Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This moist chocolate chip banana bread will soon become a staple in your kitchen! The flavorful, sweet loaf is full of mashed bananas and studded with rich chocolate chips for the perfect make-ahead breakfast or afternoon snack. File this one away as the new favorite banana bread recipe because it is truly the best!

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Chocolate and bananas are a match made in heaven, and this chocolate chip banana bread recipe is a delicious way to use up those extra, overripe bananas. After many, many rounds of testing, tweaking, and tasting, I’ve finally landed on the perfect moist banana bread recipe. This is my go-to, never-fail recipe that always wins rave reviews, and it’s just slightly adapted from our popular banana nut bread recipe. 

The homemade banana bread with chocolate chips is easy, super moist, and full of sweet banana flavor. Stir together a loaf in about 15 minutes (no electric mixer required), pop it in the oven, and enjoy a delicious breakfast or snack throughout the week. It gets better as it sits!

Why This is the Best Banana Bread Recipe

As I mentioned above, I spent many hours going through many test batches to find what I deem the best-ever banana bread recipe. Add some chocolate chips, and it’s snack-time heaven! Here’s why this version works so well:

• The Right Amount of Bananas. Some recipes call for just 1 cup of mashed banana per loaf, but I found that 1 cup of banana resulted in a banana bread loaf that was lacking in actual banana flavor. By increasing the amount to 1 ½ cups, I achieved the sweet banana flavor that I was looking for without creating a “wet,” dense, or gummy loaf.
• Butter Instead of Oil. While many banana bread recipes use oil as the fat of choice, I found that melted butter created a more flavorful loaf. You can certainly substitute with an equal amount of vegetable oil for this recipe if that’s what you have on hand.
• Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. I tested the recipe with a full stick of butter (8 tablespoons), but found that 6 tablespoons worked better with this proportion of bananas and flour to keep the bread moist without making it heavy.
• Just 1 Egg. Other recipes might call for 2 eggs, but I found that the extra egg yielded a spongier, less flavorful loaf.
• The Right Amount of Sugar. I tried using just ½ cup of sugar (not sweet enough) and a full 1 cup of sugar (too sweet) — so ¾ cup seemed just right! Of course, feel free to adjust the amount of sugar based on your individual preferences.
• Plenty of Chocolate Chips. Ever wonder exactly how many chocolate chips you need for banana bread? I tried the recipe with fewer chocolate chips (just ½ cup), but found that the bread was lacking that rich chocolate flavor. The chocolate chips were more of an afterthought! Instead, use a full cup of mini chocolate chips to ensure that the chocolate is a prominent component in the loaf.

Should I use salted or unsalted butter in banana bread? 

​While unsalted butter is the preferred default in baked goods, I almost always have salted butter on hand, so that is what I use. Using salted butter might make the banana bread loaf slightly (but ever-so-slightly) more dense because salt reacts with baking powder. However, this recipe doesn’t call for baking powder, so that isn’t a worry here. Using unsalted butter does allow you to control the amount of salt in the bread. However, I think the use of salted butter provides a more buttery flavor to the bread.

How to Serve this Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Serve the bread warm, at room temperature, or even straight from the refrigerator! It’s a great option for breakfast or snack when paired with a mug of hot coffee or tea, or with a cold glass of milk.

The bread is delicious on its own, but you might also enjoy it with butter, cream cheese, almond butter, or peanut butter. Add some yogurt or eggs and fresh fruit on the side for a perfect morning feast!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread FAQs

To get the best results from this easy banana bread recipe, here are some answers to a few of the most commonly asked questions about making the perfect banana bread recipe.

How Many Cups is 1 Mashed Banana?

This can be tricky! If a recipe calls for 3 bananas, how much is that? We all know that measurements are important in baking, so the difference between a very small banana and a very large banana can be significant when baking a loaf of banana bread.

My recipe calls for 1 ½ cups of mashed banana. One large banana yields about ½ cup mashed, so I used 3 large bananas for a total of about 1 ½ cups. If you’re working with small bananas, you’ll need at least 4 (and maybe even 5). Measuring is always the safest way to make sure that your banana bread turns out perfectly moist, sweet, and delicious!

