Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

We made it to Day 20 — woohoo! If you’ve followed along and joined me in any or all of the daily freezer cooking challenges, you deserve a huge congratulations for making it this far.

This is the Best Chocolate Banana Bread recipe!

My recipe for Chocolate Banana Bread is so simple to whip up — we’ve been making it for years and years (as is evident by this picture of teeny-tiny toddler Silas “helping” me!)

It uses frugal ingredients we almost always have in the house, it’s deliciously moist, and it’s more nutritious than desserts (but it tastes just as rich).

Plus, it’s a great way to use up over-ripe bananas (here are a bunch of other ideas to use up ripe bananas too.)

Ingredients For Banana Chocolate Bread

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 stick butter, melted and cooled
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed well
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?

The bananas should be quite ripe (lots of brown spots or even black) as over-ripe bananas are much sweeter.

You can also peel over-ripe bananas and put them in a zip-top bag in the freezer for later. Just defrost however many you need for your recipe.

Can bananas be too ripe for banana bread?

Usually, bananas can not be “too ripe” for bread — however, if they are moldy or smell sour, you should probably throw them out.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread recipe substitutions

You can substitute some or all of the flour for whole wheat flour — but the bread won’t be as light and fluffy.

You can also substitute 1/4 cup of applesauce for half of the melted butter.

And if you really want to healthify this recipe, you can swap 1/2 c. honey for the full cup of sugar (honey is sweeter than sugar).

How to Make Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. Add in the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla.

4. Carefully fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.

5. Mix in the chocolate chips.

6. Pour into a greased 9″x5″ loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

7. Let the bread cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, then release it from the pan onto a cooling rack.

8. Enjoy this delicious bread warm… or let it cool completely and freeze it for later!

How long to bake banana bread?

If your oven is true to its temperature, a 9″x 5″ loaf of bread should bake in around 55-60 minutes — although you can check it for doneness around 45 minutes if you’re concerned.

How to tell if banana bread is done:

The bread will rise significantly while baking and it should have a nice domed top.

You can also insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf and if it comes out clean, the bread is fully cooked all the way through.

How to store Banana Bread

Do you put Banana Bread in the fridge?

Technically, putting bread in the fridge will dry it out — it’s best left on the counter or in the freezer. However, in warm summer weather, I tend to refrigerate banana bread, just because it’s so moist.

How long does banana bread last?

This bread is so yummy, you’ll most likely eat it long before it has a chance to go bad.

That said, you should probably plan to eat it within 5-6 days — or freeze it for later.

How to freeze banana bread.

Let the bread cool completely to room temperature, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap AND tinfoil and place it in the freezer.

Alternatively, you can slice the bread before freezing it and place it in a zip-top bag. This way, you can simply remove one or two slices whenever you want!

Banana Chocolate Bread FAQs