Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is wonderfully moist and loaded with ripe bananas and melty morsels of chocolate chips. This banana chocolate chip bread is a real treat.
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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe
Classic Banana Bread is on the regular rotation at our house but when we’re craving chocolate, we make this Chocolate Banana Bread. It is the favorite of the children and we are quite smitten as well. Did I mention it’s EASY?
It’s hard to wait for this to cool so I wait until it’s just no longer hot! The aroma that lingers in your kitchen is incredible and your home will smell like Christmas morning. Pair a warm slice with a mug of coffee and your morning is made. This is an excellent breakfast bread but it also works as a dessert bread (because – the chocolate!).
Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe
Be sure eggs, butter and bananas are at room temperature. If using frozen ripe bananas (we often freeze our overripe bananas for later use), thaw bananas overnight then let them come to room temperature.
Keep Those Old Bananas!
Use very ripe bananas, i.e. mushy bananas. You can tell a mushy banana by the color of the peel – it should be browned or browning significantly and should feel soft when squeezed between your fingertips and will be very easy to mash with a fork. Mash bananas until they are a chunky applesauce consistency. Some texture is good in banana bread!
The Best Chocolate Chips for Baking?
We used semi-sweet chocolate chips since the bread was already plenty sweet with the overripe bananas and bit of sugar, but it really is based on preference. You can use milk chocolate for a sweeter bite or even bittersweet chocolate chips to cut down on the sweetness.
We used standard-sized baking chips but mini chocolate chips would also work. Use between 2/3 to 3/4 cup of mini chocolate chips based on how sweet your like your bread.
How to Make the Best Chocolate Chip Banana Bread:
You can use either a stand mixer, an electric hand mixer or even whisk this together by hand with a little extra effort.
- Cream together softened butter and sugar in mixing bowl
- Add 2 lightly beaten eggs
- Mash bananas with a fork and add them to the bowl
- Whisk together dry ingredients and add to batter
- Fold in 3/4 of chocolate chips and transfer to the prepared bread pan
- Sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 chocolate chips and bake
The chocolate banana bread batter should be thick and have small lumps of banana.
It’s marvelous how the chocolate chips stay gooey and moist long after the bread comes out of the oven.
More Banana Recipes to Explore:
- Classic Banana Bread – loaded with nuts and raisins
- Banana Muffins – the muffin version of this recipe
- Banoffee Pie – layers of cream, bananas and caramel
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, (8 Tbsp), softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 bananas, (very ripe)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Butter and flour a bread loaf pan (9.25"L x 5.25"W x 2.75"D)
- In a mixing bowl using paddle attachment, cream together 1/2 cup softened butter and 2/3 cup sugar. Add 2 lightly beaten eggs.
- Mash bananas with a fork until consistency of chunky applesauce and add them to the mixing bowl along with 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Mix until blended.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. Add to mixing bowl and mix until incorporated.
- Fold in 3/4 cup chocolate chips then transfer to prepared bread pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup chocolate over the top and bake at 350˚F for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let banana bread rest 10 min before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Natasha, could I substitute zucchini for the bananas. I’m not supposed to have them because they have too much potassium for me. I have lots of zuchinni though. Thank you. I love your recipes.
Hi Noriene, I haven’t tested that with this specific recipe but we do have these zucchini muffins here. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
This is my first time making banana bread, it looked really good so I had to try it. I only had 2 bananas so I was hoping it wouldn’t ruin the recipe but it’s just a bit over brown on the top and it’s moist in the middle. Will be making this bread again.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
With this recipe can i add walnuts? if so how much would i add?
Hi Nicole, you could add toasted and coarsely chopped walnuts in addition to the chocolate chips. It would be a wonderful combination!
This was a hit for my family! Everyone loved it! Making another today!
That’s so awesome Irene! I’m so happy your family enjoyed that!
This is my favorite banana bread recipe. I do use salted butter and cut down a tiny bit on the salt in the recipe. I also use banana flavoring instead of vanilla flavoring to give it more of a banana taste. It is the moistest banana bread recipe I have ever done. My boyfriend won’t eat banana bread without chocolate chips so your recipe was a blessing. Also one recipe makes one banana loaf or six giant muffins. I put the muffin pan on the top rack and the loaf pan on the bottom rack. I set the timer for 30 minutes and check the muffins. I set it for 40 minutes then check the loaf.
That’s so great Theresa! I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
Thanks for the idea for using banana flavoring instead of vanilla flavoring. I would never have thought of that.
I love making this banana bread, it’s delicious! Thank you Natasha!
However I’m struggling to find plain or all purpose flour at the moment. Could I replace with equivalent of self raising flour and just leave out the baking soda?
Hi Sharon, I haven’t tried self-raising flour so without experimenting I can’t advise specifically. Keep in mind though – Self-rising flour has approximately the following ratios: 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder + 1/4 tsp fine salt. Baking soda is about 4 times stronger than baking powder.
