Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This chocolate chip banana bread has become my new go-to when I have overripe bananas that need using up. If you’ve never tried it, chocolate and banana is one of the best flavor combos ever! Oh yes, although I adore regular soft and delicious banana bread you can’t deny that adding in a ton of chocolate makes it so much more delicious (and exciting). There’s nothing better than a warm slice in the morning with a hot cup of tea or coffee, worth getting out of bed for, right? This bread keeps well for a good few days so you can snack on it throughout the week and I’ve got top tips on how to store it to stop it from drying out too.

You can easily adapt this recipe by adding nuts or your chocolate of choice, it’s super delicious, easy, and a great way to use up leftovers. See my full step-by-step recipe below with helpful photos, notes, and tips! For another delicious bread recipe, see my Homemade Bread Pudding. 

What you need to make this recipe

Bananas – you have to use overripe bananas for this to work. They should have brown and black spots all over (see my photo above) and be soft so they are really easy to mash. Overripe bananas are extra sweet and soft making them perfect for baking with.

Vanilla – use vanilla extract for a real vanilla taste and stay away from vanilla essence which is synthetic.

Butter – softened butter is a must so bring it out of the fridge in advance. It’s creamed together with the sugar and the only way to do that is by using softened, room-temperature butter.

Sugar – I use granulated sugar for this but brown sugar will also work.

Chocolate chips – I love to use semi-sweet chocolate chips because banana bread is already really sweet. If you want you can use bittersweet chocolate which will also be delicious or even milk chocolate if you don’t mind the extra sweetness.

Salt – even in sweet recipes salt is an important ingredient, you don’t need much at all but it really enhances the flavors!

How to make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together except the sugar and set aside.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs in one at a time then add the vanilla and mashed bananas.

4. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients until almost combined.

5. Fold in the chocolate chips making sure to reserve some for topping.

6. Transfer to a greased loaf pan and sprinkle over extra chocolate chips, bake until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Pro tips for making this recipe

• If your bananas are not quite ripe yet then you can “ripen” them at home in the oven, see how to do this below.
• Don’t overmix the batter or your bread will be too dense.
• Don’t worry if your mashed bananas have some lumps in them they’ll add a pop of flavor.
• Make sure your butter and eggs are both at room temperature for best results.
• Looking for variations? you can add in chopped walnuts or pecans for extra texture, it’s delicious.
• If you’d like to make this into muffins be sure to check out my Banana chocolate chip muffins recipe.
• If you’re not sure if your banana bread is ready you can insert a skewer into the middle of the loaf and if it comes out clean it’s ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I ripen bananas quickly?

If you need to ripen bananas for a recipe like this just place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350F (180C) for about 10 minutes or until the skin blackens and the bananas are soft. Allow to cool a bit, then remove skin, transfer to bowl and mush up! If you have some almost ripe bananas and a little time you can store them in a closed paper bag and the ethylene they naturally emit will ripen them at an accelerated rate.

How to stop it from drying out?

Wrap the bread in plastic wrap or foil to stop it from drying out. Luckily chocolate chip banana bread is a very soft and moist bread so it won’t dry out easily but wrapping it definitely helps keep it at its best. Ziploc bags or airtight containers are also good for storing it in.

How long does it last, can it be frozen?

The bread will keep well wrapped up in a sealed container for 3-4 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing the bread in slices for ease, make sure to thaw it completely before serving. The bread can be warmed up in an oven or toasted under the broiler once thawed.

If you’ve tried this recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!