This Double Chocolate Banana Bread is the perfect way to enjoy the classic combo of chocolate and banana. Made with sweet, overripe bananas, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips, it delivers double chocolate flavor in every bite. It's a delicious way to turn those bananas on your counter into something truly special.
Double Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Dessert / Sweet Bread
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 40-50 min bake time
- 🍴 Servings: 8 servings
- 🍫 Flavor Profile: Rich, chocolatey, sweet, and moist with deep cocoa flavor
- ☕ Best Served With: Coffee, tea, or as a brunch treat
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, even better the next day as flavors develop
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After testing this double chocolate banana bread a few times, I discovered the trick: a foil tent during the last 10-20 minutes keeps it moist and tender. It's perfect for brunch or as an after-dinner treat and has quickly become one of my weekend staples.
If you're looking for more recipes that feature ripe bananas and rich chocolate, you should try chocolate banana pancake pops, banana Nutella muffins, and banana chocolate chip muffins.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- You don't need a mixer: What I love about easy baking recipes is that I don't need any extra equipment. You can use a whisk or silicone spatula to mix the ingredients for this easy chocolate banana bread.
- It's guaranteed to be soft and moist: I use a secret trick to keep this the most moist chocolate banana bread possible, which I will share with you in this recipe.
- 50 minutes total is a win: Prep and baking take 50 minutes in total, which is fantastic for a homemade bread recipe like this one. Especially since it only takes 10 minutes of hands-on time.
Ingredients
- Bananas: Very ripe or overripe bananas are ideal. They offer the moist sweetness and pronounced banana flavor. Also, they provide more moisture. The more black spots that they have, the better!
- Cocoa powder: The best cocoa powder for this recipe is natural unsweetened cocoa powder. It adds a rich, chocolate flavor and works with the baking soda to help it rise properly.
- Chocolate chips: I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips. They are the perfect combination of sweet and bitter to keep the flavor of this banana bread balanced.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar: Each sugar serves a purpose: brown sugar provides moisture and depth of flavor, while white sugar is for structure. I use this combination in Drake's coffee cake for the same reason.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Add nuts: Fold in ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to add texture.
- Use milk or dark chocolate: Try this recipe with milk chocolate chips for more sweetness or dark chocolate chips for a less sweet version.
- Make it into muffins: Scoop the batter into a muffin tin and fill them ¾ full. Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes to enjoy double-chocolate banana muffins.
How to Make Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line your loaf pan with parchment paper. Then, you can get started on your chocolate banana bread with chocolate chips!
Step 1: Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Combine the wet and dry ingredients separately in bowls to mix. Add the dry ingredients to the wet.
Step 2: Mix the batter. Gently mix your batter with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until it is just combined.
Step 3: Transfer to the pan. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and top with the remaining chocolate chips
Step 4: Bake and slice. Place it in the oven and bake it for about 30 minutes, and then tent it with foil for the remaining 10-20 minutes or until it's baked through. Slice once cooled and serve with a coffee milkshake.
Expert Tips
- Don't skip the foil step: After the first 30 minutes of baking time, tent your chocolate banana bread with foil. This prevents the top from browning too much, while also trapping moisture as the center finishes.
- Use a light-colored pan: Dark metal absorbs more heat, allowing the outside of your chocolate banana bread to brown more quickly than the middle cooks. A light metal pan will help it bake more evenly.
- Avoid overmixing the batter: Only mix the ingredients until they are just combined-even a few streaks of flour are okay! Overmixing the batter develops more gluten, which will cause your banana bread to be tough.
- Storage directions: Wrap your banana bread in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container, and you can keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days. You may also refrigerate it for up to 5 days.
Another double chocolate treat recipe I recommend are these double chocolate chip cookies.
Serving Suggestions
- Scoop of ice cream: Enjoy a slice of this chocolate chocolate banana bread with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream or this chocolate crunch ice cream.
- Add a tasty topping: Drizzle some blueberry syrup on top or even caramel to make it extra indulgent. These air-fried candied walnuts make a lovely topping as well, adding a crunchy texture.
- Pair with a warm drink: Serve this banana bread as a sweet breakfast with a hot cup of coffee or Kahlua hot chocolate.
Double Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe FAQs
The best way is to insert a toothpick directly into the center. It's ready when it comes out mostly clean. With just a few moist crumbs. If there's still wet batter, it needs to bake longer. Just keep in mind that you might hit a melted chocolate chip, so just test again if that happens.
There are a few reasons this can happen, but it usually comes down to too much moisture, underbaking, or overmixing. Measure carefully and avoid adding extra banana, since that can affect the structure. Use the toothpick test and a foil tent if needed to help the center bake through, and be careful not to overmix the batter.
I don't recommend it because it reacts differently with baking soda. It's less acidic than natural cocoa, so it won't create as much lift, which can leave your banana bread denser instead of light and tender.
Yes! Overripe bananas bring a softer texture and sweeter flavor, giving your banana bread a richer taste and more moisture. Ripe bananas with just a few spots have a milder flavor and a firmer texture.
Of course you can. Freeze them in slices by wrapping each slice in plastic wrap, then placing them in a freezer bag. You can also freeze the loaf whole with the same method. Keep the chocolate banana bread in the freezer for up to 3 months, and you can thaw it on the counter for a couple of hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Equipment
- 1 9x5 inch loaf pan (light colored baking pan)
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas about 1 ¼ cups, mashed
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips divided
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Add the bananas to a large bowl. Mash with a fork.
- To the bowl, add the butter, eggs, vanilla, and sugars. Stir until combined. Set aside.
- To another bowl, add the remaining ingredients. Reserve a ¼ cup of chocolate chips. Stir until combined.
- Transfer the dried ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir until combined.
- Transfer the batter to a parchment paper-lined, greased 9x5 baking pan.
- Top the bread with the remaining chocolate chips.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Add a piece of aluminum foil loosely on top so as to keep the bread moist.
- Bake for 10-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with crumbs on it.
- Remove the bread from the oven. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, transfer the bread by pulling it out by the parchment paper to a cooling rack.
Notes
- After the first 30 minutes, loosely tent your double chocolate banana bread with foil to keep the top from overbrowning while helping the center finish baking and stay moist.
- Dark metal pans absorb more heat, so the outside of your chocolate banana bread can brown before the center is fully baked. Using a light-colored pan helps it bake more evenly.
- The best way to check doneness is to insert a toothpick into the center. It's ready when it comes out mostly clean, with just a few moist crumbs. If it picks up wet batter, bake a little longer. Keep in mind that a melted chocolate chip can stick to the toothpick, so just test again if that happens.
Colleen says
Excellent. Moist. Loads of chocolate.
Karin and Ken says
I totally agree! All the best. Karin