This chocolate banana bread has plenty of melted chocolate and cocoa, plus sour cream and, of course, plenty of mashed bananas. Rich chocolate chips are the finishing touch!
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Why you'll love this chocolate banana bread recipe
This bread tastes richly of both chocolate and bananas, with neither taste overpowering the other. The crumb is moist and tender, and just sweet enough.
If you love chocolate and bananas, don't just throw some chocolate chips in ‘regular' banana bread. Go all the way with this recipe. Go big or go home!
The marriage of chocolate and bananas is just such a blessed union. To develop this recipe, I began with my recipe for one-bowl banana bread. Often, I can develop a chocolate version of something by replacing some of the butter with melted chocolate and finding a way to sneak in some cocoa powder.
Not this time! I tried a simple swap of ingredients like that, and it was a disaster. The recipe failed so badly that it simply wouldn't bake all the way through without positively burning on the outside.
Recipe ingredient notes:
- Unsweetened chocolate: We use this type of chocolate because it adds a ton of rich, chocolate flavor without adding any sugar. That allows us to control the amount of sugar precisely.
- Butter: Butter adds richness, some moisture, and lots of flavor and tenderness. Unsalted butter allows us to control the precise amount of salt in this recipe.
- Bananas: Use the ripest bananas you can find, and measure them by weight so you're certain that you're using exactly the right amount, mashed. You can add some chopped, ripe bananas like you do chocolate chips, but it's truly optional.
- Sugar: Regular white granulated sugar is a sweetener and a tenderizer.
- Sour cream: Sour cream adds a lot less moisture than buttermilk would, and adds richness and makes this chocolate banana bread very tender.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract adds depth of flavor to this quick bread, and since we associate the aroma with sweetness, it makes the bread taste a touch sweeter without adding more sugar.
- Egg: This recipe calls for only one egg, which acts a binder and helps the bread rise.
- Cocoa powder: You can use Dutch-processed cocoa powder (richer, deeper flavor) or natural cocoa powder (some acidity, still lovely chocolate flavor), as long as it's unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Flour: I began with Better Batter's classic all purpose gluten free flour blend here, since it has just the right balance of ingredients to make the perfect chocolate banana bread. If you're not gluten free, you can use whole wheat pastry flour in an equal amount, by weight, and you should get comparable results.
- Baking powder: Double-acting baking powder is activated once when it's hydrated in the batter, and again when the bread is put in the oven. Be sure yours is fresh!
- Baking soda: Baking soda helps with caramelization and neutralizes any acidity from the sour cream and any natural cocoa powder if you're using that.
- Salt: You don't need a lot, but you cannot bake without salt to balance and enhance other flavors. I always use kosher salt, which is very common in baking, because it's easier to avoid overmeasuring it.
- Chocolate chips: This bread has a few chocolate chips to add some texture, and to intensify the chocolate flavor. If you'd prefer to make it without chocolate chips, try using a different flavor of chip or even chopped soft nuts like walnuts or pecans.
How to make chocolate banana bread
First, melt the chopped unsweetened chocolate and butter. You can do that in a heat-safe bowl over a double boiler, or in a heat-safe bowl in the microwave, on reduced power in 30-second intervals. The microwave creates hot spots, so be sure to stir in between spins in the microwave, so the heat is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
Second, mix the remaining wet ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. That includes the mashed bananas, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and sour cream, and the beaten egg. Mix in the melted chocolate and butter next, until well-combined.
Next, add the dry ingredients (cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt) to the mixing bowl, and mix. Then the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick.
Finally, transfer the batter to a prepared loaf pan, and bake until done. Cool, slice, and serve!
Tips and tricks to make the perfect chocolate banana bread
Why is my banana bread dense?
Quick breads are more like muffins than they are cakes, and they are meant to have a more dense crumb. It should still be moist and tender, though, even though it will be somewhat tighter. If your banana bread seems tough, not tender, here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Did you measure your ingredients properly? If you overmeasured your flour and undermeasured the wet ingredients, your quick bread will be dense.
- Did you bake in an oven that was too hot? Most ovens run hot (mine included) so I always use a standalone oven thermometer as my guide, and replace it often.
- Did you overbake your banana bread? Any baked goods that keep baking after they're done will dry out.
Be sure that your baking powder and baking soda haven't expired
If your chemical leaveners are out of date, they won't activate when they're hydrated the way they are meant to be. If you only have baking soda but not baking powder that's fresh, try making your own baking powder from baking soda by adding one part baking soda to two parts cream of tartar.
Use a light-colored loaf pan made from cast aluminum
My favorite loaf pans are nonstick pans made of cast aluminum, that are light in color. Darker colored pans attract too much heat, so the outside tends to burn before the banana cake is baked all the way through. Avoid baking in glass loaf pans, as they retain too much heat and have a tendency to burn baked goods.
Use naturally-ripened bananas
You can help bananas ripen somewhat more quickly by placing them in a paper bag with an apple. You cannot successfully ripen bananas by baking them in the oven, which will blacken the peel but not actually develop the sugars in the bananas.
So you don't get caught without ripe bananas, when you have some you aren't ready to use, peel, chop, and freeze them. Store them in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag until ready to use. Then defrost gently in the microwave at low power or at room temperature before baking with them.
