Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.

This easy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is soft, moist, and flavorful. The secret is to really load up on bananas (you need 5 large!) and use brown sugar instead of white. Add chocolate chips (or nuts or dried fruit) for texture and sweetness.

Slices of Chocolate Chip banana bread on a board.


 

The key to the best Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is a fantastic banana bread recipe that can stand on its own, and then you add the correct amount of chocolate chips.

If your banana bread is dry, flat, and flavorless, chocolate chips won’t fix that! The solution? Lots of bananas and a properly-tested recipe.

This recipe uses 5 large bananas, about 2 ½ cups of mashed banana, and that’s exactly where you need to be. Don’t settle for less. And if you’re bananas aren’t ripe enough, you can fix that in the oven (details below).

Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for chocolate chip banana bread.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Butter: Refrigerated butter generally softens up in about 30 minutes when left out at room temperature. To soften butter in the microwave, unwrap, and place on a microwave-safe plate. Then cook the butter at 10% power for 1 minute. Gently press on the butter with your finger. Still too firm? Cook for another 40 seconds at 10% power.
  • Bananas: Use fully-ripe or slightly overripe bananas (brown spots mean naturally sweet!). See Recipe FAQs for tips on how to ripen bananas in your oven. If you’re short on mashed bananas, add unsweetened applesauce to reach 2 ½ cups. 

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with butter or line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
A bowl of flour next to a lined bread pan.
  1. In a standing mixer fit with the paddle attachment, or with an electric hand mixer by hand, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Making batter for chocolate chip banana bread.
  1. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla bananas, and chocolate chips. Add flour mixture in 3 batches and beat until just incorporated (do not overmix).
A bowl of banana bread batter.
  1. Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top.
Banana bread batter in a loaf pan.
  1. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean, about 50 minutes, checking every 5 minutes after until done. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
A loaf of baked banana bread.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This recipe makes 1 (2-pound) loaf, enough for 8 generous slices.
  • Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
  • Freezer: The loaf can be wrapped in parchment or foil and placed in a zip-top plastic bag and frozen up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
  • Slice right: For a cleaner cut and to steer clear of chocolate streaks from the chips in the batter, allow the Banana Bread to cool completely before cutting into slices, and wipe the blade clean between cuts.
  • Slather your slice: It’s amazing even unadorned, but my ideal Banana Bread slice is served warm and crowned with a pat of butter. If that’s not your jam, try covering your Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting, Almond Butter, Peanut Butter, Tahini, Sunflower Seed Butter, or Cashew Butter.
Slices of Chocolate Chip banana bread on a board.

Recipe FAQs

How do you ripen bananas?

You can ripen bananas in a 300-degree oven: Arrange unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet, then bake until banana skins are completely black all over, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely, scoop banana pulp from peel, and mash.

What else can I add to banana bread?

Chocolate chips or walnuts are classic pairings, but you can also try dried fruit or toasted coconut.

What if I don’t have enough mashed banana for banana bread?

If you’re short on mashed bananas, add unsweetened applesauce to reach 2 ½ cups. 

More no-yeast bars and muffins

Join Us

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow along on FacebookPinterest, and Instagram for our latest recipes! Tag all your glorious creations #culinaryhill so we can eat vicariously through you.
Thick slices of chocolate chip banana bread on a wooden cutting board.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This easy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is soft, moist, and flavorful. The secret is to really load up on bananas (you need 5 large!) and use brown sugar instead of white. Add chocolate chips (or nuts or dried fruit) for texture and sweetness.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 servings (1 slice each)
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 336
5 from 5 votes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with butter or line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a standing mixer fit with the paddle attachment, or with an electric hand mixer by hand, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  • Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla bananas, and chocolate chips. Add flour mixture in 3 batches and beat until just incorporated (do not overmix).
  • Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean, about 50 minutes, checking every 5 minutes after until done. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Notes

  1. Butter: Refrigerated butter generally softens up in about 30 minutes when left out at room temperature. To soften butter in the microwave, unwrap, and place on a microwave-safe plate. Then cook the butter at 10% power for 1 minute. Gently press on the butter with your finger. Still too firm? Cook for another 40 seconds at 10% power.
  2. Bananas: Use fully-ripe or slightly overripe bananas (brown spots mean naturally sweet!). See Recipe FAQs for tips on how to ripen bananas in your oven. If you’re short on mashed bananas, add unsweetened applesauce to reach 2 ½ cups. 
  3. Yield: This recipe makes 1 (2-pound) loaf, enough for 8 generous slices.
  4. Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
  5. Freezer: The loaf can be wrapped in parchment or foil and placed in a zip-top plastic bag and frozen up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 336kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 6gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 278mgPotassium: 383mgFiber: 3gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 291IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
Website | + posts

Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

Quick & Easy Meals in Under 30 Minutes!
15 simple recipes for busy weeknights.

You May Also Like

Questions and Comments

Thank you for your comments! Please allow 1-2 business days for a reply. Our business hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am PST to 5:00 pm PST, excluding holidays. Comments are moderated to prevent spam and profanity.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Hi meegan,I jus made your tabouli salad recipe,turned awesome, will be using this recipe all the time now. Thx fr the recipes .5 stars