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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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!