Name: Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 3
Ingredients: 1 cup flour; 3/4 cup cocoa; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 cup oil; 1/4 cup melted butter; 3/4 cup brown sugar; 1 egg; 3 overripe bananas, mashed; 1 1/2 tsp vanilla; 1 cup chocolate chips, divided

Double Chocolate Banana Bread . . . with both cocoa and chocolate chips, this banana bread is a chocolate lover’s dream! Every bite is decadent.

Quick breads are tasty, but they’re even more delicious when chocolate is involved! Don’t miss my recipes for Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread and Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins.

I don’t know how things are at your house, but at mine it seems like every time be buy bananas, we end up with at least one of them going overripe. Instead of letting them go to waste, I like to store them in the freezer until I have enough of them to whip up a batch of banana bread.

Since I’ve got several chocolate fans at my house, it was only a matter of time before I tried chocolate banana bread. With cocoa powder and chocolate chips in the batter, and chocolate chips on top of the bread, this recipe is rich and delicious! Needless to say, it was an instant hit with everyone in the family.

How to make Chocolate Banana Bread

Ingredients:

all purpose flour
unsweetened cocoa powder (I used regular, but Dutch or dark would work fine)
baking powder
baking soda
salt
canola oil (you can use vegetable oil or any other oil that is liquid at room temperature)
melted butter
brown sugar
egg
over ripe bananas
vanilla extract
chocolate chips (I used half semi sweet and half milk chocolate chips)

This bread is super simple to make. Just whisk together your dry ingredients in a small bowl, and your wet ingredients in a large bowl. Stir the two together, and add most of the chocolate chips.

Divide the batter between three well greased mini loaf pans. Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top of the loaves. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

How do I store banana bread?

It will last for 3-4 days at room temperature if wrapped tightly or stored in an airtight container. Refrigerating it will extend the life, but it also tends to dry the bread out a bit. I like to let it come to room temperature before eating it.

For longer storage, I recommend wrapping the loaves in plastic wrap, then placing them in gallon sized freezer ziplock bags. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

PRO TIPS

-Make sure you use overripe bananas for best flavor. The skin should be completely covered in dark spots, or totally brown, even black. The riper the banana, the sweeter and more flavorful the bread.

-Don’t overbake the loaves. I actually overbaked the loaves in these photos because I got distracted. They usually look even more moist and delicious! Just bake them till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Try to poke the toothpick in a part that doesn’t have a chocolate chip.

-If you want an even richer chocolate flavor, use Dutch process cocoa and semi sweet chocolate chips.

This is a great recipe for teaching kids to cook. Seriously, the hardest part about making this bread is mashing the bananas. And even that’s easy enough that a child can do it. My little kitchen assistant was thrilled about her banana mashing job!

Since this recipe makes 3 loaves, you can share one with a friend. If they love banana bread and chocolate, they will be thrilled to get a loaf. So share the joy.

And just in case any of you super observant people notice, no my daughter’s name isn’t Spencer. She’s wearing her brother’s old apron. 😉

Can I use frozen bananas?

Yes, as long as they were overripe when they were frozen. Just let them thaw till they are soft enough to mash, and they work great.

I only have a large loaf pan, can I use that instead of the mini loaves?

Yes, you can use a large (10″ x 5″) loaf pan. You will need to bake the bread for 50-60 minutes, maybe more. When I use a large loaf pan, I like to turn the heat down to 325 degrees and bake for 5-10 minutes longer. That seems to help prevent the sides browning too much before the middle sets.

Can I make chocolate banana muffins instead of bread?

Yes, you can make this batter into muffins. Spray your muffin tin with non stick cooking spray. Adjust baking time to about 18 minutes, but watch them closely as the time may vary. You should get about 18 muffins, depending on size.

Have extra overripe bananas? Here are even more tasty ways to use them: