Homemade Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is moist, tender, and loaded with the flavors of sweet bananas and chunky chocolate chips. Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee!
Quick bread is so versatile. Not only are they quick and easy to make and perfect any time of the day to eat, but they can be made sweet or savory, healthy, or indulgent (like a cake!). Sweet Potato Bread and Cinnamon Applesauce Bread are two healthier options that I always keep loaves of in the freezer.
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An Easy Quick Bread Recipe
I’m sharing this delicious recipe for one of my all-time favorite quick breads. This incredibly moist classic banana bread recipe loaded with chocolate chips is a family favorite around here. It’s made without yeast, so not only does it come together quickly, but it’s an easy starter recipe for beginner bakers and kids!
I don’t know about you all but I crave warm banana bread sometimes, especially when there’s a bit of melting butter on it! So I like to make two batches and freeze one that I can just take out and thaw later on. It’s the best for last-minute company as it works for breakfast, a snack, and dessert! The overripe bananas and the chocolate chips make this a sweet quick bread perfect on its own, but by all means, slather it with your favorite spreads.
Why we love this recipe
- Quick and easy means you can have a whole loaf of bread ready in just over 1 hour!
- It’s delicious thanks to the sweetness of the ripe bananas, the chunks of chocolate, and the flavorful brown sugar.
- Basic ingredients. This bread is made with simple pantry staples and nothing complicated.
- Texture. The result is a moist, tender bread with a soft crumb that doesn’t fall apart.
- Can be enjoyed as is, or topped with jams, chocolate spread, peanut butter or other nut butter, you name it.
- Similar to this gluten-free banana bread made with almond flour. Another one we love!
Ingredients/shopping list
- Bananas – About 2 large bananas or 3 medium bananas. The riper the banana the sweeter they are. Don’t throw out the brown bananas on the counter, use them up!
- Dark Brown sugar – This adds sweetness but also a depth of flavor and moisture that is a little different than granulated white sugar. It will also darken the color of your bread.
- Butter, melted – The fat component that is needed. Instead of using vegetable oil, it adds a nice buttery note. I like to use unsalted butter for that extra flavor.
- Large egg – The binding agent that helps to keep the structure of the bread.
- Vanilla extract – A lovely hint of vanilla rounds out the ingredients giving it loads of flavor.
- All-purpose flour – The foundation of the bread.
- Baking soda – Helps to give the bread light and airy texture without being dense and weighty.
- Chocolate chips – The delicious add-ins that add a chocolate flavor (because chocolate and banana together are amazing). See below for other yummy add-in ideas.
How to Make this Recipe
This great recipe is so easy it’ll become a weekend family tradition in no time!
Step 1: In a large bowl, mash bananas. Then add brown sugar, melted butter, egg, and vanilla to the mashed banana and whisk together thoroughly. You can do this by hand or use a stand mixer or hand mixer.
Step 2: Add in the flour and baking soda to the wet ingredients and blend until there are no more lumps. Do not overmix.
Step 3: Fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 4: Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan, add a few extra chocolate chips to the top of the loaf, and bake for 40-45 minutes.
Step 5: Once a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, it’s ready!
Step 6: Place loaf in pan on a wire rack to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing the bread from the pan to continue cooling completely.
Variations/ Substitutions
- Substitute ½ cup unsweetened applesauce for butter for a healthy snack version.
- Use gluten free flour if desired. (I like Bob’s Red Mill One-to-one gluten free flour
- Substitute coconut sugar for the brown sugar. You can also opt for regular granulated white sugar or light brown sugar if preferred.
- For extra moist bread, add ½ cup of plain yogurt (Greek or regular) or sour cream.
- Add in some chopped nuts with your chocolate chips for added crunch.
- Use dark chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or even white chocolate chips if preferred. Mini chocolate chips are wonderful as well.
- This recipe also works by replacing the chocolate chips with dried fruit or fresh berries of your choice.
Tips
- The riper the bananas the better!
- Measure flour by spooning it into a measuring cup and leveling off with the back of a knife to help ensure you don’t add too much which will make the bread drier.
- Use either parchment paper to line your pan or spray but make sure to use one. Otherwise, your bread will stick to the pan and won’t make for easy removal for cooling.
- Watch for browning too quickly. Don’t walk too far away from your oven. When you use brown sugar, your banana bread is a little darker, so just watch for how brown it’s getting.
- I like to add a few more chocolate chips on top just for show. It’s nice to have flecks of chocolate visible when serving.
- To test with a toothpick, insert it into the middle portion of the banana bread. If it comes out clean, it’s done. It shouldn’t be jiggly in the center either.
- Make this recipe in mini loaf pans and reduce the cooking time to 20-25 minutes. This is a great way to treat friends and neighbors or to make for bake sales.
FAQ’s
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
This is a great freezer-friendly loaf, so make more than one! Once completely cooled, wrap it in a couple of layers of plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn. Transfer to a freezer-friendly Ziploc bag and keep frozen for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the fridge overnight and warm through in the oven or by the individual slice in the microwave.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup ripe banana mashed (approximately 2 large bananas)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup butter melted, 1 stick
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F
- Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper or spray it lightly with baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the mashed banana, brown sugar, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract and whisk together throughly.
- Add the flour and baking soda and blend until no lumps are remaining. (careful not to overmix)
- Add in the chocolate chips and gently stir to combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with a few additional chocolate chips if you’d like.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and place the pan on a sire cooling rack for 10-15 minutes.
- Then remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool completely prior to slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
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