Dark Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Dark Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is a chocolatey twist on the classic recipe. Sweet bananas and bold dark chocolate are a perfect treat for breakfast — or anytime!

About this Dark Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe

When I was a kid, I wasn’t one for bananas. I think it may have been a texture thing, and the risk of biting into a mushy one. What I did love, though, was watching them ripen on the counter. I knew it could only mean one thing — banana bread!

My mom would bake a loaf for us to snack on, and an extra for me or one of my siblings to take to our elderly neighbors’ house. Now that I’m older, I’ve overcome my banana-phobia, but I still find myself with a few over-ripe bananas fairly frequently.

This Dark Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is a bit more sophisticated than the loaves from my childhood, thanks to the slightly bitter dark chocolate chips. They are the perfect balance to the sweet bananas, and there’s nothing quite like biting into a warm slice where the chocolate chips are melty and delicious.

In the fall months, pumpkin bread tends to take over as an easy breakfast and it’s hard to beat an iced lemon pound cake for spring and summer brunches. But what this Dark Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is that it can be enjoyed anytime, preferably with a large cinnamon dolce latte in hand!

Since it’s such an easy recipe, carry on our tradition and make an extra loaf or two to share with friends or neighbors. (But if that extra loaf gets eaten before it can leave the kitchen, I won’t tell.)

More baked recipes: Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts • Birthday Cake Cinnamon Rolls • Dutch Poffertjes

Tools & equipment

If you’re a frequent baker — really, even if you’re not — I’m guessing you have everything you need for this Dark Chocolate Chip Banana Bread right in your kitchen!

You’ll need a 9×5-inch loaf pan, a whisk and spatula ^*, measuring cups and a large mixing bowl ^* to make this tasty bread. A wire rack will help your bread cool more quickly, which means it will be ready to taste sooner than later!

Baking Essentials

measuring cup and spoon set

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mixing bowl

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spatula

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^*

Ingredients

For a perfectly chewy loaf of Dark Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, here’s what you’ll need:

• All-purpose flour
• Sugar
• Ground cinnamon ^*
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Ripe bananas
• Melted butter
• Egg
• Vanilla extract ^*
• Dark chocolate chips

Substitutions & variations

While this recipe is called Dark Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, you could use a different type of chocolate chip if that’s what you have on hand, or if something sounds better to you! Milk chocolate chips would make the bread taste sweeter while peanut butter chips would be a tasty compliment to the banana flavor. While you’re at it, consider other additions like walnuts, pecans, or even raisins.

To make this recipe gluten free, swap a different type of flour into the recipe. Almond flour or oat flour would work well.

For a vegan version, use a vegan butter alternative and substitute the egg. Things like a flax egg or applesauce provide the same binding quality as an egg.

Instructions

Now, it’s time to get mixing! First, preheat your oven and prepare your loaf pan. You can grease the pan or line it with parchment paper ^* — whatever you prefer.

Next, whisk together your dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, mash your bananas and stir in the melted butter until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla to your banana mixture, stirring until everything has been combined.

Once you’ve combined your wet ingredients, add in the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. It’s important not to over-mix as it can result in a tough bread. Gently fold in the dark chocolate chips, then pour your batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top, then place in the oven to bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow your bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Resist the urge to cut a slice until it’s cool to prevent your loaf from losing its shape!

Drink pairings

If you’re enjoying your Dark Chocolate Chip Banana Bread in the morning, you can’t go wrong with a cup of coffee. Keep it simple with a French press coffee or mix up an iced caramel macchiato for coffeeshop vibes.

For snacking later in the day, pair your slice with something like a strawberry mocktail. Sweet strawberry will compliment the dark chocolate in each bite. Need something stronger? A banana daiquiri would be the cherry — err, banana — on top of the day!

FAQ

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