This ultra chocolatey, extra fudgy, homemade chocolate banana bread recipe is super easy to make, and it’s wonderful to serve for breakfast or dessert.
The best chocolate banana bread
One taste of this chocolaty recipe, and you’ll seriously feel like you are eating actual chocolate cake. And yet it is secretly good for you at the same time!
To cut back on calories without sacrificing taste or texture, I’ve packed a full two cups of mashed banana into the decadently rich and dark chocolate banana bread.
The moisture and sweetness from the extra banana makes the recipe so soft and delicious that you’d swear it absolutely must be full of fat and sugar. But it’s not at all!
You may also like this Vegan Lemon Bread
Healthy chocolate banana loaf
The chocolate banana recipe can be low fat, high fiber, egg free, gluten free, oil free, completely vegan, and refined sugar free.
It makes a great gift, and leftover slices can also be frozen for a rainy day when you need some instant chocolate comfort food.
What could be more deliciously comforting than moist homemade double chocolate banana bread, ready whenever you want it?
I decided to add a handful of extra chocolate chips to the top this time, both for presentation and because there’s absolutely no such thing as too much chocolate.
Try it for breakfast with an Avocado Smoothie or Tofu Scramble
Five new flavor ideas
Chocolate Peanut Butter: Add a third cup of softened peanut butter to the batter and omit the fourth cup of oil in the recipe below.
Mocha Chocolate Chip: Stir half a teaspoon of instant coffee granules into the banana bread batter. Taste, then stir in additional coffee if you want a stronger flavor.
Coconut Chocolate: Add up to half a cup of shredded coconut to the mixture. You can also add a fourth teaspoon of coconut extract if you want. Sprinkle more coconut on top right before the chocolate loaf goes into the oven.
Nutella Banana Bread: Instead of the oil, use a third cup of either store bought chocolate hazelnut spread or this Homemade Nutella Recipe. For a fun and crunchy texture boost, you can also throw in up to half a cup of crushed toasted hazelnuts.
German Chocolate Bread: Just before baking, sprinkle finely chopped pecans, mini chocolate chips, and toasted coconut over the top of the chocolate banana bread loaf.
Recipe ingredients
Here’s what you need to make the chocolate bread: ripe bananas, unsweetened cocoa powder, pure vanilla extract, baking powder, sweetener, salt, baking soda, white or apple cider vinegar, and oil or milk of choice.
Optional add-in ideas include a handful of chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans, diced dried dates, half a teaspoon of cinnamon, or the aforementioned chocolate chips to turn it into triple chocolate banana bread.
I love using coconut oil. But if you want to make it an oil free recipe, you can easily substitute additional banana, plain or Greek yogurt, sour cream, milk of choice, or even almond butter or peanut butter instead.
Spelt flour, white all purpose flour, oat flour, or gluten free flour baking mixes like Bobs Red Mill work in the recipe. I do not recommend coconut flour here, because it is much too dry.
I have not tried the bread with almond flour so cannot recommend it here. However, the almond flour banana bread mentioned in the recipe below is wonderful. I’m hoping to adapt that one into a chocolate version in the near future. Stay tuned!
Readers also love these Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
How to make chocolate banana bread
There’s no stand mixer or blender required. You simply combine the banana bread ingredients, spread the batter into a pan, and add chocolate chips on top if you wish. Bake in the oven, then slice and enjoy. It tastes even better the next day!
To make the recipe, start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan or line it with parchment paper. Set the prepared baking pan aside.
Whisk the mashed banana, sweetener, pure vanilla extract, vinegar, and oil or milk of choice in a large mixing bowl.
Stir the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and optional mini chocolate chips together. I like to do this in a separate bowl to ensure the most even mixing, but you honestly can make it a one bowl banana bread if you prefer.
Combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients until just evenly mixed. Then spread the dough evenly into the loaf pan. For presentation, I like to sprinkle more chocolate chips on top and press them down into the top of the chocolate loaf cake.
Place the pan on the oven’s center rack, and bake for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven but do not open the door at all. Let the chocolate banana bread sit an additional 10 minutes in the closed oven.
