The only thing better than our popular Banana Bread recipe might just be this Chocolate Banana Bread recipe, straight from Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook. It is soft, extra chocolatey, and stays moist for days.
Call it breakfast, bread, or even dessert- this soft crumb, double chocolate loaf is a chocolate lover’s dream. Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is to make.
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Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe
We love that this recipe is a perfect combination of our Fudgy Brownies and Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. If you are a fan of quick and easy sweet bread recipes that could be mistaken for a cake, this Chocolate Banana Bread is a must-try!
This has to be the richest, chocolaty (and yet perfectly acceptable for breakfast) loaf I’ve baked. The best part is that it will stay nice and moist for a few days, but let’s be serious, we both know it won’t last that long!
This recipe checks all of the right boxes:
- Moist – with a tender crumb
- Chocolatey – with gooey morsels of chocolate
- Easy to make – essentially mixing dry and wet ingredients
- Freezer-friendly – this keeps well
Chocolate Banana Bread Video
Watch Natasha make this Fudgy Chocolate Banana Bread. You will be surprised at how moist it is thanks to the ripe bananas. This recipe is perfect for any time of day, so what are you waiting for? Let’s get baking!
Ingredients
The key to making great banana bread is using overripened bananas. See my tips below to speed up the ripening process.
- Bananas – very ripe bananas are easier to mash and make a sweeter banana bread
- Sugar – adds sweetness to balance the cocoa
- Butter – unsalted and softened at room temperature
- Eggs – large and at room temperature, to bind the batter together
- Vanilla – Use our homemade vanilla for the best flavor
- Flour – All-purpose, or gluten-free if desired
- Cocoa Powder – natural unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Hershey’s (not Dutch-process cocoa)
- Baking soda – a leavening agent to help the banana bread rise
- Salt – I almost always use fine sea salt
- Chocolate Chips – semisweet is our go-to
Customize Your Bread
This recipe is delicious as is, but feel free to add your own mix-ins.
- Chopped nuts – walnuts, pecans
- Nutella
- Peanut butter
- Milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips
How to Make Double Chocolate Banana Bread
This recipe couldn’t be easier – it’s essentially beating together the wet ingredients then sifting in the dry ingredients and putting them together.
- Prepare – Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Use enough parchment paper to hang over the sides of your pan so you can lift the banana bread later.
- Wet Ingredients – In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and mix just to combine. Mix in the mashed bananas and vanilla until blended.
- Dry Ingredients – In a second large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on medium-low speed until just incorporated. The batter will be a little lumpy (don’t over-mix).
- Fold in 3⁄4 cup of the chocolate chips, spread the batter into the loaf pan, and sprinkle the remaining 1⁄4 cup of the chocolate chips over the top.
- Bake – Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center, comes out clean. Let the bread rest in the pan 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and gently pull up on the parchment paper to transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool.
Pro Tip:
When checking for doneness, a toothpick inserted in the center should come out without any wet batter on it, not to be mistaken with melted chocolate. Sometimes you’ll hit a melted chocolate chip so poke the surface a couple of times.
How to Ripen Bananas Quickly
The best bananas for banana bread are not bright yellow. You want brown, soft bananas for this recipe. If you need to quickly ripen your bananas for baking, there are a couple of ways to do this.
- Paper Bag Method: Place the unripe bananas in a paper bag and fold the top closed. If you have apples or tomatoes, toss them in too to help speed up the process. All of these fruits release ethylene gas, a natural ripening agent and the paper bag traps the gas and helps to ripen the bananas quickly. Place the bag on the counter for 24 hours. Placing the bag near a heat source or in direct sunlight will expedite the process even more.
- Oven Method: If your bananas are already yellow but not browned, you can speed up the process. Place bananas on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 300°F for 30 minutes or until softened and blackened on the outside. Let them cool before handling.
- Saving Ripe Bananas: If you have overripe bananas and aren’t ready to bake with them, don’t throw them away! Peel them and place them in a freezer bag, 2-3 to a bag, and pop them into the freezer to use in the future. Let them thaw to room temperature, and they’ll be perfect for your next batch of Banana Bread.
Common Questions
Absolutely! You can make a double batch and bake in 2 separate pans. They may need a slightly longer bake time if baking two so test both with a toothpick to ensure doneness.
The key is to have the perfect ratio of mashed bananas to flour. Watch my How to Measure Ingredients video tutorial to be sure you are measuring correctly. Too much flour and your bread will be dry, too little flour and your bread will be mushy.
You can certainly use previously frozen bananas, but make sure you thaw them first so you can mash them into a smoother consistency for baking.
