This chocolate banana bread takes classic banana bread and turns it into something deeply indulgent. Ripe bananas and rich chocolate come together in just 10 minutes to make a soft, tender loaf with a moist crumb and pockets of melted chocolate in every slice.
If you love banana bread and you love chocolate, this one’s going to earn a permanent spot in your kitchen. Adapted from my Easy Banana Bread, this version gets a serious upgrade with cocoa powder and generous handfuls of chocolate chips. The result is rich, deeply chocolatey, and just slightly fudgy while still keeping that soft, tender banana bread texture.
The best part? It bakes up with a crackly top and clean slices, making it just as good for wrapping up and sharing as it is for sneaking a piece straight from the pan. It’s a smart way to use up overripe bananas, and it freezes beautifully (so go ahead and bake two loaves while you’re at it).
Key Ingredients for Chocolate Banana Bread
Here are a few of the key ingredients in this homemade chocolate banana bread.
- Bananas – You’ll need about 3 medium bananas for this recipe. Be sure to use ones that are ripe or overripe.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Gives the rich chocolate flavor to the bread. Be sure to use unsweetened to avoid making it too sugary.
- Baking soda & baking powder – Leavening agents that make the bread nice and soft.
- Chocolate chips – Your favorite semisweet or dark chocolate chips. Save extra for topping the bread!
What Bananas Are Best?
When making any type of banana bread, you want to use overripe bananas – the ones that are yellow with some brown spots. The riper the banana is, the sweeter and more flavorful it will be. I often freeze bananas when I find them getting a little too overripe on the counter and save them for making banana bread later. Just remember to let them thaw first, so they mash easily!
How to Make Chocolate Banana Bread
This homemade banana bread comes together with less than 10 minutes of work.
- 1. Prep the pan. Grease a loaf pan and line the sides with parchment paper.
- 2. Mix the wet ingredients: Mash the bananas with a fork. Add the oil, butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Beat in the sugar.
- 3. Add the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add to the wet ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- 4. Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and top with chocolate chips. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes. Cool before serving.
Recipe Variations
- Skip the chocolate chips. The addition of chocolate chips really gives this bread a more fudgy taste but you can opt not to add them.
- Change up the chocolate chips. Try peanut butter chips for a sweet-salty twist, butterscotch chips for a warmer flavor, or even white chocolate chips for contrast against the dark cocoa base.
- Add crunch. Fold in chopped pecans or walnuts for texture. Toasting the nuts first will bring out even more flavor.
- Swirl it. Add a ribbon of peanut butter, Nutella, or cream cheese through the batter before baking for a marbled effect.
How to Store
- Store at room temp or in the fridge: Leftover chocolate banana bread can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge. At room temperature, it will stay fresh and moist for about 3 days. In the fridge, it will last for up to 5 days. Either way, keep it stored in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out.
- Can I freeze it? Yes, this chocolate quick bread freezes well. Allow it to cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrapped and then again in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Allow it to come to room temperature on the counter, which should take several hours.
Chocolate Banana Bread
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Rich and decadent, this Chocolate Banana Bread can be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert. This quick and easy recipe requires just 10 minutes of prep and results in moist, tender homemade banana bread each time!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup mashed banana (about 3 medium bananas)
- ½ cup (118ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (190g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (84g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup (224g) chocolate chips (plus a handful more for the top)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9-inch loaf pan and set aside. Line the sides of the pan with parchment paper.
- Peel and mash the bananas with a potato masher or fork.
- Combine the bananas with the oil, butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat all the ingredients together until well combined. Add the sugar and beat until incorporated.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and beat just until it starts to combine. Toss in the chocolate chips and stir the mixture with a spatula to finish incorporating the flour. Pour the batter in the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with additional chocolate chips
- Bake at 350°F for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
Recipe Tip: The riper the bananas are, the better flavor it will be. Measure the mashed bananas to make sure you have 1 1/4 cups. More or less will affect the texture and crumb of the bread.
Storage instructions: Keep it stored in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out. It can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge. At room temperature, it will stay fresh and moist for about 3 days. In the fridge, it will last for up to 5 days.
Freezing instructions: Allow it to cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrapped and then again in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months and defrost to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 407
- Sugar: 36.7 g
- Sodium: 261.5 mg
- Fat: 21.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 4.7 g
- Protein: 5.8 g
- Cholesterol: 43.4 mg
I usually make the regular or chocolate chip banana bread recipes. However, this one is amazing! My kids thought I made brownies.
It definitely feels like dessert!
Can the ½ cup oil be substituted with melted butter or applesauce or anything
You could try with melted butter, the cake texture will be a little different and likely less moist. I have not tested it with applesauce
Yummy, i added walnuts.
Thank you so much!
My family LOVED this quick bread. I used 1/2 cup black cocoa powder (think Oreo) and the rest regular cocoa powder. I creates a very dark bread however, works so well with the bananas and chocochips. Definitely a winner.
Umm that sounds amazing! I might have to try that!
Light and fluffy, very good!
Thank you so much Sara!