Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe is rich, moist, and loaded with banana and dark chocolate flavor. Ready in just 10 minutes of prep, it’s perfect for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
This is a brief summary of the recipe. Jump to the recipe to get the full details.
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Cooling Time
1 hour
Total Time
2 hours 10 minutes
Servings
12 servings
Difficulty
Easy
Calories *
263 kcal per serving
Technique
Mix batter, assemble bread, bake, cool and serve.
Flavor Profile
Rich chocolate banana bread.
* Based on nutrition panel
This loaf came out with the richest chocolate flavor thanks to the Dutch cocoa powder! The sliced banana on top baked into something almost caramelized, and the molten chocolate chip pockets throughout put it completely over the top. This is dessert disguised as breakfast, and I have zero complaints.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mara
When my youngest daughter, Addy, had to go on a temporary dairy-free diet, I knew it would be an adventure. While I’m grateful this isn’t a permanent allergy, I’ve been on a mission to find wholesome foods that can be made dairy-free without anyone noticing (like these soft banana bread muffins or vegan banana bread).
Enter this chocolate banana bread. It’s rich, moist, and deeply chocolatey, with just the right amount of sweet banana flavor. It’s the ultimate breakfast, snack, or dessert! Think of it as double chocolate banana bread, basically a chocolate lovers dream in loaf form. Best of all, the swaps to make it dairy-free are simple (like Target-aisle easy), so you can whip this up whether you’re dairy-free full-time or just making adjustments for a family member.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- This bread has a rich, chocolatey flavor that pairs perfectly with banana. The incredible flavor and deep chocolate color from the Dutch process cocoa powder is the ideal flavor pairing with banana!
- It’s easy to tweak for dietary needs. This chocolate banana bread is equally delicious whether you’re making it regular, dairy free, gluten free, or vegan!
- This quick and easy dessert gives a fun twist to a classic treat. With just 10 minutes of prep, you can enjoy this uniquely delicious take on a beloved quick bread! This loaf is not just an easy breakfast treat, it also makes the perfect afternoon snack.
Table of Contents
Ingredients & Substitutions
Making this dairy-free chocolate banana bread couldn’t be easier! Like my chocolate chip banana bread recipe or my vegan oat flour banana bread, you’ll just need a few simple ingredients. Let me tell you about the key ingredients!
- Dutch-process cocoa powder. This nifty ingredient has been popping up on the blog many times (looking at you, black forest cherry brownies and double-chocolate peppermint crunch cookies). Dutch process cocoa is more reddish in color and is less acidic than regular, and it gives baked goods a uniquely soft texture and dark, deep chocolate flavor without any bitterness and with double the fat of regular cocoa!
- Read more about the differences between Dutch process and regular cocoa if you’re curious.
- Overripe bananas. I’m talking about the spotty yellow or solid black bananas that are past the point of eating as a snack. Their concentrated banana flavors will shine and live a new, very fulfilling life in banana bread. (If they aren’t quite there yet, make banana pudding or banana bars with cream cheese frosting instead!)
- Brown sugar. One of my favorite versatile ingredients, I love the softness and moistness (and of course, sweetness) brown sugar lends to any baked good. That combination of molasses + sugar can’t be beat, except maybe by my molasses cookies. The light brown sugar blends easily with large eggs to create a moist, chocolaty crumb!
- Chocolate chips. One cannot simply have chocolate banana bread without adding a generous handful of chocolate chips to the batter so that, once baked, they turn into molten pockets of chocolate goodness!
- Use semi-sweet chocolate chips for balance, or go all in with dark melty chocolate chips for a chocolate lovers dream. If you love chocolate and banana together, don’t miss these recipes for nutella-swirled banana bread and chocolate-glazed banana bread muffins.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations for Chocolate Banana Bread
- Make it dairy free. Swap the melted butter for melted coconut oil and use dairy-free/vegan chocolate chips.
- You can also add richness by swapping in sour cream or yogurt for extra moisture in the batter. Or swirl in peanut butter, like my peanut butter banana bread!
- Bake it vegan. Follow the dairy free swaps above, and also use a vegan flax egg replacement instead of the egg. To make a flax egg, simply combine 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 2 ½ tablespoons of water and let it sit for 5 minutes, or until thickened.
- Go for gluten free. Use your favorite measure-for-measure gluten free baking flour, such as King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill, in place of the all-purpose flour. Ensure that all your other ingredients are certified gluten free as well.
Professional Tips
- Be sure to only grease the bottom of the loaf pan. Greasing the sides of the pan is unnecessary, as we’re using parchment paper to prevent sticking. Also, greasing the sides of the pan makes the crust of quick breads crunchy and sharp-edged instead of smooth and rounded.
- Line the loaf pan with a parchment paper sling. To do this, cut one strip of parchment as long as the pan (in this case, 9 inches) and wide enough to hang over the longer edges of the pan on both sides by about 2 inches. Place strip inside loaf pan, then spray bottom only with cooking spray. Hold it in place with two clothespins or binder clips when you’re spreading the batter in the pan, then remove them before baking.
