This Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is moist, full of banana flavor, and studded throughout with melty mini chocolate chips. It’s a simple, comforting loaf that’s great for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon snack—perfect served warm with a pat of butter or at room temperature.
If you enjoy classic banana bread and love chocolate, this recipe brings the two together beautifully. I adapted a basic, reliably moist banana bread and added mini chocolate chips so the chocolate melts and distributes evenly through the loaf. The result is a tender, buttery bread with pockets of chocolate in every bite.
Tips for perfect chocolate chip banana bread
Follow these practical tips to make a consistently excellent loaf:
- Use ripe bananas. Bananas should have brown spots and be soft enough to mash easily. Mash thoroughly so there are no large lumps—use a fork, potato masher, or pastry cutter for a smooth texture. Avoid bananas with entirely black peels, as they can taste fermented.
- Choose mini chocolate chips. Smaller chips spread more evenly and create uniform pockets of melted chocolate. Toss the chips with a light dusting of flour before folding them into the batter to help prevent sinking. Reserve a small handful to sprinkle on top so there are visible chips on the crust as well as inside.
- Measure flour correctly. Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife instead of scooping directly from the bag to avoid packing in too much flour, which causes dry bread.
- Don’t overmix. Combine wet and dry ingredients just until incorporated. Overmixing develops gluten and leads to a tougher texture.
- Watch baking time. Test with a toothpick in the center—when it comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter), the bread is done. If the top begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover the loaf with foil and continue baking until the center is set.
- Use brown sugar. Brown sugar adds moisture and depth of flavor that granulated sugar cannot replicate. Stick with the brown sugar called for in the recipe for the best texture and taste.
Freezing Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Cool the bread completely on a wire rack.
- Slice into serving-size pieces.
- Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap.
- Place wrapped slices in a labeled freezer bag or airtight container.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw slices at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave or oven before serving.
Can I add nuts to this bread?
Yes. If you like nuts, fold up to 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or your preferred nut into the batter for added crunch and flavor.
More recipe ideas you might enjoy: Chocolate chip pancakes, banana chocolate chip muffins, oatmeal banana bread, sour cream banana bars, and banana cupcakes. Try this loaf as a template—adjust chips, nuts, or spices to suit your taste.
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and comment about how you liked it. Feedback helps refine and share favorite baking tips with others.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Rating: 5 from 2 reviews
- Author: Cindy @mycountrytable
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 75 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: About 10 slices
- Category: Bread
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is moist and dense with buttery banana flavor and is studded with mini chocolate chips throughout. It’s wonderful plain, spread with butter, or reheated briefly for a melty treat.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups very ripe bananas, mashed (about 4 medium bananas)
- 1/2 cup full-fat buttermilk
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until blended. Stir in the mashed bananas.
- Add the buttermilk and dry ingredients alternately, beginning and ending with the buttermilk, and mix just until incorporated—do not overmix. Fold in 3/4 cup of the mini chocolate chips (tossed with a little flour if desired to prevent sinking).
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the batter.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with slightly moist crumbs, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil and continue baking.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, invert the loaf onto a wire rack, then immediately flip it upright so the melted chips on top don’t stick to the rack. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.
- Slice with a sharp knife to the desired thickness. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Store leftover bread wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze slices for longer storage (see freezing instructions above).
Notes
- For a nutty variation, fold in up to 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- To freeze: slice completely cooled bread, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then place in a labeled freezer bag for up to 3 months.