Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
This ultimate chocolate chip banana bread delivers an incredibly moist, tender loaf packed with sweet banana flavor and pools of melted semi-sweet chocolate in every slice. Made with overripe bananas and a simple technique, this one-bowl recipe comes together in just 15 minutes of prep and stays soft for days.
Equipment
- 9x5-inch loaf pan - 23x13 cm, metal bakes more evenly than glass
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium Mixing Bowl or Fork - for mashing bananas
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- Oven thermometer - recommended for accurate temperature
- Wire cooling rack
- Toothpick or skewer - for testing doneness
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Parchment paper - optional but makes removal easy
- KitchenAid Hand Mixer - optional, speeds up mashing and mixing
Ingredients
- 3 overripe bananas - about 1 1/2 cups or 345g mashed, with very brown peels
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter - 75g, melted and slightly cooled
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar - 150g
- 1 large egg - at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract - 5ml
- 1 teaspoon baking soda - 5g
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt - 1.5g
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour - 190g, spooned and leveled
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips - 170g, plus 2 tablespoons extra for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with butter or non-stick spray, or line with parchment paper with overhanging edges for easy removal.
- Mash bananas thoroughly in a large bowl with a fork until smooth with only small lumps, achieving a pudding-like consistency about 1 1/2 cups (345g).
- Add melted butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla to the mashed bananas. Stir with a spatula until fully combined and the mixture looks glossy and smooth.
- Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the wet mixture and stir until evenly distributed before adding flour.
- Add flour all at once and fold gently with broad strokes until just combined and no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips for topping. Fold remaining chips into batter with 4-5 gentle strokes just until distributed.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle reserved chocolate chips on top and press in lightly.
- Bake on center rack for 55-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with only moist crumbs. Tent with foil at 40 minutes if top browns too quickly.
- Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then lift out using parchment handles and cool completely on rack for at least 30-45 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Use bananas with very brown or nearly black peels for maximum sweetness and flavor. Yellow bananas won't provide enough moisture or banana taste.
- Measure flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling with a straight edge. Scooping directly packs in too much flour and results in a dry loaf.
- Do not overmix the batter once flour is added. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the bread tough and rubbery instead of tender.
- Test for doneness with a toothpick, not just a timer. Ovens vary, and the toothpick should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the loaf cool completely before slicing. Cutting too soon makes the inside look gummy and underdone even when fully baked.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute butter with equal parts melted coconut oil or neutral vegetable oil, and use dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Reduce sugar to 1/2 cup (100g) if bananas are very ripe and sweet, though the loaf may be slightly paler and less moist.
- Wrap cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 3-4 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Freeze whole loaf wrapped in plastic and foil for up to 3 months, or slice and freeze individual portions for quick thawing.