I present to you: a banana bread recipe for the chocolate lover. Satisfy those chocolate cravings and enjoy all the comfort that banana bread is famous for with double chocolate banana bread.

As far as nostalgic foods go, banana bread is in a league of its own.  This sweet quick bread is also really easy to mix up and can be topped with banana cut in half or a dusting of coconut or brown sugar.

People have strong opinions about what makes the perfect loaf of banana bread. What are your banana bread must-haves? Are you a walnut or pecan fan? Do you like it slightly undercooked and doughy in the very centre? For me, chocolate chips are an absolute must in all banana breads!

More Recipes For the Chocolate Lover

• Chocolate Orange Pudding Cake
• Chocolate Banana Buckwheat Muffins
• Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Cake Bars
• Chocolate Covered Dates

I decided to write this recipe after being in a very chocolate-forward mood. Over the May long weekend, I made Kabes Bake’s Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies. These are definitely the kind of gooey cookies you need to enjoy with a glass of milk. Typically, I am on a mission to reduce the amount of sugar in my baked goods, but sometimes you just want a TREAT! If you’re looking for a fun recipe to make with young children,  this is definitely it.

My Double Chocolate Banana Bread has a generous amount of chocolate chips and cocoa powder in the batter. It is sweetened with mostly maple syrup and bananas.  The key to really good banana bread is seriously overripe bananas.  Look at this photo for what I consider to be a good example of an overripe banana. 

In my recipe testing stage, I tested making banana bread with bananas at varying stages of ripeness. I even tried roasting bananas in the oven to see if that would bring the sweetness out. All in all, I discovered you really just have to be patient to let bananas naturally ripen on your counter to a perfect sweet stage.

You can choose whether you would like to use a healthier flour like spelt or just stick to all-purpose flour. Make this recipe the next time you’re in need of some comfort food!  Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Banana Bread Nutrition Notes

Does banana bread freeze well?

Yes, absolutely!  Banana bread freezes really well. I encourage you to double the recipe and enjoy one loaf now and the other loaf with company at a later date. Freezing banana bread for a few months will not affect the flavour or texture of the bread.

Can banana bread be made into muffins?

Yes, absolutely! Distribute the batter into muffin tins and bake in a 350-degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

The secret to good banana bread:

The secret to amazing banana bread is seriously overripe bananas.

A lot of the taste and goodness of banana bread is dependent on overripe bananas. Many bakers see bananas sitting on their counter and consider those bananas “over-ripe” a little prematurely. I know I do! I have included a photo for reference. This is when a banana is just on the verge of being ripe enough for banana bread.

Always be prepared to make banana bread:

Next time you go to the grocery store, buy several extra bunches of bananas and let them get really ripe on your counter. When they’re the perfect ripeness for banana bread,  simply peel them and freeze them in a freezer-safe container and then you are ready for delicious banana bread at any time.

How to Make Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan with butter or line with parchment paper.

Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt) in a medium bowl and mix well.

Mix butter and brown sugar for 5 minutes with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Beat in room temperature eggs one at a time. Once eggs are combined, add room temperature maple syrup. 

Fold in dry ingredients a bit at a time until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix. Gently fold in mashed bananas and chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased pan and top with a banana cut in half lengthwise and a generous dusting of coconut or brown sugar.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. Test your banana bread after 50 minutes with a toothpick or cake tester. Continue to bake until the tester comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for at least 1 hour before cutting into the loaf.

Additional Recipe Notes for Double Chocolate Banana Bread

• I included a small amount of sugar in this recipe so that you can beat the butter and sugar together for 3-5 minutes before adding the rest of the wet ingredients. Beating butter and sugar together for this long allows the sugar granules to really whip up the butter and make it light and fluffy. This method results in a lighter loaf.
• Mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients until just combined. Overmixing can give you tough banana bread. 
• Eggs should be at room temperature for baking.  If you’ve forgotten to take the eggs out of the fridge, just set them in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes.
• Do you know how long your baking soda has been sitting in the cupboard? It’s important to use fresh baking soda., preferably not older than 3 or 4 months. 
• Try setting aside 100-150 grams of banana to mash more gently so your loaf has more texture and bits of banana. 
• Fun idea: Double this recipe to make two loaves and use the second loaf for making Banana Bread French Toast later in the week.

Find More Recipes to Enjoy Around the Table:

• Green Smoothie Chocolate Muffins
• Healthy Spelt Cinnamon Buns
• Spelt Chocolate Chunk Cookies
• Healthy Chocolate Haystack Cookies

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Double Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe

If you make this Double Chocolate Banana Bread recipe please leave a comment and give this recipe a rating! I aim to respond to every single comment. I am so grateful when you trust me and try one of my recipe creations in your own kitchen. I love to hear how it went!  Let’s connect on Instagram and tag me in your food pics!

'Till next time,

Christy