🍌🍫 Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Moist, tender, buttery, and loaded with chocolate chips, this easy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is the perfect way to turn ripe bananas into a comforting homemade treat.
Ripe bananas provide natural sweetness and plenty of moisture, while melted butter creates a rich, tender crumb. A touch of cinnamon adds warm flavor, and chocolate chips melt into pockets of chocolate throughout every slice.
It’s simple enough for everyday baking and delicious enough to serve for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
⏱️ Recipe Information
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 50–60 minutes
Cooling Time: 15–20 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8–10 slices
Difficulty: Easy
Method: Oven-Baked
🛒 Ingredients
- 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
- 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ½ cup (85 g) chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Optional Additions
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- Extra chocolate chips, for topping
- A pinch of flaky sea salt, for finishing
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Prepare the Oven and Pan
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Grease a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray.
For easier removal, line the bottom and long sides with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang.
2. Mash the Bananas
Peel the ripe bananas and place them in a large mixing bowl.
Mash thoroughly with a fork until mostly smooth.
A few small banana pieces are perfectly fine and will add extra texture to the finished bread.
3. Add the Sugar and Egg
Add the sugar and egg to the mashed bananas.
Whisk until well combined and slightly creamy.
If using vanilla extract, add it at this stage.
4. Add the Melted Butter
Slowly pour in the melted butter while stirring.
Make sure the butter has cooled slightly before adding it so it doesn’t accidentally cook the egg.
Mix until evenly incorporated.
5. Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
This distributes the leavening and spices evenly throughout the flour.
6. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture.
Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold until just combined.
Do not overmix.
A few small streaks of flour disappearing into the batter are preferable to mixing too much. Overmixing can make the banana bread dense or chewy.
7. Fold in the Chocolate Chips
Add the chocolate chips and gently fold them into the batter.
Reserve a small handful of chocolate chips for sprinkling over the top if desired.
8. Fill the Loaf Pan
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Smooth the top gently with a spatula.
Sprinkle additional chocolate chips over the surface for an extra chocolate-filled finish.
9. Bake
Place the loaf pan in the preheated oven.
Bake for approximately 50–60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
If the top begins browning too quickly, loosely cover the loaf with aluminum foil during the final 15 minutes of baking.
10. Cool
Remove the banana bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for approximately 10–15 minutes.
Use the parchment overhang to carefully lift the loaf from the pan.
Transfer it to a wire rack and allow it to cool for another 10–15 minutes before slicing.
For the cleanest slices, let it cool almost completely.
⭐ Chef’s Tips
Use very ripe bananas: Bananas with plenty of brown spots provide the best sweetness, moisture, and banana flavor.
Measure the flour correctly: Too much flour can make banana bread dry. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it rather than packing it down.
Don’t overmix: Mix only until the flour disappears. This keeps the crumb soft and tender.
Cool the butter slightly: Hot butter can affect the egg mixture, so let it cool for a few minutes after melting.
Don’t overbake: The bread should be moist and tender. Remove it once a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs rather than completely dry.
Add chocolate on top: A handful of extra chocolate chips on the surface gives the finished loaf a bakery-style appearance.
🍫 Easy Variations
Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Add 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and use extra chocolate chips.
Banana Nut Bread
Fold in ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans along with the chocolate chips.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Swirl ¼ cup creamy peanut butter over the batter before baking.
Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread
Replace the chocolate chips with roughly chopped milk, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate.
Cinnamon Sugar Banana Bread
Sprinkle the top with a mixture of 1 tablespoon sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon before baking.
Salted Chocolate Banana Bread
Finish the baked loaf with a very light sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
🍽️ How to Serve
Enjoy slices warm or at room temperature.
For an extra-indulgent treat, serve with:
- Butter
- Peanut butter
- Nutella or chocolate spread
- Whipped cream
- Vanilla ice cream
- Fresh berries
- A drizzle of melted chocolate
Warm a slice for a few seconds in the microwave to soften the chocolate chips and make the loaf extra gooey.
🧊 Storage
Once completely cooled, wrap the banana bread tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container.
Store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Allow refrigerated slices to come closer to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
❄️ Freezing
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread freezes beautifully.
To Freeze the Whole Loaf
Wrap the completely cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then place it inside a freezer-safe bag or container.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
To Freeze Individual Slices
Slice the bread and wrap each piece individually.
Place the slices in a freezer-safe bag.
This makes it easy to remove only as many slices as needed.
Thaw at room temperature or gently warm in the microwave.
🍌🍫 Final Result
This Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is everything a homemade banana bread should be: soft, moist, buttery, warmly spiced, intensely banana-flavored, and filled with gooey pockets of melted chocolate.
It’s an easy one-bowl-style bake that turns a few overripe bananas into something incredibly comforting.
Grab those ripe bananas, add plenty of chocolate chips, and bake yourself a loaf of pure homemade comfort! 🍌🍫✨