This Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread is super moist and outrageously delicious! A duo of chocolate chips — semi-sweet and white chocolate — mingle with crunchy walnuts and rich banana flavor in every bite of this delectable bread.
This bread is beyond easy to make but you can also make it ahead of time and simply store it until you need it (though we admit it may be hard to resist digging right in!). Whip up a loaf either in advance or on the fly for decadent breakfasts, satisfying snacks, or any time you need a little slice of heaven!
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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 ripe bananas on your counter and it’s 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 make this recipe truly showstopping.
- Walnuts – We love to include a sprinkle of walnuts for a bit of an extra crunch.
Add-Ins and Variations
While this recipe is already bursting with flavor, feel free to get creative and customize it to your heart’s content! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- 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
Once you make this upgraded take on traditional banana bread, you’ll want to put this recipe on repeat!
- Mash the bananas. Use a fork to mash the bananas in a large bowl until a smooth, creamy texture is formed.
- Combined 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 them 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 work great as a replacement for sour cream helping lock in moisture and create a similar flavor.
Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 small bananas very ripe
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 banana sliced
- 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 banana on top, sliced in half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to mash the bananas until smooth and creamy.2 small bananas
- In a second large bowl, add the melted butter and granulated sugar. Whisk to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla to the bowl, and whisk again until smooth.1/2 cup butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Stir in the salt, sour cream, mashed bananas, and baking soda.1/2 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Sift the flour. Mix until just combined.1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips, walnuts, sliced bananas, white chocolate chips1/2 banana sliced, 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
- Pour the prepared batter into a greased 9×5 loaf pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top, if desired. Place the halved banana on top.1 banana on top, sliced in half
- Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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!
I’ve made this once so far. I will definitely make it again. The flavor was soo good!! We all loved it. The only thing is it took much longer to bake than what it says. The toothpick came out clean but then I let it cool some only to cut it and realize it was very very under done inside. I had to return it to the oven and keep baking and checking. Any idea why? Any tips?
Oh no, sorry to hear that it was undercooked. It really depends on the size of bananas and the amount of moisture. You can increase the flour to 1 3/4 cup and we also recommend loosely covering it with foil at the 55 minute mark and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until completely cooked through.
Ok! Thank you! I’m making it again now so I will try that! It’s so delicious!! 🙂 Thank you for all your recipes!
Thank you! Thank you! This recipe for Banana Bread is the best recipe I’ve ever tasted! Its my goto from now on. Its moist, light, tender and very flavorful. Don’t forget easy!! Sweet, chocolaty and nutty. I’m guessing the texture is due to the less amount of flour and a whole lot of moist delish ingredients! Obviously the bananas take front and center with literally slices of banana added also. I just love all your Food doll recipes. All your ethnic family dishes i love. Gives me a sense of home!
I am a very experienced cook, loved too cook and bake my whole life.
Thank you again!
Donna C
Hi Donna,
Thanks for your sweet message! This makes us so happy and so glad that it will be a new family favorite.
xo,
Alia & Radwa