Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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Tender and luscious Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe

A delicious, easy to make Banana Bread recipe loaded with mini chocolate chips

There’s something almost magical about Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. With a couple of basic pantry ingredients and a few ‘way-past-prime’ bananas, you can make this exceptional quick bread with deep banana flavor and a lovely light, moist texture.

There’s a fine line between Banana Bread that’s too moist, and one that’s incredibly perfect in every way. This quick bread is, of course, the latter.

By combining three overripe bananas with just the right amount of flour, sugar and eggs, we’ve come up with a fool-proof, rich, flavorful Banana Bread speckled with loads of mini chocolate chip.

Ingredients needed to make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

• unsalted butter – start with room temperature butter for proper mixing. If using salted butter cut the added salt in half.
• granulated sugar – substitute half light brown sugar for the granulated if desired.
• eggs – you’ll need two large room temperature eggs.
• vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• all-purpose flour – measured properly using the scoop and sweep method. Or use our weight measurements listed in the recipe card. Substitute half the AP flour with whole wheat pastry flour for a healthier option.
• salt – table salt is fine or double the amount if using a product like Diamond Crystals kosher flaked salt.
• baking soda – make sure your leavening ingredients are still active using this simple test.
• ripe, speckled bananas – the bananas should be well browned all over, or heavily speckled and the fruit should feel soft to the touch. Mash the bananas with a fork until no lumps remain.
• mini chocolate chips – we don’t recommend using regular chocolate chips as they tend to sink to the bottom of the batter when baked. If you only have full size chocolate chips on hand, give them a rough chop with a sharp knife. You can also use good quality bar chocolate chopped into small shards.

For this recipe you’ll need a light color 9×5-inch loaf pan. If using a dark loaf pan, lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. You may need to bake the bread a few extra minutes, too.

How to make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This recipe uses the basic method of creaming sugar and butter together, then alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients.

1. First, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy, light and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending just until the yolk disappears. Gently blend in the vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, salt and baking soda.
4. Scoop half the flour mixture into the butter and sugar. Blend on medium-low until incorporated.
5. Add half the mashed bananas and mix gently until blended. Repeat adding the remaining flour, then all remaining bananas.
6. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the batter a few times, scraping up from the bottom of the bowl.
7. Add the chocolate chips and fold together until combined.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared 9×5-inch loaf pan.
9. Finally, bake at 350F for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with no wet batter. Moist crumbs are good. Tent with foil if needed to prevent over browning.

This Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe is so easy to make, even non-bakers can quickly master the recipe. In fact, whether you’re a novice baker or pastry chef extraordinaire, Banana Bread with chocolate chips should be in your permanent recipe collection. It’s just that good.

Can you serve Chocolate Chip Banana Bread warm from the oven?

I don’t think there’s anything better than a warm slice of Chocolate Chip Banana Bread fresh from the oven. What a treat! We recommend however, that you wait at least 30 minutes before taking the bread out of the pan. Slice the bread gently into thick pieces so it’ll hold together well.

Once cooled for a bit, our Banana Bread slices beautifully and can be rewarmed gently in the microwave, or lightly toasted under low broil in the oven.

It’s very hard to resist warm banana bread so why even bother? The aroma of Banana Bread baking in the oven is utterly enticing, to say the least.

If you’re trying to impress a special someone or want to sell your house, bake a loaf of this quick bread just before your company arrives. Your house is going to smell amazing and your guests and potential buyers will be practically drooling; promise!

What’s the best way to ripen bananas?

If planned ahead, I recommend buying bananas a week before you need them and then allow the bananas to ripen at room temperature naturally. The banana peel should be mostly brown and heavily speckled on the outside with soft fruit inside when gently squeezed.

Here’s our favorite way to ripen bananas for baking:

Enclose bananas in a paper bag for a few days. The bag will trap the ethylene gas produced by fruit which hastens ripening, while still allowing some moisture to escape. Since fully ripened fruit emits the most ethylene, placing a ripe banana in a paper bag will speed the process by a day or two.

Can you freeze this quick bread?

Freeze banana bread in a whole loaf or individual slices. Be sure to cool completely, then seal tightly in plastic wrap. Place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or unwrapped at room temperature.

Looking for a few more great banana recipes?

For an incredible basic buttermilk Banana Bread with nuts, bake our tried and true Easy Banana Bread recipe.

For a unique and delicious treat, whip up a loaf of our Chocolate Coconut Banana Bread. It has a wonderful combination of flavors and so pretty, too.

Don’t miss our classic Banana Cake with layers of luscious cream cheese frosting. It’s good enough to serve at a birthday party or bake in a 13×9-inch pan and serve at your next pot-luck extravaganza.

We also love these simple Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins. The muffins are moist, delicious and super healthy and loaded with dark chocolate chips, flaxseed meal and whole oats.

Another healthy option are these no bake Banana Bread Energy Bites made with naturally sweet dates and rolled oats. Store in the refrigerator for a quick and healthy snack anytime.

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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 55 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Yield: 10

Course: Breakfast or Brunch, Quick Bread

Author: Tricia

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5 from 4 votes

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An exceptional quick bread with deep banana flavor and a lovely light, moist texture.

Equipment

• 9x5-inch loaf pan

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (86g) room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar (222g)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (252g)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
• 3 bananas, very ripe mashed with a fork
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips (6oz) plus more for garnish

Instructions

• Lightly grease a light color 9x5-inch loaf pan with vegetable cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending just until the yolk disappears. Gently blend in the vanilla.
• In a separate medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add half the flour to the batter and blend on medium-low until incorporated. Add half the mashed bananas and mix just until blended. Repeat with all remaining flour, then all remaining mashed bananas.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the batter a few times scraping up from the bottom of the bowl. Once all ingredients are well blended, add 1 cup mini chocolate chips and fold together.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top with additional chocolate chips.
• Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. Tent with foil if needed to prevent overbrowning. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes the remove from the pan to a wire rack. Serve immediately or cool completely before storing.

Recipe Notes

• Once cool the Chocolate Chip Banana Bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or refrigerated for longer storage.
• The bread can also be covered tightly in plastic wrap and frozen in an airtight, sealed container for up to 2 months.
• If using a dark pan, reduce the heat to 325F and increase the baking time as needed.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 280mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 320IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg

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