Chocolate Banana Bread is the darker, richer cousin to classic banana bread. My version is supremely moist and tender, and it takes just 20 minutes to prepare. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Rich & Flavorful Chocolate Banana Bread
There’s banana bread, and then there’s this chocolate banana bread. The darker, richer cousin to the classic, my chocolate version is loaded with rich chocolate banana flavor and studded with copious cupfuls of chocolate chips. Perhaps a bit too indulgent for breakfast and too tame for dessert, this bread makes for a wonderful snack (although I honestly love it anytime!).
This recipe is a cross between my popular banana bread and my double chocolate muffins. It’s super moist, intensely flavorful, and ultra chocolatey. The crumb is very soft and tender (much like my banana cake), and it beautifully contrasts the rich flavors from the bananas and chocolate. It’s a stunner!
Why You Should Try It:
- Comes together quickly in just 20 minutes (though you’ll need a tad more patience for it to bake).
- Easy to make with no fancy techniques or tools (and no mixer needed!).
- Makes a super moist bread, thanks to overripe bananas and sour cream.
- It can be sliced, wrapped, and frozen for grab-and-go snacking.
What You Need
These key ingredients give this bread its rich flavor and perfectly moist crumb:
- Ripe bananas. The browner the better! The more ripe your bananas are, the more flavorful your banana bread will be.
- Sour cream. This adds moisture and richness. Plain, full-fat Greek yogurt could be substituted here.
- Brown sugar. A combination of light brown and granulated sugar lends flavor and moisture. I don’t recommend using dark brown sugar, as it could make the bread too rich or too heavy.
- Cocoa powder. I use natural cocoa powder, but Dutch process could be substituted.
SAM’S TIP: Toasted pecans or walnuts would taste amazing in this chocolate banana bread! I’d recommend using a smidge less chocolate chips if you do add them, though.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make It
- Combine the mashed bananas, sugars, oil, and sour cream until well combined, then stir in the eggs and vanilla.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add them to the wet ingredients, pausing when everything is about halfway combined.
- Add your chocolate chips, then continue gently stirring until everything is incorporated.
- Pour your batter into a greased and floured loaf pan and top with additional chocolate chips if desired. Bake for 65-75 minutes, let cool, and enjoy!
SAM’S TIP: If you’d like to nudge your chocolate banana bread a little further into dessert territory, you can drizzle it with chocolate ganache. A half batch would be more than enough for this loaf!
Frequently Asked Questions
This banana bread is SUPER moist, so if yours isn’t, something definitely went awry. Overmixing the batter can result in a dense, dry loaf. Be gentle with your batter as you would with any quick bread, banana muffins or, pancakes and don’t use an electric mixer.
Overbaking can also cause this, so be sure to remove your bread from the oven when a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs; a completely clean skewer can indicate an overbaked loaf.
Yes! They’ll likely need to bake for about 20-25 minutes.
Dutch Process cocoa powder should work just fine, but it will give your banana bread a more intense chocolate flavor and darker color.
Banana recipes are quite a hit around here, so I really think you’re going to like this one 😊
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (395 g) mashed over-ripe bananas (this is typically 3 large or 4 small bananas for me)
- ½ cup avocado, canola or vegetable oil
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- ⅔ cup (150 g) full-fat sour cream
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten, room temperature preferred
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50 g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- 1 ½ cups (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips plus additional for sprinkling on top, if desired
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Arrange oven rack to center of oven and preheat oven to 350F (175C) and grease a 9×5 bread pan with baking spray or grease and flour (tap out excess flour). Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine mashed bananas, oil, sugars and sour cream and stir until well-combined.1 ½ cups (395 g) mashed, ½ cup avocado, canola or vegetable oil, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, ⅔ cup (150 g) full-fat sour cream
- Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir well.2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well-combined.2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (50 g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon table salt
- Add flour mixture to banana mixture and stir gently by hand until ingredients are about 50% combined. Add chocolate chips and continue to stir until ingredients are completely combined (don’t over-mix).1 ½ cups (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Pour batter into prepared bread pan and scatter additional chocolate chips over the surface, if desired.
- Transfer to center rack of 350F (175C) oven and bake for 65-75 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched or a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (no wet batter).
- Allow to cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, then carefully (pan will still be hot!) turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Sour Cream
May substitute full-fat plain Greek yogurt instead.Storing
Store covered with foil or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Chocolate banana bread will keep longer in the refrigerator (up to 1 week) but note that the refrigerator tends to dry out the bread. You may also tightly wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Maria B Rugolo
Can nuts be added to this recipe without upsetting the balance of ingredients?
Sam
Hi Maria! You can add nuts here. You could probably add about 1 1/4 cups. 🙂
Anne
Very moist. My boys love it. Thanks for the recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for trying our recipe, Anne! We’re glad it was a hit ❤️
Karen
Has anyone tried turning this into muffin? Would it also yield 12 muffins?
Sam
Hi Karen! I haven’t tried it as muffins, but I would think you would probably end up with about 30.
Michelle
My oh my, decadent and chocolatey! Huge hit!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So happy you loved it, Michelle!! 🥰
Tracy
This was amazing! So easy to put together and beyond delicious. Thank you! 🙂
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Tracy! 🙂
Rita Beyenhof
Can I substitute applesauce for the oil?
Sam
Hi Rita! I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. I think it could work, but I just don’t know for sure. 🙁 Let me know how it goes if you do try it.
Kev
Heavenly, banana, chocolate cake, the essentials of life. Yet another fantastic recipe from Sam, thank you. My only slight problem was it rose too much so had wrapped around the top of the tin but the crust it created was really tasty.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Kev! 🙂
Esther
Hi Sam, I noticed for the flour you have it as 1 1/2 c flour at 250g but isn’t 250g 2 c flour?
Sam
Hi Esther! I am so sorry for the confusion. I have updated the recipe. The gram measurement was correct. Thank you for catching that. 🙂
Cheryl
Amazingly the banana flavor almost dominates the flavor over the chocolate. It is nice and light texture. I except that when I see sour cream in a recipe. Used both regular and mini chocolate chips. It made 4 mini loaves and baked about 40 min.
I think I may try your chocolate muffins and chocolate chip banana bread.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Cheryl! 🙂
Amanda
Delicious! I k my had non fat geek yogurt in the fridge so I subbed that for the sour cream and it was still amazing! Thanks!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Amanda! 🙂
Olivia
Way too much batter for my 9×5 bread pan! It came out over the top and the edges burned before the middle was done. What is the capacity in quarts of your 9×5 bread pan?
Sam
Hi Olivia! I actually have a link to the exact one I use in the recommended equipment section. I’m not sure of the exact volume on it, but you could pull it up to compare it to your pan. I hope that helps. 🙂
Dave
Awesome,it was soooo good thank you
Melody
I’ve made this 2 times already and made it a double batch both times. It was so delicious that we had to mentally talk ourselves out of eating all of it right out of the oven! It lasted 2 days each time!
Thank you for this recipe. Our family absolutely loves it!!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Melody! 🙂