Revealed: 04/29/2024
Think about a bit of indulgently wealthy chocolate cake paired with a flavorful slice of banana bread. Right here we’re getting two fabulous baked items collectively in a single. This double chocolate banana bread is additional moist, undeniably fudge-like, and may fulfill even the most important chocolate craving. It’s straightforward to make, too!

I’ve made chocolate banana bread a number of occasions over the previous a number of years and have by no means been “wowed.” I actually wished to develop a recipe that delivered a decadent chocolate taste with a moist, dense texture. After a number of tries, I landed on immediately’s chocolate chip-studded magnificence, a loaf that lives as much as my extremely popular and deeply cherished basic banana bread recipe.
Right here’s Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Banana Bread
- Makes use of easy, primary baking components
- Batter comes collectively simply
- Stays moist for days, and likewise freezes effectively
- Dense, however not-too-heavy crumb
- Substantial chocolate taste that doesn’t overpower the banana
- An anytime deal with—take pleasure in with espresso, within the afternoon, or for dessert

Key Substances to Use & Why
Let me share a quick rundown of the components you want and the aim of every. Bear in mind, baking is a science, and the choose components play a vital function within the texture, moisture, taste, and construction of your baked items. I exploit most of the following components in my double chocolate zucchini bread, too.
- Flour: Doesn’t seem to be numerous flour, and also you’re proper, it’s not. Take note there’s additionally cocoa powder. Many of the quantity on this batter comes from the banana.
- Cocoa Powder: Use unsweetened pure cocoa powder, not Dutch-process. Pure cocoa is an acidic ingredient and essential on this recipe. Learn concerning the distinction between Dutch-process vs. pure cocoa powder.
- Softened Butter: Creaming softened butter with sugar gives a sturdy base for this double chocolate banana bread. Make certain your butter is room temperature, and never melted within the slightest. Bear in mind, room-temperature butter means cool to the contact.
- Bitter Cream or Yogurt: Provides moisture.
- Ripe Bananas: This recipe requires 4 medium or 3 massive ripe bananas—the riper, the higher. You need to use thawed frozen bananas, too. See How you can Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking. When you run out of bananas, you’ll be able to substitute in some applesauce; I’d say as much as 1/2 cup is a secure quantity that received’t actually have an effect on the flavour or texture.
- Scorching Water: Sort of random, proper? Effectively, scorching liquid helps cocoa powder bloom, or start to launch its taste. Right this moment’s batter was actually thick, too, and I wished a contact of liquid to skinny it out.
You additionally want some fundamentals like baking soda, salt, chocolate chips, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

Behind the Recipe Testing
I initially started making the bread with vegetable oil as a result of cocoa powder could be very drying and oil brings extra moisture than butter. I exploit oil in my chocolate cake and cream-filled chocolate cupcakes (two favorites!), so it appeared like the only option. Each loaf was just too gentle—it’s onerous to explain, however the taste didn’t match the feel. With the large, daring flavors of chocolate and banana, a light-crumbed baked good simply doesn’t minimize it! As soon as I switched to butter, it was straightforward to make a number of tweaks to provide the scrumptious loaf you see immediately. I’d say creamed butter, bitter cream, and scorching water are sport changers with this one.
Count on a thick batter and use a 9×5-inch loaf pan; an 8×4-inch pan is just too small.

The chocolate banana bread takes about 60 to 65 minutes to bake. Start checking for doneness at 60 minutes utilizing a toothpick; if it comes out principally clear with just a few moist crumbs, the bread is finished.


You don’t have to attend too lengthy for this fast bread to chill; not less than 1 to 2 hours is sufficient. Simply wait till you slice into the nice and cozy loaf with all these melty chocolate chips inside.
And my final piece of recommendation: strive a slice with a beneficiant swipe of peanut butter!
Sure, you need to use frozen bananas on this recipe. Thaw the frozen bananas. Drain off any extra liquid, mash, then use as instructed beneath. See How you can Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking.
Sure, completely. I’ve detailed directions within the recipe Notes beneath.
There isn’t sufficient batter, and I haven’t examined scaling the recipe up. As a substitute, I like to recommend utilizing my extraordinarily comparable, scaled-up recipe for chocolate marble banana Bundt cake.

Different Favourite Banana Recipes:
Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Prep Time: quarter-hour
Prepare dinner Time: 1 hour
Whole Time: 2 hours, quarter-hour (contains slight cooling)
Yield: 1 loaf
Class: Bread
Methodology: Baking
Delicacies: American
Description
This double chocolate banana bread is moist and fudge-like, and comes collectively shortly with a pair bowls and a loaf pan. See recipe Notes for freezing directions and flip the loaf into chocolate banana muffins.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Put aside.
- In a big bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt collectively till mixed. Combine in 3/4 cup (135g) chocolate chips. Put aside.
- Utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar collectively on excessive pace till easy and creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer working on medium pace, add the eggs one after the other, beating effectively after every addition. Then beat within the yogurt, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract till mixed. Add the dry components and scorching water, and beat on low pace till mixed. Batter is thick. Don’t over-mix.
- Pour and unfold the batter into the ready baking pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on high, down the middle of the loaf.
- Bake for 60–65 minutes, ensuring to loosely cowl the bread with aluminum foil midway by way of to forestall the highest from drying out. The bread is finished when a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out clear with just a few small moist crumbs. This can be after 60–65 minutes relying in your oven, so start checking across the 60-minute mark, at 5-minute intervals.
- Take away the bread from the oven and permit it to chill within the pan set on a wire rack for not less than 1 to 2 hours earlier than eradicating, slicing, and serving.
- Cowl and retailer bread at room temperature for five days or within the fridge for as much as 1 week. Banana bread tastes greatest on day 2 after the flavors have settled collectively.
Notes
- Freezing Directions: Freeze baked & cooled loaf, tightly wrapped, for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge. If desired, carry to room temperature earlier than serving. To be taught extra particulars about freeze fast breads, see my put up known as Make-Forward Baking.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): 9×5-inch Loaf Pan or this 9×5-inch Loaf Pan| Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Chocolate Banana Muffins: You possibly can strive these complete wheat more healthy chocolate banana muffins, or flip immediately’s extra decadent batter into muffins. To take action, preheat oven to 425°F (218°C) and spray a muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. Put together batter as directed above, fill every liner to the highest with batter and bake the muffins for five minutes at 425°F (218°C). Then, holding the muffins within the oven, decrease the temperature to 350°F (177°C) and proceed to bake for an extra 14–quarter-hour or till a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out clear. Makes 12–16 muffins.
- Can I Use Entire Wheat Flour? Sure, you’ll be able to substitute the all-purpose flour with complete wheat flour with no different adjustments wanted. The loaf will style denser.
- Cocoa Powder: Use pure cocoa powder, not Dutch-process. See Dutch-process vs pure cocoa powder for extra data.
- Chocolate Chips: Don’t depart these out! They sweeten the bread and provides the bread extra chocolate taste.
- Bitter Cream or Yogurt: I often use bitter cream or nonfat plain Greek yogurt. For the yogurt, you need to use full-fat, low-fat, and even vanilla Greek yogurt as an alternative. Or use common plain yogurt.
- Frozen Bananas: You need to use frozen bananas right here. Thaw the frozen bananas. Drain off any extra liquid, mash, then use as instructed within the recipe. See How you can Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking. Attempt to not mash an excessive amount of or else you’ll be left with 2 cups of banana-y liquid; some chunks are nice.
