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This double chocolate banana bread recipe is seriously packing the chocolate flavor! It’s super moist and those chocolate chips all over the top just make it fun to eat!
We’re big banana bread people in this house! Whether we serve it up for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or dessert – it’s always a big hit!
Our classic banana bread is wildly popular, but this Double Chocolate Banana Bread is really a favorite! I mean, who doesn’t love chocolate?
I’m going to stick with the fact that even though this banana bread is loaded with chocolate, it’s still breakfast food. You’ll find me slathering it in creamy peanut butter and eating it with a cup of coffee.
So good!
Ingredient Notes:
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Bananas – You’ll need 3 medium sized bananas and they should be over-ripe. Extra brown and soft are the way to go! This double chocolate banana bread recipe is the perfect way to use up those brown bananas.
Cocoa Powder – For those of you asking what brand cocoa powder I use, it’s Hershey’s Special Dark. I love the rich flavor it gives and I really like how intensely chocolate the bread looks when you bake with it.
Chocolate Chips – I’m using milk chocolate chips in this recipe but you can use any variety, or even switch things up and mix in some peanut butter chips to turn this into a chocolate peanut butter banana bread!
Sour Cream – It won’t make your banana bread taste sour, but it will help to keep it moist so that it doesn’t dry out.
Bread – Along with the above ingredients you’ll make the banana bread batter with butter, egg, flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and vanilla extract.
What Readers are Saying!
“I’ve made this recipe so many times and it has never failed me in any variation – no matter what kind of cocoa powder, what kind of chip, or if I substitute greek yogurt for sour cream – this is hands down winner for any occasion. We even made this once at a bake sale for my son’s boy scout troop!” – Kayla S.
Helpful Tools:
Loaf Pans – I use these ceramic loaf pans mostly just because I think they’re pretty. Just note that ceramic pans can bake a little different than the traditional metal loaf pan, so you may need to adjust your bake time accordingly.
My Favorite Hand Mixer!
It’s so easy to whip up dessert with this cute hand mixer. It doesn’t take up much space and is a must for any kitchen!
How To Make Chocolate Banana Bread:
Wet Ingredients: To get started you’ll add the butter and sugars to a mixing bowl and beat together until well combined. Next you will beat in the egg, mashed bananas, vanilla, and sour cream!
Dry Ingredients: To finish preparing the banana bread batter you’ll stir in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix all that up until it is well combined into a batter.
Chocolate Chips: With the batter ready you can pour it into a prepared loaf pan and then start topping it with the chocolate chips! Gently press them into the batter.
Bake: Place the loaf pan with the chocolate banana bread batter into your preheated oven and bake for 70 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. This may vary if you use a glass or metal loaf pan so always check!
Serve: You’ll need to let the double chocolate banana bread cool completely before slicing and serving. It’s even better when you slather on some creamy peanut butter!
If you love this bread you’ll also enjoy my chocolate banana bread muffins, they are based off this recipe!
FAQs:
Store it at room temperature in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap! It should last for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze this for up to 3 months.
Sour cream helps make your banana bread more moist. You’ll also want to use over ripe bananas and be careful not to pack in the flour while measuring.
You want to use overly ripe bananas that are mostly brown. They’re sweeter and mushier which makes them perfect for banana bread.
MORE SWEET BREAKFAST RECIPES!
- Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Monkey Bread Muffins
- Biscuit Donuts
- Air Fryer French Toast
- Chocolate Chip Scones
- Homemade Pop Tarts
Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 medium bananas mashed – about 1 cup
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5x3 loaf pan with non-stick spray.
- Add the butter and sugars to a mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla, banana, and sour cream.
- Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan.
- Sprinkle the top with chocolate chips and gently press them into the batter.
- Bake for 70 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. If you under bake this, the center will sink upon cooling.
- Let bread cool completely before cutting and serving.
Ilka says
This recipe is amazing! I followed it as is. The only difference was the baking time for 45 mins at 375. It came out perfect. Favorite new recipe. Next time I’m going to make twice as much because it didn’t last.
Karly says
Oh, I’ve never tried banana bread at a higher temp. I’ll try that sometime! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Marisa says
Hi Karly,
I made the bread as well and followed the directions and it sunk. I noticed that a few areas were just a bit under done. I have a convection oven and I did reduce the temp to 335 is that a good or bad idea? I still left it in for 70min (1 hr and 10min). Regardless it was good, I just want it to be perfect like the photo.
Karly says
Hi Marisa!
A few things that can cause sinking are underbaking and overmixing. I’m not sure how to convert for a convection oven, but as long as the bread was cooked through, I’d guess the sinking was a result of overmixing? All breads will sink a bit, but it shouldn’t sink in too terribly much.
Paige says
Is there a way to make this gluten free (I.e. Substituting the flour)? How should I change the recipe if I do?
Karly says
You could try using one of the 1:1 flour substitutes, but I haven’t tried it myself.
Pamela says
I just made this over the weekend using King Arthur 1:1 gluten free flour. I followed the recipe exactly and I noticed that when I added the flour it got very thick and sort of gummy (which GF flour tends to do) so I added just a splash of whole milk (probably not even a 1/3 C.) and it turned out WONDERFUL! My husband couldn’t tell it was GF 🙂 I baked it in a metal loaf pan and it came out perfect at around 60 minutes. Hope this helps!
Karly says
I’m so glad to hear it worked out for you! That’s great to know! 🙂
Karly says
Thank you for sharing how you made it gluten free! So glad it turned out so great. 🙂
Maria says
So u cooked in for 60mins ina metal pan? How long for glass loaf pan?