Remove from the oven. Mine is always done after this time. Depending on the elevation and climate where you live and if your oven is calibrated or not, yours might still look under-baked. If this is the case, turn the oven back on and continue to cook until a toothpick inserted into the center of the banana loaf comes out mostly clean.
Let the banana dessert cool before loosely covering it, leaving a space for air and moisture to escape. If you can wait, I highly recommend letting it sit overnight, either on the counter or in the refrigerator, because the taste and texture are ten times better the next day.
Also try this Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Storage tips
Leftover banana bread is fine to leave out overnight on the counter. Cover the bread, making sure to leave a small opening for air to escape, because there is a big difference between super moist and gummy.
Due to the perishable ingredients, it is best to store leftovers in the fridge after a day. Just like traditional banana bread, this recipe should last about four to five days.
If you still have leftover chocolate banana bread after this time, slice and freeze the loaf for up to three months in a covered container. Place a piece of parchment between layers so the slices do not stick together.
The best way to thaw frozen banana bread is to transfer the container to the refrigerator the night before. In the morning, remove the chocolate slices and heat them in the microwave or a skillet or in the oven.
More Banana Bread Recipes
Above, watch the chocolate banana bread recipe video
Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups overripe mashed banana
- 2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp white or cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup oil or milk of choice
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
- 1 3/4 cup spelt, white, oat, or bob’s gf flour (or make this Almond Flour Banana Bread)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp dutch cocoa or additional regular
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp each: baking powder and salt
- optional 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- The oil version will be richer and better textured; the oil-free version will be lower in calories. So it depends on your own personal preference.Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan. Line with parchment. Whisk first five ingredients in a bowl. Whisk remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, then pour wet into dry. Stir until just evenly combined. Spread evenly into the loaf pan. If desired, sprinkle more chocolate chips on top and press down. bake 45 minutes, then turn off the oven but do not open the door even a crack! Let sit an additional 10 minutes in the closed oven before removing. (If still undercooked at this time, turn oven back on and continue baking—checking every five minutes—until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.) Let cool, then very loosely cover or refrigerate overnight before slicing and serving if you can wait, because the taste and texture are ten times better the next day!View Nutrition Facts
Notes
Have you made this recipe?
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Healthy chocolate recipes
Christy says
Also I used 4 bananas. I didn’t wait for them to ripen. I ripened them in the oven. 300° 15 minutes or less with skins on. When skins are black take out and let cool a bit. Works perfectly.
Jane says
I followed the recipe to a T and my entire family could not get enough, including two picky eater kids. Ten stars!
Christy says
Making these yet again because they are the best muffins I have ever had. So moist and practically guilt free except for maple syrup and almond butter for the oil. I highly recommend these as muffins. I have never made it as a loaf. Thanks Katie for all of your great recipes. I have been a bit obsessed with them. I have made these, your applesauce muffins, pumpkin muffins, black bean brownies and white bean Blondies. Only one recipe was a bit of a failure. Everything else was a hit! Keep on doing what you are doing!
Mary A. says
My favorite chocolate banana bread recipe! Rich and fudgy to the last slice! Could this recipe be baked as muffins?
CCK Media Team says
You will most likely need to reduce the baking time but they can definitely be muffins 🙂
Brigitte says
I would like to give 10 stars ! The best banana bread ever , I used the oil version , replaced the maple syrup with 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar and added 1/3 cup of milk to compensate for the maple syrup , maple syrup is very expensive , I was out of both vinegar I used white Balsamic vinegar baked for the exact 45 minutes didn’t add chocolate chips over and skipped the white sugar …so moist it’s heaven on a plate ! Thank you !
EV says
This is it. I have found the best chocolate banana bread recipe out there. It tastes like cake!!
Anshoo Govil says
I loved this recipe! I used olive oil however and found it to be a tiny bit dry, which got better with a day or two in the fridge. But if I wanted to incorporate an egg, should I just add it? Or replace something with it?
Leah says
So AMAZING!! I did muffins instead of bread, using a mix of whole wheat and whole wheat pastry flour, with applesauce instead of oil. Delicious and love that I can eat them and feel good about it. Thanks for the great recipe!
Shelly says
Best banana bread I ever tasted. 10/10 stars.
Maggie says
Can anyone adjust for mini loaf pans?