Chocolate Banana Bread (Printable)

Moist and rich banana loaf with chocolate chips and optional nuts, ideal for any time.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (220 grams)
02 - ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (25 grams)
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 3 ripe medium bananas, mashed (about 1 ¼ cups)
06 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled (115 grams)
07 - ⅔ cup granulated sugar (130 grams)
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Add-ins

10 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (175 grams)
11 - Optional: ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (60 grams)

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly blended.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk mashed bananas, melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and uniform.
04 - Fold the dry mixture gently into the wet ingredients just until combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - Fold in chocolate chips and nuts if using, ensuring even distribution.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
08 - Allow bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 20 minutes of prep, so you can have homemade goodness without the fuss.
  • The chocolate isn't overpowering—it just whispers in the background, making every slice taste more interesting than plain banana bread.
  • Somehow it stays moist for days, which means you're actually eating it instead of watching it dry out by Thursday.
02 -
  • The toothpick test is your friend—pull it out too early and you'll have a raw, sunken center; leave it in too long and the bread becomes dry and dense, which defeats the entire purpose.
  • Don't skip cooling the melted butter; hot butter will cook your eggs into scrambled bits, and your batter will become grainy and separated instead of smooth and cohesive.
03 -
  • If you like a deeper chocolate flavor, add an extra tablespoon of cocoa powder and reduce the flour by the same amount—this keeps the proportions balanced.
  • Scatter extra chocolate chips on top of the batter just before baking so they melt slightly into pockets of chocolatey goodness throughout the finished loaf.

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