Over-ripe bananas are the perfect base for this cozy banana bread recipe. Packed with dark chocolate chunks, this quick bread batter is baked in a metal bread pan for a moist, delicious loaf that keeps well for several days on the counter.
Jessie's Note
Very ripe bananas keep this loaf moist, which makes it a perfect make-ahead breakfast or snack. Sliced banana bread will last for a few days on the counter after baking (although in my house, it tends to disappear quickly!)
There's plenty of chocolate in this bread, but the batter itself isn't overly sweet: We wanted to keep this feeling like bread, as opposed to a cake that's shaped like bread. The resulting loaf is rich and complex, with a soft crumb that still manages to feel hearty and filling.
Ingredients overview
Scroll to the recipe card below for a full ingredients list with exact quantities.
- Over-ripe bananas. Look for bananas with lots of browning on the peels and a slightly squishy feel. Ripe, brown bananas are sweeter than their bright yellow counterparts, which impacts the loaf's final flavor. They're also easier to mash, which yields a smoother batter.
- Roughly chop dark baking chocolate bars (we like Ghirardelli 60% cacao bars) to create chocolate chunks. We like a lot of chocolate — this recipe calls for 6 ounces (about 1 ½ bars) — but you can use more or less if you prefer.
- If you can, let the egg and milk come to room temperature on the counter for 30 minutes before you start baking. Room temperature ingredients incorporate more smoothly into the batter, giving you a more even texture and a higher rise.
Use a kitchen scale
Measuring ingredients like all purpose flour by volume (with cups) is notoriously unreliable. Because each person fills a cup of flour a little bit differently, it's easy to accidentally use too much in a recipe and end up with dry, dense bread.
But when you use a kitchen scale to measure by weight (in grams), you get a perfect measurement every time. So if you have a kitchen scale, please use it! (No kitchen scale? Measure ingredients like flour with the scoop and level method for best results!)
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap the baking chocolate for your favorite chocolate chips.
- Use more or less cinnamon to suit your tastes. You can also add a pinch of nutmeg or ground cloves for more fall flavor!
- Add toppings like our favorite cinnamon crumble or a drizzle of cinnamon glaze.
- Use light brown sugar in place of some or all of the granulated sugar for a slightly deeper flavor and a somewhat tighter crumb.
Step by step instructions
Mash bananas in a large bowl until they're fairly smooth, then whisk in the sugar, vanilla, melted butter, and an egg.
Add the rest of the dry ingredients — flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt — and whisk until the batter is about halfway mixed. (Note: If you prefer, you can mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, and then add the blended flour mixture to the batter. In our testing, this didn't make a significant difference).
In a separate measuring cup, whisk together milk and apple cider vinegar. Slowly stream this milk mixture into your batter, stirring to incorporate it as you go.
Fold in the chopped chocolate, stirring until everything is just combined and no dry flour remains.
Optional: Reserve a few chocolate chunks, and scatter them over the loaf just before baking to give your bread a bit of pizzazz ✨. (Although, real talk: While they look pretty, these top pieces do tend to fall off the loaf when you slice it.)
You should end up with a fairly thick, somewhat airy batter.
Pour the batter into a metal loaf pan lined with parchment paper, and use your fork to spread it into a fairly even layer. Sprinkle reserved chocolate chunks across the top of the batter (optional).
Bake in a preheated oven at 325° F, until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Pro Tip: A toothpick may pick up some melted chocolate when the bread is done - that's ok! You're primarily looking for the tester to be clean of any large, raw clumps of the batter.
Let your banana bread cool for just a few minutes in the pan, then use the parchment paper to carefully lift the bread onto a wire rack. Let cool completely before slicing.
Pro Tip: Don't skip the cooling rack! If the bread cools completely in the pan, it can stick to the parchment paper, and the sides of the loaf will be a bit chewier.
Storage
Store cooled, sliced banana bread in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. Past that, the bread can start to dry out a little. We don't recommend storing this bread in the fridge, as the refrigerator air can dry it out more quickly.
You can freeze sliced banana bread in an airtight container for 3-4 months. Thaw frozen bread on the counter for a few hours when you're ready for it.
Tips from our recipe testers
- Use a kitchen scale! Properly measuring ingredients yields a more consistent final result.