- Do not substitute the Dutch-process cocoa powder with regular cocoa powder. It is less acidic than regular, and adds a rich flavor, double the fat, and a dark color with no bitterness. Changing it will affect the rise of the bread as well.
- Check the bread’s internal temperature for doneness. This is a more objective test than a toothpick! Simply insert a digital thermometer into the center of the loaf; it should read 200°F.
How to Make Chocolate Banana Bread
Use these instructions to make the perfect chocolate banana bread every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Prep the pan and oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray on the bottom only, then line it with a piece of parchment paper.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients. Mash three of the bananas in a medium bowl until they are well broken down, then whisk in the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract.
Be sure your mashed bananas are smooth before whisking into the large bowl with the other wet ingredients. Smooth mashed bananas make the mixture consistent.
Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients. Pour the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and whisk together until well blended.
Step 4: Make the batter. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until the batter is well combined and no streaks of flour remain, but be careful not to overmix. Stir in the chocolate chunks.
Whether stirring by hand or with a mixer and paddle attachment, be gentle. When adding the chocolate, always fold with a spatula instead of stirring vigorously; it keeps the loaf tender.
Step 5: Assemble the bread. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Slice the remaining banana lengthwise into three evenly sized lengths, then place them on top of the loaf and press them gently into the batter. Scatter demerara sugar on top if desired.
Step 6: Bake the bread. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. The loaf is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or when the loaf has an internal temperature of 200°F.
Step 7: Cool and serve. Let the banana bread cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then use the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan. Let it finish cooling completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour, then slice and enjoy.
Recipe FAQs
I recommend using very, very ripe bananas to make banana bread, and always mash them up thoroughly before adding to the batter. This really is one of the most important steps in the whole process! Also, be sure to use melted butter (for a dairy recipe) or oil (for a dairy-free recipe) to add lots of moisture to the batter, and be careful not to overbake the bread. Bake it until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or until it has an internal temperature of 200°F on a digital thermometer.
I always store my chocolate banana bread tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. This keeps it wonderfully moist and prevents it from drying out. If you need to keep it longer, wrap the cooled loaf well and pop it in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Honestly, this bread didn’t make it past a couple of days in our home so I have no firsthand experience with freezing this particular banana bread, but I have frozen many a banana bread in my day, and here is how I do it with great results every time.
Cool the loaf completely. Wrap the loaf, whole or sliced, tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap, then place it into a large, zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw, leave the frozen bread wrapped or unwrapped in the fridge or on the counter until thawed. Enjoy!
Honestly, this chocolate banana bread is divine all on its own—rich, moist, and full of deep chocolate-banana flavor. But if you want to dress it up, try serving it slightly warm with a smear of salted butter or a drizzle of peanut butter for extra indulgence. (If you’re a cookie butter fan, you will definitely want to try this cookie butter banana bread too!)
If you’re making this for brunch, pair it with a main course like everything bagel quiche or breakfast casserole with bread, a bowl of fruit salad or pineapple-macadamia nut parfait, and a cappuccino. Perfection!
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If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below! I love hearing from you and your comments make my day!
Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 4 medium bananas, very ripe, divided
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted*
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks or chips
- 1 tablespoon demerara sugar, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom only with cooking spray. Place a parchment paper sling (see Notes) inside a nonstick 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, mash 3 bananas until as smooth as possible. Whisk in melted butter, then stir in brown sugar, egg and vanilla.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk or sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.
- Pour and spread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Slice remaining banana lengthwise into 3 even-size planks, then place on top of loaf; press down gently. Sprinkle it with demerara sugar, if desired.
- Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then use the parchment paper sling to gently remove from the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days, or up to 1 week refrigerated.
Notes
- Yield: 12 slices
- To make this banana bread dairy-free: Swap butter for melted coconut oil and use dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Do not swap the Dutch-process cocoa powder for regular unsweetened cocoa powder. It is less acidic than regular, and adds a rich flavor and dark color with no bitterness. (The same thing goes for any recipe with Dutch process cocoa powder, like my Devil’s Food Cake Recipe!)
- To make a parchment paper sling, cut one strip of parchment as long as the pan (in this case, 9 inches) and wide enough to hang over the longer edges of the pan on both sides by about 2 inches. Place strip inside loaf pan, then spray bottom only with cooking spray.
- Avoid getting a crunchy “lip” on the crust by spraying the bottom of the loaf pan ONLY — not the sides. Spraying the bottom + using the parchment sling will help you get the loaf out of the pan with ease, and there will be no lip!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this easy and delicious quick bread recipe. Check out our other delicious quick bread recipes like this sourdough banana bread!
This loaf came out with the richest chocolate flavor thanks to the Dutch cocoa powder! The sliced banana on top baked into something almost caramelized, and the molten chocolate chip pockets throughout put it completely over the top. This is dessert disguised as breakfast, and I have zero complaints.
I had some bananas getting aggressively spotty, so this came at the perfect time. I used big chocolate chunks and added the banana slices on top to make it look a little extra. It baked up with that rich brownie-meets-banana vibe and held together really well. I brought a few thick slices to a park hang the next day and they were gone in minutes.