I have tried making the banana bread recipe four times and although it tastes very good, it’s a little mushy inside..what am I doing wrong? I replaced the sugar with honey.
Hi Tiwaah, it could be the substitution as honey has more moisture than sugar – you might bake a little longer until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean without wet batter.
This is thee BEST banana bread recipe! My family and friends absolutely love it everytime I make it! I’ve made it at least ten times in less than a year! Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Linda!
I have been using the Settlement Cookbook Banana Bread recipe since I was 12 years old. I am now 70. I must say your banana bread is so much more moisture and tastier. I will be using this recipe from now on.
I’m so happy you found a new favotire on our blog, Karen! Thank you for sharing your awesome review with me!
3rd time to make this. my husband loves it, told me to stick to your recipe and stop searching for another one
That’s so awesome, Mina!! Sounds like you found a new favorite! Thank you for sharing that with us!
I have some chocolate covered raisins that I am going to try this with. Also I do not have unsalted butter but I always have salted butter and all my recipes always turn out fine. What is the difference between salted and unsalted butter?
I love your recipes. Everyone I have tried has turned out great. How do you keep that cute figure eating all the delicious things you eat?
Hi Karen, we use unsalted butter in all of our recipes so we can control the amount of salt. Also, especially important in baking, salted butter has a higher moisture level which can alter recipes that are sensitive to that and unsalted butter is typically fresher. I’m glad the recipes are still working out though 🙂 And thank you so much for the compliment! 🙂
This looks sooooo good. I always forget that I can add other ingredients to banana bread.
Yes! It is definitely customizable to your liking! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
I love this banana bread. I love the fact that it uses butter instead of oil. I did over cook mine a bit and I think I should have tented the bread the last 15min. It was a little overcooked on the top, but I was out of aluminum foil. It still tastes amazing!
I’m so happy you still enjoyed that! Thank you for sharing this with us!
How long would you bake muffins?
Hi Mich, I haven’t experimented with muffins but that I think that should work fine You will need to adjust cook time 🙂 If you do experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe Reply
Awesome recipe.. my kids just love this chocolate chip banana bread! They literally demand for it when they see the bananas becoming ripe!
I have a question though, can I use the same batter for the muffins? If so – how long do you suggest baking for the regular size muffins and jumbo muffins? I would love to carry it to work myself as a snack/breakfast.
Hi Neha, I’m so happy you enjoyed that! I think that should work fine You will need to adjust cook time 🙂 If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
o.m.g – thi sis the most delicious ever – and I’m not even a fan of bananas! Moist but not soggy. It was best straight out of the oven with the crispy outside, but 3 days after pretty damn delicious!
Thank you for sharing that with us, Elke!!
I made this tonight and it is very moist inside but crispy on the outside. It tastes delicious!!! I cooked it for 55 minutes st 350. Any suggestions?
Hi Linda! I’m so happy you enjoyed that recipe! It sounds like they could have been pulled out a minute sooner. 🙂
Can I use can’t believe it’s butter instead of regular butter?
Hi Galina, I honestly haven’t tried that substitution so I’m not sure how it would affect how it bakes up or tastes. If anyone else has experimented with this, please let us know 🙂
3 Banana’s can be subjective as they are all different sizes – how many ounces of banana please. Thank you.
Hi Irene, I didn’t measure it that way but this recipe has about 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas. I hope you love this banana bread!
I ran out of chocolate chips, so I used cinnamon istead. It turned out super good!!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I came across your website looking for a recipe for banana bread and made this one! My 20 months old grandson loved it and so did my daughter who is pretty picky with food.
At the same time I tried so many other recipes of yours for the first time (rice balls, apple banana muffins, cabbage /beet salad….) and I am in love with all of them! Really, really great recipes! Thanks!
Awww that’s the best! I’m so happy you discovered our blog! Thank you so much for sharing that with me :). I’m all smiles!
I much prefer to bake with butter than the oils that most banana bread recipes call for. So, I was happy to find this recipe! It is exactly what I wanted. It turned out great! I did cut the sugar a tiny bit, used just 1/2 cup.
I also baked it in two 20cm square pans instead of the loaf pan, as I want smaller squares for lunch boxes. It took about 20-22 minutes at 350 in my oven. I would like to try it in the loaf pan (next time!) as I think the texture will be even better. But was pretty good like this, for lunch time treats at school.
I’m so happy you discovered our blog!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review with us!
I love how the texture of this banana bread looks. I bet it tastes even better than it looks!
Do you think it is possible to modify the recipe to make it gluten-free? I have to admit I just found your site and have not managed to look around for other gluten-free recipes yet.
Hi Barbara, I think it may be possible however I have not tried it with this recipe specifically. If you experiment I would love to know how you like that recipe!