Double Chocolate Banana Bread

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This may just be my new all-time favorite banana recipe.

It’s insanely moist, deeply chocolaty, and easy enough for even a beginner to bake. If your chocolate banana bread has ever turned out bland, dry, or sunken, this recipe fixes that!

It was actually inspired by an East Village bakery crawl in NYC. The midnight banana bread loaf at Red Gate Bakery was so incredible I knew I had to make my own version of it when I got home.

This perfectly sweet treat is going to become your favorite breakfast/dessert/snack too!

Sprinkle of Science

Baking Success Tips

• Use very ripe bananas for sweetness and moisture.
• Measure flour carefully to avoid dryness.
• Don’t overmix once the flour is added.
• Use a metal baking pan. Glass or ceramic will take longer and may result in sinking.
• Cook to an internal temperature of 200°F to ensure no gummy, underdone, or sunken centers.

Ingredient Notes

The below ingredients do the heavy lifting in this recipe, and were carefully chosen and tested to provide the best baking result.

• All-Purpose Flour – Measure correctly, the #1 reason banana bread turns out dense or dry is because of mis-measured flour.
• Cocoa powder – I used Dutch-processed for a smooth chocolate flavor and deep, luxurious color. Natural cocoa works, too. Read my cocoa powder guide here.
• Mashed banana – The star of the show! Be sure to use overripe bananas and mash well with a fork or potato masher.
• Sour cream or plain full fat yogurt – Either one will work to yield a moist banana bread with a beautiful rich crumb.
• Butter and Oil – Butter provides flavor, oil creates a moist texture that stays tender for days.
• Chocolate chips – For folding into the batter and drizzling on top as an optional finishing touch. I used semisweet chocolate chips, but dark or milk chocolate chips will work fine.

How to Make Chocolate Banana Bread

• Prepare the pan. Line a 9 by 5-inch metal loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Don’t use a smaller size pan; otherwise your banana bread may overflow while baking!
• Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugars, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• Combine the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, stir together the bananas, sour cream or yogurt, eggs, butter, oil, and vanilla.
• Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Gently fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just barely combined.
• Fold in the chocolate chips. Be careful not to overmix. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until slightly domed and the internal temperature registers at least 200°F with an instant read thermometer. Cool on a wire rack until completely cooled.
• Make the chocolate drizzle (optional). Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between bursts, until melted. Drizzle over the top of the cooled loaf. Let set before serving.

How to Ripen Bananas Quickly

To speed up ripening, place bananas in a paper bag and store in a warm area for a day or two. The peels create ethylene gas, which fills up the bag and helps them ripen faster.

To ripen bananas today, place whole unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the skins are darkened and the fruit is soft. This doesn’t yield the same effect as allowing the bananas to ripen naturally, but it’ll work in a pinch.

Wrap leftovers tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. The banana flavor will intensify the longer it sits. For longer storage, freeze slices individually and thaw at room temperature.

How to Make

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

By: Tessa Arias

4.93 from 176 votes

Yield: 1 9-inch loaf

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Review Print

This easy chocolate banana bread is ultra moist, deeply chocolatey, and beginner-friendly. Tested tips for perfect texture every time.

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Ingredients 

For the bread:

• ▢ 1 cup (127 grams) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/2 cup (43 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder*
• ▢ 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups (340 grams) mashed banana (3 very overripe bananas)
• ▢ 1/2 cup (120 grams) sour cream or full fat plain yogurt, at room temperature
• ▢ 2 large eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
• ▢ 3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until just warm
• ▢ 3 tablespoons (34 grams) vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

For the chocolate drizzle (optional):

• ▢ 1/4 cup (43 grams) semisweet chocolate chips**

Instructions 

Make the bread:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 by 5-inch metal loaf pan*** with parchment paper, leaving an overhang. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugars, baking soda, and salt.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the bananas, sour cream or yogurt, eggs, butter, oil, and vanilla. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just barely combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, being very careful not to overmix. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake until slightly domed and the internal temperature registers at least 200°F with an instant read thermometer, about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before using the parchment overhang to remove the loaf from the pan to finish cooling completely. Bread will collapse slightly as it cools.

Make the chocolate drizzle (optional):

• Once the bread has cooled, place the chocolate chips in a double boiler set over simmering water or place in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between bursts, until melted. Drizzle over the top of the cooled loaf (coating will be thick). Let set before serving, serve same day for best appearance.
• Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap or foil and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. The banana flavor will intensify the longer it sits, and the chocolate coating will harden as the loaf sits and may bloom (slightly discolor). If you prefer, microwave slices before serving to soften.

Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

Recipe Notes

*I prefer Dutch-process cocoa for its flavor and color in this recipe, but you can use natural unsweetened cocoa powder instead.

**For an ultra-chocolaty experience, use ¾ cup (128 grams) of semisweet chocolate for the topping. Once the chocolate is melted, use a spatula to coat the entire top of the bread. Coating will be deliciously thick and will solidify when cooled.

***If baking with a glass or ceramic loaf pan, drop the temperature to 325°F and increase the baking time by about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the loaf registers at least 200°F internal temperature.

How to Turn Chocolate Banana Bread into Banana Muffins:

I haven’t tried that with this recipe, but you could turn this banana bread recipe into about two dozen muffins, if you wish. Fill the batter about 3/4 full into the cavities of two standard muffin tins. Bake at 350°F for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Photos by Joanie Simon.