and period! I never liked banana cakes too much but this one is in my favorite-quick to make-leftover ingredients book! Even fed it to my “banana hater” son.
I am going to make this recipe, it looks yummy!!! Can’t wait to taste it…. I would like to know if I can use coconut oil instead of butter. If so, do i need to melt it first? And will the batter become curdle? Thank you in advance for your help and sharing the recipes!!! Love your recipe!
Hi Hosuni, I don’t often use coconut oil, but I believe you can use it in a solid or melted form. (It may be a tiny bit easier to combine with the other ingredients if it’s melted.) Heat it only briefly (10-second increments in the microwave) so it melts but doesn’t get hot. Hope you enjoy!
Delicious! I have made this bread twice this week. Thank you for the tip about the difference in the unsweetened chocolate.
I think I’ll try this in a round pan and top with a little lite cream cheese icing!
Absolutely perfect. My teenagers ate it for breakfast!! I made it into 4 mini loaves and the time as almost the same.
This was delicious! My chocolate chips sank to the bottom, but I only used 2 bananas. I will use 3 next time. What kind of loaf pan do you use? I had a dark non-stick, but I hated it and tossed it.
Hi Maria, glad you enjoyed it! If you make it again, try tossing the chips in a tablespoon of the flour mixture; this will prevent them from sinking.
I really like the Chicago Metallic Non-Stick Loaf pans.
Thank you! I will try that next time.
I made this last night and WOW, it is amazing.
I added more chocolate chips in mine (both mini and jumbo – because, who doesn’t like more chocolate?!) It came out so moist and delicious! I used two 8.5 x 4.5 x 3 loaf pans and it took about an hour.
I’ve have made this bread three times and I made a couple of changes, I left out the chocolate chips and added chopped pecans.
Truly a delicious variation on a family favorite. It’s a great way to use ripe bananas and will make any chocoholic happy. I made this exactly as described and it turned out perfectly.
I made this and I replaced the chocolate chips with toasted pecans and it was so
good. I’ve always liked banana nut bread, but the chocolate adds another level of good.
Love this recipe. We are banana bread fans and this is the first time ive ventured away from my traditional recipe. I added some crushed walnuts and this is a new favorite.
This makes a nice moist flavourful bread.
The perfect balance of banana and chocolate! Sour cream, of course makes all things yum!!
Made this today as I needed some comfort food to help ease the pain of today’s election results. This hit the spot and was fairly quick to put together. I used whole fat greek yogurt instead of sour cream as that is what I had on hand. It worked fine. The bread is moist and chocolaty.
Ha!!! I love your comment about the election – I hear ya ?
I’ve put on 10 pounds since November 9th- This website has been my distraction, savior, and the downfall of my jeans?
Danita, Just read your reply and I couldn’t agree more! The election results were definitely a bummer! So a little comfort food helps with the tremendous loss. 🙂
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.
I have made this a few times and have tinkered with the recipe. I like it better and it healthier with the following changes. Tastes just as good too. Substitute organic coconut oil in one to one ratio for butter, substute organic yogurt for sour cream. (I make my own yogurt and it is very think so Greek yogurt is probably a good choice.) Also one to one ratio substitution for sour cream. I substitute dark chocolate chunks for the semi sweet chocolate chips. And I add half a cut of chopped walnuts. I also use frozen very ripe bananas as they are very sweet and you can lower the sugar you add based on the sweetness of the bananas. Good recipe as posted though also.
This is so moist and delicious!
This is so light, moist, and flavorful and everyone I give it to loves it, and wants the recipe. I use Hersey’s Special Dark cocoa, which is a blend of Natural and Dutched cocoas, and it works beautifully. We love nuts so I use walnuts or pecans. I will make this recipe until I can’t bake any more.
Hi Jenn,
I’ve made this once before and would like to make it again for a holiday party. I’d like to know if I can substitue sour cream for applesauce because that’s what I have right now. If so, do I need to change anything (like baking temp and time?). Thanks so much for your great recipes.
Hi Shirley, I’ve never tried it with applesauce. I think you could get away with it, but the bread may not rise quite as much. Let me know how it turns out!
Excellent recipe — I made this and brought to the office. Everyone loved it. Definitely a keeper.
This recipe is perfect! So delicious and moist. My family requested for me to make it again for Thanksgiving. This will be a great homemade Christmas present to give friends and families. Thanks for another awesome recipe.
Will bread flour work in this recipe?
Hi Cheryl, I’m sorry, I wouldn’t recommend it.
I made this recipe twice and it was super moist and very tasty. I omitted the chocolate chips and added lots of chopped pecans.
This recipe was a real winner with my family. Chocolate is always a big hit but adding the banana made it very moist and delicious. Will be making this again soon. Perfect with a cup of cappichino.
I made this yesterday, and it was delish. I didn’t have sour cream, so substituted with greek yogurt as some others have suggested, and it still came out amazing! This one is a keeper!
Wonderful recipe and a great way to use over ripe bananas. I used half yogurt and half sour cream and substituted the chocolate chips with white chocolate chips for color contrast.
Looks fantastic, but the natural cocoa powder bit is silly. If you’re concerned about loss of acid, use baking powder instead of soda, or a mix of the two. The powder contains cream of tartar to activate the reaction that produces CO2. In any case, the dairy products (especially the sour cream) have more than enough acidity to get the soda party started. I’ll use the Dutch-process.
this chocolate banana bread is so good.thanks for sharing the recipe
As an experienced baker, I was wondering why this recipe had only 1.25 cups of flour whereas your marbled banana bread has 1.75 cups flour. The batter seemed too thin and could be why the chips settled to the bottom.
Delicious! this bread is definately worthy of dessert, snack, or breakfast. It is now my go to bananna bread recipe!
Made this yesterday and it was superb! Will try your other banana bread recipes in the future. The directions were perfect, although my oven tends to be a little low in the temperature department, so I added about 7 minutes to the cooking time. Incredibly moist and delicious. I can’t stop eating it with my Sunday morning coffee!
Jenn, my large bread pans are Pyrex. Do I need to make any adjustments to the temperature or cook time? Thanks for your wonderful website, where everything is delicious!
Hi Vicki, Thank you! So glad you are enjoying the site. I’d reduce the temperature by 25 degrees; cook time should be the same. Hope you enjoy 🙂
Hi Jenn! Can I replace the sour cream with natural Greek yogurt? Same measurement?
Yes that should work 🙂
Have made this recipe several times and always comes out perfect! Made as mini muffins too! Thanks for sharing!:-)
I plan to try the Chocolate Banana Bread this evening. I’ve been making banana bread with mini chocolate chips for years, but the chips mostly migrate toward the bottom of the loaf, even when I mix them with flour and FOLD. I’m hoping this recipe will be perfect 🙂