Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Name: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 1¾ cups all-purpose flour ((210g)); 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon salt; ¾ cup sugar ((150g)); ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature (113g)); 2 large eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla ((5ml)); 3 very ripe bananas (mashed (1 1/2 cups)); 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ((180g))

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If you’re like me and sometimes find some forgotten overripe bananas hidden on the counter, the perfect way to put them to good use is this chocolate chip banana bread recipe! This loaf is so wonderfully moist and full of sweet banana flavor. It will be the only banana bread with chocolate chips recipe you’ll ever need.

Whether you plan on enjoying this loaf for breakfast or as an afternoon snack, this banana bread tends to disappear fast off the counter. So it’s a good thing this loaf comes together quickly and easily. Simply mix the ingredients in a mixing bowl, then transfer to a pan and bake! You’ll have this loaf ready in no time. If you want another easy bread recipe, then try my apple bread, chocolate zucchini bread, or classic banana bread.

What You Need to Make This Recipe

An overhead shot of all the ingredients you need to make chocolate chip banana bread.

Leavening agents — make sure the baking soda and baking powder are fresh. You should switch out old baking soda and powder every six months or so. Using expired baking soda or baking powder can lead to disappointing results.

Sugar — you can use brown or granulated sugar for this recipe! Or, do half and half. I like to do a mix if I’m not serving the entire loaf immediately because the brown sugar helps keep the banana bread moist for longer.

Butter — like most baking recipes, this chocolate chip studded banana bread uses unsalted butter. You use unsalted butter as the amount of salt in salted butter can vary from brand to brand, so using unsalted butter and measuring out salt to add to the batter, allows us to control the amount of salt added.

Eggs — bring the eggs to room temperature so they mix into the batter more seamlessly! Cold eggs require a little more mixing, and you don’t want to overmix the batter.

Vanilla — real vanilla extract is preferred as the flavor is better than artificial extract. Check out my homemade vanilla extract recipe if you want to try to make some at home!

Bananas — you need overripe bananas to make the best banana bread, as they’re extra soft, easy to mash, and sweet! Your banana bread will be so much more flavorful with spotty overripe bananas than if you used yellow bananas. If you have overripe bananas but don’t want to make this banana bread with chocolate chips just yet, peel and freeze the bananas until ready to use.

Chocolate chips — I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use your favorite type of chocolate chip or even chocolate chunks. Not a huge fan of chocolate chips? Try my regular banana bread recipe.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Set of two photos showing dry ingredients whisked and sugar added to butter.

1. Whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

2 In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter together on medium-high speed until fluffy and pale in color.

Two photos showing mashed bananas and dry mixture added to a bowl.

3. Mix in the eggs one at a time, stop and scrape down the bowl, then beat in the vanilla extract. Mix in the mashed bananas.

4. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and mix together until almost combined.

Set of two photos showing chocolate chips added to the mixture.

5. Reserve a handful of the chocolate chips and stir the rest into the batter.

6. Pour the batter into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan, and sprinkle the extra chocolate chips on top. Bake for 60 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove and finish cooling on a wire rack.

A loaf of chocolate chip banana bread on a work surface with chocolate chips scattered around.

Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

Be careful not to overmix the batter! Overmixing can create a dense and tough loaf of banana bread as it develops the gluten in the batter. Mix just until the wet ingredients and dry ingredients are combined to ensure a super moist chocolate chip banana bread. Overmixing can also cause the center of the bread to sink.
Sugar plays a significant role in ensuring the bread stays moist over time. I don’t recommend changing the amount of sugar added to the banana bread.
You can mash the super ripe bananas until smooth or leave some chunks in there for more texture in the bread.
Ovens and the material of baking pans can vary, so the baking time might vary a little. If you’re concerned, you can use a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the banana bread to check if the bread is done right before the 60-minute mark. It should come out pretty clean or with just a few crumbs on it.
Allowing the banana bread with chocolate chips to cool before slicing will help the slices hold their shape. The bread may be crumbly when straight out of the oven.
To measure your flour correctly, I recommend using a scale. If you do not have a scale, spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. If you scoop directly from the bag of flour, you will overpack the measuring cup and get too much flour, leading to a dense loaf.
If you’re wondering if you could turn this into a chocolate chip banana muffins recipe, I recommend you check out my super easy banana chocolate chip muffins recipe!

Chocolate chip banana bread cut into slices.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I quickly ripen my bananas?

If your bananas aren’t ripe enough to mash, place the bananas on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until the skin blackens and the bananas are soft. Allow the bananas to cool a bit before peeling them to mash.

If you have some almost ripe bananas and a little extra time, you can break apart your bananas and store them in a closed paper bag, and the ethylene they naturally emit will ripen them quicker.

How do I store leftovers?

It’s best to store banana bread at room temperature on the counter, as the cold air from the fridge can dry it out. Cover the bread with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container. This chocolate chip banana loaf will keep for up to 4 days on the counter.

Can I freeze this?

Yes, you can freeze this bread! Wrap the entire loaf or individual slices tightly in plastic before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to three months. When ready to eat, you can remove the slices from the freezer bag and thaw at room temperature.

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