Rhonda says
I just made this with Namaste gluten-free flour. I am new to the gluten-free world, so I can tell you that this came out perfectly and I couldn’t tell the difference between regular flour and gluten-free flour.
Baked it for the full 60 minutes and toothpick came out clean, but I left it in another 10 minutes with the oven off just to make sure it wouldn’t fall in the center. It worked beautifully.
Rhonda says
I baked mine in a glass pan.
Also, I should note that the Namaste flour is a 1:1 flour, so it’s easy to convert your recipes with this, and you don’t need to add anything else to it.
Crystal Acevedo says
I have celiac and I use Bob’s mill 1 to 1 baking flour and coconut flour and almond flour. I split all my recipes in thirds and it has been amazing… I found out at 35 yo and had a up coming dessert business . Making wedding and baby shower cakes.. it’s devastated my life… I’m now just getting into we cooking three years later and I’m absolutely amazed with this mix.
Leigh says
Very interested in this recipe, but wondering if you can taste the bananas. If you can taste the bananas, how much can you?
Karly says
Yes, you can taste the bananas.
Ellen Richardson says
So if you use a tester to check for doneness, what temp should it be?
Nicole says
I made this today and my cake sunk. It was in the oven for an hr. I took it out bc the sides were getting hard. What did I do wrong
Susan Claire says
This looks like sin on a plate. As soon as I can get to the store for the cocoa I’m making this bread/cake and keeping it all to myself.
P.S. Took a look at the loaf pans on Amazon-expensive! Of course, if I make a lot of this banana bread and get people hooked on it and refuse to give them the recipe, I’ll have a cupboard full of loaf pans in no time!
cassie walker says
I made this twice. The second time I added 3/8 tsp salt, and it made a surprising difference. The salt gives it a flavor boost. 🙂
Leah Arthur says
Yes to the salt
Kimberly @ Berly's Kitchen says
Chocolate and bananas?! This is my kind of bread. Looks like we’ll be making this over the weekend. My son has been bugging me for banana bread all weekend. He’ll love this!
Jennifer Sin says
Hey Karly thankyou so much for sharing! Baked it today and turned out really fine! Tasted like cafe cake! Did not hv sour cream so I replaced it with cream and some lemon juice along with some almond powder. Served it with Pecan ice cream and my hub loves it!
only question is can i freeze the cake?
Mary norman says
You are def right about it sinking. I tested it and it came out clean but after I baked it for 1 1/2 hours I also didn’t want it to get burnt. It was VERY under baked and sank right away. I’ll try it again but just not sure how long to leave it in now. It’s difficult working with chocolate and trying to figure out if it’s done… . ? ??
Dawn F. says
Here’s a helpful TIP: Bake your “sweet” breads in mini loaf pans as the big bread pans never seem to get the middle totally baked through with out browning/burning the outside. Plus, the mini loaf pans bake time is much less. I made the” Double Chocolate Banana Bread” this morning with 3 mini loaf pans and they turned out Excellent! Bake time was 35 minutes. This bread was so good and chocolatey, will definitely be one for my recipe book!
Theresa R. says
I made muffins instead of bread and they turned out perfect at 375 for about 23 minutes. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Anna says
I’m going to try the muffin thing did you add the chocolate chips in it?
Kathleen Simmonds says
I tried it with the chips in it as muffins. They were delish but very heavy. Tonight, I am making muffins again. This time I added nuts to the batter and sprinkled the choc chips on top. They come out great as muffins. Cook time is much faster too, obviously!
Eileena says
That’s a awesome idea
Lori says
I also made mini squares have a pan that is divided into 12. Oven 375 for 25 minutes. Sprinkled Mini chocolate chips on top with a sprinkle of salt. Perfect. Turned out so good that I immediately made a second batch.
Bonnie Wilson says
I totally agree with Mary Norman, I just tried this..the bottom got too done and it sunk…the chips are messing to “test” around. This is NOT something I will try again..I baked it for appox 1 1/2 as well and still not done. There are other delicious things out there that are not THIS iffy!!!
Karly says
I’m sorry you had issues with this one, Bonnie! So many others have said it turned out great, so I’m not sure what the problem was.
Melinda says
Does sour cream have to go into this bread??
Karly says
You can swap it out with unsweetened yogurt or leave it out altogether. The bread won’t be as moist if you omit it entirely though.
Maranda McArthur says
My son is allergic to eggs. Is there a substitute that will work in this? In cakes, I use applesauce. But I’m not sure that will work in this recipe. It looks great and we want to try it! Thank you!!
Karly says
I haven’t tried using any subs for eggs in this recipe.
Lizz says
I made this and it was perfectly delicious… aside from my oven not being hot enough so it still didn’t set all the way through and the normal loaf pan was too small and it bubbled over quite a bit. Thankfully, I thought “Should I put this on a cookie sheet….? Just in case..?” And it was needed! I’m going to make it again, this time splitting it between two pans, and mixing one half with a 1/4 cup PB2 (powdered Peanut Butter) and the other half with 1/4 cup cocoa powder. I’m pretty excited!! 🙂
Karly says
Glad you thought to add a cookie sheet! 🙂
I bet the PB2 will be a great addition!
Elizabeth says
also didn’t look like the picture all dark and moist ?
Karly says
Sorry you had troubles with this, Elizabeth. The recipe calls for Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa – if you use traditional cocoa you won’t get that luscious dark chocolate look. It should still taste very similar, though.
Markita says
Sounds delicious! I think I’m going to make some this week. What kind of flour did you use? All purpose or self rising?
Karly says
I use all purpose flour.