Chocolate banana bread ingredients & substitutions suggestions
Egg free banana chocolate bread
Since there is only one egg in the whole loaf, you can try a “chia egg,” which is just 1 tablespoon of ground white chia seeds + one tablespoon of lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel.
Dairy free banana chocolate bread
For dairy free, nondairy sour cream and vegan butter (Melt or Miyoko's Kitchen are my favorite brands) should work.
Storing and reheating chocolate banana bread
This banana bread can be stored, wrapped tightly, at room temperature for 2 or 3 days. For longer storage, avoid refrigerating the bread since that tends to be drying. Instead, place each individually wrapped slice in the freezer for at least 3 months.
To reheat this banana bread, defrost each slice gently in a low power microwave oven or at room temperature. To refresh to like-new texture, sprinkle the defrosted bread lightly with water and place in a 300°F toaster oven until warm.
FAQs
No, this recipe can't be made with milk in place of sour cream, but you can replace the sour cream with plain Greek-style yogurt. If you don't have sour cream or Greek-style yogurt, try straining regular plain yogurt of much of its moisture in a fine mesh sieve until it's about the consistency of Greek-style yogurt or sour cream.
If you try to hurry up the ripening of your bananas using one of the methods you see on other websites, like baking your bananas in a very low oven, you'll have soft bananas with dark skins, but they won't be ripe. The only way to quicken the ripening of your bananas is to put them in a paper bag with an apple, and let them sit on the counter. They won't ripen in minutes, but they will ripen more quickly than they would otherwise.
When baked goods rise in the oven and sink as they cool, it's usually because they are baked on the outside, but not fully all the way through. As steam escaping when the bread cools, the bread collapses. This usually happens in a too-hot oven, which causes the outside to cook too quickly, long before the inside is fully baked and can support the rise. Use an oven thermometer for best results, as most ovens (including mine!) run hot!
You can leave out the chips, but I really recommend adding something in their place, as they take up some space and help fill out the bread. Try using the same amount of chopped nuts instead!
You can use either Dutch-processed cocoa powder or natural cocoa powder in this chocolate chip banana bread recipe. The natural cocoa powder is more acidic, but the acidity will be neutralized sufficiently by the baking soda already in the recipe.
Quick breads are more like muffins than they are cakes, and they are meant to have a more dense crumb. It should still be moist and tender, though. If your banana bread seems tough, not tender, here are some questions to ask yourself:
Did you measure your ingredients properly? If you overmeasured your flour and/or undermeasured the wet ingredients, your quick bread will be dense.
Did you bake in an oven that was too hot? Most ovens run hot (mine included) so I always use a standalone oven thermometer as my guide, and replace it often.
Did you overbake your banana bread? Any baked goods that keep baking after they're done will dry out.
Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter chopped
- 2 (200 g) peeled ripe bananas mashed very well (from about 2 medium bananas)
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (85 g) sour cream at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature
- ⅜ cup (30 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; please click thru for full info on appropriate blends)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips tossed with 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ ripe banana chopped (about 1/4 cup), optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease or line a standard 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan and set it aside.
Melt the chocolate.
- In a medium-size, heat-safe bowl, place the chopped chocolate and butter. In the microwave in 30-second bursts, or over a simmering pot of hot water, melt until smooth. Set aside to cool briefly.
Prepare the batter.
- In a large bowl, place the mashed bananas, granulated sugar, sour cream, vanilla and egg, and mix to combine well.
- Add the melted chocolate and butter mixture, and mix again until well-combined.
- Add the cocoa powder, flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt, beating to combine. Do not overmix. The batter will be very thick.
- Add the chocolate chips, and mix until they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter. Add the optional chopped banana and fold in the banana as gently as you can to avoid mashing the extra banana.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan, and press into an even layer in the pan. Again, the batter will be very thick.
- Smooth the top with a wet silicone spatula or wet hands. For a uniform rise, use a small, sharp knife to slash the center of the batter from one short side to another, about 1/4-inch deep.
Bake the banana bread.
- Place the loaf pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Rotate 180° and continue to bake until the loaf is firm to the touch on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about another 25 minutes.
- If you’ve added the additional chopped banana, the baking time will likely need to be increased by about 5 or 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition information is per slice assuming a loaf cut into 10 slices, is approximate as created using online nutrition calculators, and should not be relied upon.
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Cyntia says
Excellent recipe and easy to make with great result. The cake is soft and tasty 😋😁
LOUISE FREEMAN says
Can you substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream?
Nicole Hunn says
If you use plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature, and measure by weight, that should work just fine, Louise. I recommend against using fat free yogurt, which will make the bread much less tender.
Donna Pierangeli says
Nicole Hunn With stand up mixers do you have to use your arm at all? I have arthritis in my right elbow and arm bothers me
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Donna, I’m hesitant to answer that, since you’ll always have to do some manual work like scraping the bowl and you may have to manually mix in something like chips, but you don’t mix by hand when you’re using a stand mixer for a particular task. I’d google stand mixers and take a look at how they work before making a decision on a purchase.
Jane Bibby says
This bread is dense, moist, chocolatey and holds together so well. Excellent!