How to Ripen Bananas in the Oven

Want to make this bread right away, but your bananas aren’t ripe yet? You can ripen the bananas in the oven! To do so, preheat the oven to 300°F. Place bananas (in their peels) on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until mushy and sweet. The banana peels will turn a black, shiny color (and look really weird!), but don’t worry — the insides will be perfect. Just let the mashed banana cool completely before using it in the recipe.

Can bananas be too ripe for banana bread?

Yes, it is possible that you’ve left those leftover bananas sitting too long. Rotten bananas will have a fermented smell, be extra juicy and leaky, and the insides will be extremely brown or black and incredibly mushy. If this is the case, they’re beyond the point of banana-bread-worthy. Brown bananas — or even bananas with black spots — are okay to use as long as the insides are still a lighter color. Have too many super ripe bananas and don’t want to waste them? Make a double batch of this recipe and freeze the extra loaves.

Is banana bread healthy?

While you’re getting some health benefits from the bananas in this recipe, I wouldn’t consider banana bread “healthy.” There’s definitely plenty of sugar, fat, and refined carbs in this recipe. That said, you can certainly do worse when it comes to sweet treats! ​​​​​

Assuming that a loaf yields 12 slices, each slice includes about 301 calories, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of protein, and 14 grams of fat. If you’re looking for a healthy banana bread recipe with fewer calories, try my One-Bowl Whole Wheat Banana Bread (and skip the added chocolate!).​​​​​​​

How to Keep Chocolate Chips from Sinking in Banana Bread

I haven’t had a problem with the chocolate chips sinking in this thick batter; however, there are a couple of good ways to avoid that issue. First, I recommend using miniature chocolate chips, which disperse evenly throughout the bread and aren’t as heavy (therefore making them less likely to sink). Next, if you are using the larger standard-size chocolate chips, you might want to lightly toss them with a small amount of flour before stirring them into the batter. This method helps the chocolate chips stay suspended in the bread.

Why Does My Banana Bread Fall in the Middle?

If you find that the center of the banana bread sinks as it cools, it’s likely because the bread was not completely cooked through. Banana bread forms a nice, dark crust on the outside that makes the loaf look “done” — even if the inside is still slightly raw. Before removing the bread from the oven, insert a toothpick deep into the very center of the loaf. If it comes out with any wet batter on it, return the bread to the oven to finish baking.

How to Keep Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Moist

There are a few keys to keeping banana bread moist and tender:

• The correct ratio of fat (such as butter) and bananas to flour is key since the fat and bananas add moisture to the batter. Too much fat or bananas, however, and the bread will be gummy and mushy.
• Do not over-mix the batter. Stir just until the ingredients are combined, and you don’t see any dry pockets of flour, then stop. A few lumps in the batter is normal. Overmixing the batter will activate the gluten in the flour, yielding tough, dry bread.
• Do not overbake the bread, or it will become dry. My loaves are typically done by the 55-minute mark, so check it early.

Recipe Variations

• Unsalted Butter. I always keep salted butter in my fridge, so that’s what I use in my recipes. If you prefer unsalted butter, that’s fine — just increase the amount of salt in the recipe to ½ teaspoon.
• Add nuts instead of chocolate chips. Pecans or walnuts are both good options. I recommend following this banana nut bread recipe to include some additional spices as well.
• For a more subtle touch of chocolate, use just ½ cup of the mini chocolate chips instead of 1 full cup.
• For a more intense touch of chocolate, turn this into chocolate banana bread by adding unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top of the batter before baking.
• Add whole grains by swapping out half of the all-purpose flour and replacing it with ¾ cup of whole wheat flour.
• Turn this batter into chocolate chip banana bread muffins by dividing the mixture between 12 standard-size muffin cups that have been greased with cooking spray or lined with paper. Bake in a 375°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Tips for the Best Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe

