Chocolate Banana Bread

This incredibly tender and moist bread is packed with chocolate chips, making it the best banana bread you’ll ever taste. Easy to make and ready in just 10 minutes, this recipe combines the natural sweetness of bananas with the decadence of chocolate and is perfect for using ripe bananas.

Chocolate banana bread and oat flour chocolate chip cookies are two of my favourites recipes because of my obsession with chocolate chips.

Why you will love this recipe

• Flavor: Chocolate banana bread uses a perfect balance of ripe bananas and chocolate chips, resulting in delightfully rich and moist bread that brings luscious chocolate banana flavor to every bite.
• Texture: The Chocolate banana bread is perfectly rich and soft. The combination of banana and chocolate results in a moist texture but does not make it overly soft or gooey.
• Easy to make: This recipe uses simple baking ingredients that can be mixed easily. It results in super moist banana bread that can be used any time of the day.
•  The best part of this recipe is that it stays moist for a couple of days and can be stored well in the freezer.
• This recipe strikes the perfect balance: its rich chocolate flavor doesn’t overwhelm the banana’s deliciousness.

Ingredients

• Bananas—this recipe requires ripe bananas. They mash easily, and their natural sweetness and soft texture ensure a tasty outcome.
• Sugar – adds sweetness and an appealing golden surface to bread.
• Butter – Unsalted butter (at room temperature) as it incorporates smoothly
• Eggs – large (at room temperature) to bind other ingredients together in the batter
• Vanilla Extract– add richness and balance the sweetness
• Flour – All-purpose or gluten-free flour can be used if allergic or desired.
• Cocoa Powder –  Dutch-process cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• Baking soda – help the banana bread rise
• Salt – fine sea salt
• Chocolate Chips – semisweet chocolate chips

How to make Chocolate banana bread

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf tin with nonstick baking spray and line it with parchment paper to stick better. Remember to use enough parchment paper to hang over the sides so that it will be easier to remove the banana bread later.

• In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients, including flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Whisk until well combined and set aside.

• Add the butter, sugar, and oil to a large mixing bowl and mix using an electric or hand mixer until well combined and the mixture turns soft and fluffy.

• Next, add in eggs and mix until completely combined.

• Add ripe bananas to a bowl and mash them using a fork until smooth or chunk-free.

• Next, add the mashed banana and vanilla extract to the wet ingredients and blend until thoroughly mixed.

• Add dry ingredients and ¾ cups of chocolate chips to wet ingredients and fold gently until combined, being very careful not to overmix.

• Transfer the batter to the prepared tin and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of chocolate on the top.
• To remove air bubbles, lightly drop the tin on the counter and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife comes out almost clean.

• Carefully remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 15 minutes.

• Then, using a parchment overhang, remove the loaf from the pan and transfer it to the cooling rack or serving plate.

• Allow it to cool further for about 20 minutes. It’s ready to serve; cut it into slices and enjoy.

• It’s best to serve chocolate banana bread when it’s slightly warm.

Tips for perfect Chocolate Banana bread

1. The key ingredient that will greatly contribute to this recipe is ripened bananas. It is best to look for bananas that are soft to the touch and have brown spots because this implies ripeness and sweetness, which makes them perfect for baking. However, if bananas have too many brown spots and are completely dark, they are overripe, making them imperfect for baking.

2. It is best to measure your ingredients accurately because this can greatly impact your end result. A little miscalculation can cause the bread to dry or mushy.

3. Avoid overmixing your banana bread batter, as it will lead to a denser texture and uneven rising.

How to Get Bananas to Ripen Quickly

If you have greenish or unripe bananas and want to speed up the ripening process, you can bake them in a 300°F oven for 60 minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. This way, you can quickly turn your firm bananas into soft and sweet ones ready for baking.

How to Store Banana Bread

You can easily store this chocolate banana bread, as it stays fresh and moist for days.

Once it is completely cool, wrap the chocolate banana bread in plastic or food wrap. Store it at room temperature to keep it fresh for up to a week. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to 3 months, but be sure to wrap it properly to protect it from freezer burn. Let it thaw to room temperature before serving this delicious bread.

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