- Adjust the cinnamon. Some of our testers love adding cinnamon and other spices to their banana breads; some prefer no spice at all. We split the difference here and used just a touch of cinnamon to add depth, but you should adjust the spices to suit your tastes!
- Don't rush the baking. This banana bread might look done before it's baked all the way through. Use a cake tester to be sure!
FAQs
Yes! This chocolate chip banana bread recipe freezes quite well. We recommend freezing already-sliced bread and defrosting just a slice or two at a time, as needed. Defrost for an hour or two on the counter when you're ready to serve. Sliced bread will keep in the freezer for 3-4 months before it starts to dry out.
Baking soda and baking powder are an important duo: Baking soda reacts with a bit of acid (in this case, apple cider vinegar and a touch of baking powder) to make the bread rise. The soda + powder combo also helps baked goods brown, which gives our moist banana bread a richer, deeper color. (See this technique in action in our Banana Muffins, Apple Butter Coffee Cake, and Pumpkin Bread!)
If you'd like to make muffins, we recommend following our classic chocolate chip banana muffins recipe, or trying our small batch banana muffins! We also use a very similar batter in our banana bread coffee cake.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment and star rating below to let us know how it turned out!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: One 9x5 loaf 1x
- Category: Bread
- Cuisine: American
Description
This moist banana bread is packed with chocolate chunks! Mash over-ripe bananas until smooth, then add a few simple ingredients for a quick bread batter. Bake in a 9x5 metal loaf pan for a rich, complex loaf. Easy to make ahead of time!
Ingredients
- 270 grams ripe banana (about 1 cup when mashed, or 2-3 large bananas)
- 70 grams sugar (⅓ cup)
- 1 egg
- 53g unsalted butter (¼ cup), melted
- 4 grams vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
- 270 grams all purpose flour (about 2 ¼ cups when measured correctly by scooping and leveling)
- 2 grams ground cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
- 4 grams kosher salt (1 teaspoon)
- 5 grams baking soda (1 teaspoon)
- 7 grams baking powder (1 ½ teaspoons)
- 80 grams milk (⅓ cup)
- 14 grams apple cider vinegar (1 Tablespoon)
- 6 ounces roughly chopped dark chocolate baking (about 1 ½ 4-ounce bars)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325° Fahrenheit. Line a 9x5" metal loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Mash banana in a large mixing bowl until it is relatively smooth.
- Add sugar, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract to the bowl with the banana; whisk to combine.
- Add flour, cinnamon, kosher salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir until flour is about halfway mixed.
- In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together milk and apple cider vinegar. Slowly stream this liquid mixture into the batter, stirring until ingredients are just combined.
- Reserve a handful of chopped chocolate for topping the banana bread. Stir the rest of the chocolate into the batter until it is evenly distributed.
- Transfer batter to the prepared loaf pan; top with remaining chocolate chunks.
- Bake 45-60 minutes at 325° F, until the top is lightly browned and a cake tester inserted into the center of the coffee cake comes out clean. Carefully transfer to a wire cooling rack; let cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
Additions and substitutions. Add chopped, toasted nuts (walnuts, pecans) to the batter for extra texture. Use bittersweet chocolate chips instead of chopped baking chocolate. Use melted coconut oil or vegetable oil in place of the melted butter if you prefer. Use more or less ground cinnamon to suit your tastes, or add a pinch of nutmeg and/or ground cloves for extra depth.
A note about measuring the bananas: If you mash up 2 big bananas but they don't quite reach 270 grams, don't worry! We've tested this recipe several ways and you can go as low as 215 grams of banana if you need to: the final texture won't be *quite* as soft, but it's still good! If you have extra mashed banana left over, pop it in the freezer for smoothies.
Please use a kitchen scale! Measuring flour by volume (with cups) is notoriously unreliable – for best results, use a scale to measure by weight with the gram measurements provided! We use and recommend Escali kitchen scales. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, measure ingredients (especially flour, which is the most finicky) with the scoop and level method for best results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: One ¾-inch slice
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 9.2 g
- Sodium: 257.2 mg
- Fat: 11.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.1 g
- Protein: 5.4 g
- Cholesterol: 25.4 mg
Comments
No Comments