This Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread is super moist and crazy delicious! Packed full of semi-sweet and white chocolate chips and bursting with walnuts, it’s pure heaven in every bite. Make it ahead of time for sweet breakfasts, tasty snacks, and more!
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread
Simple and delicious, who doesn’t love a good banana bread recipe? It’s the perfect way to use up those rotting bananas on your counter and is super easy to make! However, this chocolate chip walnut banana bread will blow your old recipe out of the water! It’s:
- Quick and easy
- Ultra-moist and super tender
- Made with two kinds of chocolate and chopped walnuts
- Great to prepare in advance for breakfast, snacks, and dessert
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients needed for this banana bread with sour cream are super simple, but once combined they create the best darn banana bread you’ll ever taste. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Bananas – Included in the batter, stirred in as chunks, and layered on top, there’s no shortage of banana flavor here!
- Butter – Used to create an extra rich flavor. For a dairy-free recipe, use plant-based butter instead.
- Sugar – Regular granulated sugar helps enhance the natural sweetness.
- Eggs – These are needed to help provide structure to the bread. We haven’t tested it with a flax or chia egg, but you could definitely give it a shot!
- Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract for a more enhanced taste.
- Sour Cream – This is our secret weapon to creating the moistest, most delicious taste and texture! Feel free to use a vegan sour cream if needed.
- Baking Soda – Make sure your baking soda is fresh to guarantee your bread turns out light and fluffy.
- Salt – Just a pinch is needed to enhance the rest of the ingredients.
- All-Purpose Flour – Forms the base of the batter. If needed, swap it out with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour alternative.
- Chocolate – A combination of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips makes this recipe truly showstopping.
- Walnuts – We love to include a sprinkle of walnuts for a bit of an extra crunch.
Add-Ins and Variations
As you can see, this recipe is already loaded with flavor. However, feel free to mix and match your favorite ingredients to make it fit your needs. For instance, some variations include:
- Adding a pinch of cinnamon
- Using dark chocolate chips
- Swapping the walnuts with pecans
- Stirring in dried fruit like raisins or cranberries
- Swirling Nutella or peanut butter into the batter
How to Make Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread
As the name suggests, this recipe is unbelievably simple to make!
- Mash the bananas. Use a fork to mash the bananas in a large bowl until a smooth, creamy texture is formed.
- Combine the Ingredients. In a second large bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar. Then, whisk in the eggs and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the salt, sour cream, mashed bananas, and baking soda.
- Sift. Sift the flour into the bowl with the remaining ingredients, and mix by hand or with a hand mixer until it is just combined.
- Fold. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, walnuts, and sliced bananas, making sure they are well-distributed.
- Bake. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan, and sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top followed by the sliced banana. Bake your banana bread in the oven until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and comes out clean.
- Cool. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely, and enjoy!
Baking Tips
As if this easy banana bread wasn’t already a complete breeze to make, we’ve got a handful of baking tips and tricks to make sure it turns out perfectly every single time.
Don’t Overmix. The batter will be thick. Stop mixing the ingredients as soon as they are well-incorporated and smooth. Any longer, and your banana bread will turn out tough and dense.
Adjust the Baking Time. Every oven cooks slightly differently. So, be sure to keep a close eye on your banana bread, and begin checking it for doneness 10 minutes before the listed baking time.
Cover the Bread. If the top of your bread begins to look too brown too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil, and return it to the oven to finish baking.
Cool Completely. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes to finish baking and set. Then, allow it enough time to completely cool on a wire rack before digging in. We know this is so hard to do, but slicing into your bread too early can cause it to crumble and fall apart. It’s worth the wait!
How to Store
This Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread is actually even tastier the next day! Just follow the storage tips below to keep it fresh.
- Room Temperature: Keep your bread completely covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
- Refrigerator: Banana bread with sour cream stays fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Freeze your bread either as a whole loaf or as individual slices. For easy eating, we recommend wrapping each slice with
parchment paper before transferring it to a freezer-safe container. Either way, your banana bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. To eat, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds until it is heated through!
Easy Banana Bread Common Questions
Baking soda is used to leaven the batter and even out the acidity, creating fluffy, soft bread.
The best way to keep this banana bread moist is to wrap it well with cling film wrap followed by aluminum foil and store it in the fridge.
Either! Some people like to warm their banana bread up and smear butter on top, while others prefer to serve it cold. It’s totally up to you!
Yogurt! Plain yogurt or Greek yogurt works great as a replacement for sour cream, helping lock in moisture and create a similar flavor.
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Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 large very ripe bananas mashed
- 1/2 cup butter (melted)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chunks
- 2 oz chopped walnuts
- 2 oz white chocolate chunks or chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10×5 loaf pan (1.5 lb size) and lightly dust with flour to prevent sticking.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until smooth and creamy.3 large very ripe bananas
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and whisk until smooth.1/2 cup butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Stir in the mashed bananas, sour cream, sea salt, and baking soda until fully incorporated.1/2 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Add the flour, cinnamon, and gently mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chunks, walnuts, and white chocolate chunks. (Optional: Reserving a few of each to garnish on top.)4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chunks, 2 oz chopped walnuts, 2 oz white chocolate chunks or chips
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with extra chocolate chunks and walnuts, if desired (it makes for a pretty presentation).
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Let cool before slicing. Note: at the 50-minute mark, loosely tent with tin foil to prevent it from browning too fast.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Easy Banana Bread Recipes!
If you love this recipe, be sure to check out more of our favorite banana bread variations below!