• Use over-ripe bananas for maximum flavor and sweetness. You want them to look quite speckled and brown! Mash them in a bowl with a fork, or place them in a large Ziploc bag and squeeze them with your hands until they’re perfectly mashed.
• Be careful not to over-mix the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients just until they’re combined. Too much mixing and the bread will come out tough, dense, or dry. The key to keeping quick breads moist is NOT over-mixing.
• The total baking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use (and on your individual oven). I prefer light-colored pans (or gold pans), which cook the bread more evenly. Dark metal pans tend to cause the outside to burn before the inside cooks through. You’ll know that the bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
• If the top of the bread starts to get too dark before it’s cooked through, tent loosely with aluminum foil.
• Avoid your banana bread sticking or falling apart by using a greased loaf pan, or line the bread pan with parchment paper (this also allows for quick removal and easy clean-up!).
• Do not overbake the bread or it will become dry. My loaves are typically done by the 55-minute mark, so check it early.

More Quick Bread Recipes to Try

• Apple Bread
• Amish Friendship Bread without Starter
• Cinnamon Swirl Bread
• Almond Cherry Bread
• Glazed Eggnog Bread
• Easy Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
• Old-Fashioned Boston Brown Bread
• Pumpkin Bread
• Cranberry Bread
• Strawberry Bread
• Zucchini Bread
• Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Blueberry Bread
• Persimmon Bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

5 from 4 votes

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 55 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 2 hours hours

Total: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 301 kcal

This easy and moist chocolate chip banana bread will soon become a staple in your kitchen! Simple ingredients come together in a well-tested recipe, ensuring the end result will be the best version of banana bread you've ever had.

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups mashed banana (about 3 large or 4 medium very ripe bananas)
• 6 tablespoons salted butter melted and slightly cooled
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips (or other chocolate chips of choice)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
• In a separate large bowl, whisk together mashed banana, melted butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract.
  1 ½ cups mashed banana, 6 tablespoons salted butter, ¾ cup sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55-65 minutes. Do not overbake.
• Remove from the oven, unmold from the pan, and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

Notes

• Use over-ripe bananas for maximum flavor and sweetness. You want them to look quite speckled and brown! Mash them in a bowl with a fork, or place them in a large Ziploc bag and squeeze them with your hands until they’re perfectly mashed.
• Be careful not to over-mix the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients just until they’re combined. Too much mixing and the bread will come out tough, dense, or dry. The key to keeping quick breads moist is NOT over-mixing.
• The total baking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use (and on your individual oven). I prefer light-colored pans (or gold pans), which cook the bread more evenly. Dark metal pans tend to cause the outside to burn before the inside cooks through. You’ll know that the bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
• If the top of the bread starts to get too dark before it’s cooked through, tent loosely with aluminum foil.
• Avoid your banana bread sticking or falling apart by using a greased loaf pan, or line the bread pan with parchment paper (this also allows for quick removal and easy clean-up!).
• Do not overbake the bread or it will become dry. My loaves are typically done by the 55-minute mark, so check it early.
• Unsalted Butter. I always keep salted butter in my fridge, so that’s what I use in my recipes. If you prefer unsalted butter, that’s fine — just increase the amount of salt in the recipe to ½ teaspoon.
• Add nuts instead of chocolate chips. Pecans or walnuts are both good options. I recommend following this banana nut bread recipe to include some additional spices as well.
• For a more subtle touch of chocolate, use just ½ cup of the mini chocolate chips instead of 1 full cup.
• For a more intense touch of chocolate, turn this into chocolate banana bread by adding unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top of the batter before baking.
• Add whole grains by swapping out half of the all-purpose flour and replacing it with ¾ cup of whole wheat flour.
• Turn this batter into chocolate chip banana bread muffins by dividing the mixture between 12 standard-size muffin cups that have been greased with cooking spray or lined with paper. Bake in a 375°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 301kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 4gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 198mgPotassium: 237mgFiber: 3gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 223IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 2mg

Keyword: banana bread, banana bread with chocolate chips, banana chocolate chip bread, chocolate chip banana bread

Course: bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Author: Blair Lonergan

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