To Serve Chocolate Banana Bread
This bread has such a moist crumb and the chocolate chips add wonderful creamy texture to the inside, and a chocolate chunk texture to the topping. We love that it can pass for breakfast bread or dessert. After baking, let the bread cool to room temperature before slicing. This ensures that the sugars have settled into the crumb and make it perfectly sweet.
Pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea and serve with:
- Fresh berries or sliced bananas
- Yogurt
- Vanilla ice cream (ok, maybe not for breakfast)
- Peanut butter
- Whipped Cream
How to Store Banana Bread
We love that this Chocolate Banana Bread stays moist for days. Bake your bread and let it cool completely before storing.
- To Refrigerate: Wrap it in plastic wrap, or place it in a Ziploc bag or airtight container, and store it at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: Tightly wrap your chocolate banana bread in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy this tasty bread, unwrap it and let it sit on the counter at room temperature to thaw.
We hope that you will enjoy this recipe and all of the recipes included in Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook. I am so excited to finally get to share more of the recipes that I love, with you.
More Banana Recipes
If you love this Chocolate Banana Bread, then you won’t want to miss these other delicious banana recipes. These are all tasty ways to use up leftover bananas.
- Banana Muffins
- Banana Pancakes
- Banana Pudding
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Banana Bundt Cake
Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas, mashed with a fork (about 1 3/4 cups)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour
- 1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Hershey’s
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75-inch loaf pan and line it with a sheet of parchment paper. There should be at least two inches of overhang on the sides to help you lift out the loaf once it’s done baking.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the lightly beaten eggs and mix just to combine. Mix in the bananas and vanilla until blended.
- In a second large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on medium-low speed until just incorporated. The batter will be a little lumpy, and that’s ok. Do not over mix or your loaf will be tough.
- Use a spatula to fold in 3⁄4 cup of the chocolate chips. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the remaining 1⁄4 cup of the chocolate chips over the top. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center, comes out clean.
- Let the banana bread rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then gently pull up on the parchment paper to transfer the loaf to a cooling rack. Serve the banana bread at room temperature or when it is slightly warm to the touch.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
I opened my bag of chocolate chips and discovered I bought white chocolate drops by mistake. Right now I have no option go buy what I need, so can I use white chocolate instead? I was thinking maybe omit the cocoa powder and vanilla but keep the rest the same and just use white chocolate instead of semi-sweet. Do you think this would work or do you have any suggestions? Thank you !
Hi Lori. I do not recommend emitting the cocoa powder since it’s important for this recipe. If you want a version that doesn’t contain cocoa powder, I recommended my other Banana Bread Recipe. You swap out the nuts and raisins if you prefer.
I’ve been using this recipe for 5 years now. It’s the best I’ve ever tasted. Can I double up on this recipe?
I’m so glad you’re loving it, Paula! Yes, you can make a double batch.
5 stars. The best banana bread I’ve tasted by far. I make it all the time. I have few banana plant behind my home. I never run out of bananas. Thank you for your recipe
Thank you so much, Rose! I’m so glad you loved it.
I tried this recipe for the first time
I am wk seeing why mine cracks all over the top
What am I doing wrong
This happens to a few different baking recipes I tried
Hi Nyla, a little cracking at the top is normal as the bread expands. If you have too much though, I recommend ensuring no ingredients or steps were altered in the recipe. Something as little as overmixing or using too much flour can impact it.
Hi Natasha,
If preparing in smaller loaf pans what is your suggestion baking time or is it the same?
Hello Jennifer! It depends on the size of your loaf pan but baking time should be shorter. For mini loaf pans, start checking at 25–30 minutes, for medium pans (about 8×4″) loaf pans: start checking at 40–45 minutes using the same oven temperature in the recipe. You can use a toothpick to check for doneness.
Perfect..thank you so very much. Happy Holidays and this recipe is so very yummy ❣️. I want to share smaller version for my neighbors and so appreciate your prompt feedback. So love and have made and continue make many of your tried and true recipes.🤗🎈❤️
Hello, can I make this in a muffin form? If so Pls let me know the bake time.
Hi there, yes, you can. Reference my Banana Muffins Recipe here for baking instructions.
This looks fabulous! Could I make it in a Bundt cake pan if I do not have loaf pans?
I imagine that will work just fine! You can also use my Banana Bundt cake recipe as a reference and guide.
Hello, can i make muffins instead of the loaf,,, thanks
Hi Claudie! Yes, you can reference my Banana Muffins Recipe here for baking instructions.
I made this bread for the first time out of the cookbook and I don’t know that I’ve ever had a chocolate banana bread(have added chocolate chips before) and I am so happy with how it turned out. So yummy!!! Another successful Natasha’s kitchen recipe♥️♥️
That’s wonderful, Barb! So glad you enjoyed this version.