Get ready to indulge your chocolate cravings with our double chocolate banana bread! Rich, fudgy, and overflowing with chocolatey goodness, this loaf is an absolute dream.
Made with everyday ingredients, it’s delightfully fluffy, incredibly moist, and bakes up in a jiffy. Whether you enjoy it warm or chilled, for breakfast or dessert, every bite is a mouthful of decadence!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Chocolate…bananas…bread. What’s not to love? Seriously, this double chocolate banana bread became our new favorite recipe with just one bite, and we’re confident it will do the same for you.
The batter is combined in a matter of minutes and baked in the oven for a recipe so easy even the kids can help. As if that wasn’t amazing enough, it’s also made with simple ingredients, super fluffy, extra moist, and literally bursting with chocolate flavor in every bite. We love to make a big batch for easy breakfasts, quick snacks, or satisfying desserts throughout the week!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For this double chocolate banana bread recipe, we used minimal items and one secret ingredient to make it extra moist and unbelievably delicious. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Bananas – You can’t have banana bread without bananas! Make sure they’re extra ripe for easy mixing and a sweeter flavor.
- Butter – Unsalted butter works best to create a richer flavor and fluffy texture. However, salted butter would work, too if that’s what you have on hand. Just be sure to adjust the salt added so as not to overpower your bread.
- Sugar – Regular granulated sugar is used to enhance the sweet taste.
- Eggs – Crucial in baked goods to provide texture, helping them hold their shape.
- Vanilla Extract – Use a high-quality pure vanilla extract to enhance the rest of the ingredients.
- Sour Cream – Our secret weapon, sour cream adds extra moisture to the double chocolate banana bread making it melt in your mouth delicious.
- Baking Soda – Use fresh baking soda to help the bread rise as it bakes.
- Salt – This is used in all baked goods, even sweets, to enhance the rest of the ingredients.
- All-Purpose Flour – Regular all-purpose flour works best to form the base of the bread, giving it structure and shape.
- Cocoa Powder – Make sure your cocoa powder is unsweetened! For an even richer chocolate taste, you could also swap it out for raw cacao powder instead.
- Mini Chocolate Chips – We prefer to use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips to infuse extra chocolate in every bite. You could use full-sized chocolate chips, but we found that mini versions allow for even more chocolate flavor!
Optional Add-Ins
While this recipe is already bursting with flavor, don’t hesitate to toss in some mix-ins for an extra flavor boost and tantalizing texture! Here are a few of our favorite additions:
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
- Unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
- Peanut butter chips
- White chocolate chips
How to Make Double Chocolate Banana Bread
A chocolate lover’s dream, this double chocolate banana bread tastes gourmet but couldn’t be easier to make!
- Mash the bananas. Peel your bananas, and use a fork to mash them in a bowl until they are smooth and creamy.
- Combine the ingredients. In a separate bowl, add the melted butter and granulated sugar, and whisk until they’re smooth. Then, add in the eggs and vanilla, and whisk again. Once smooth, mix in the salt, sour cream, mashed bananas, and baking soda.
- Sift. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients, and gently fold the batter until they’re just combined. Then, fold in the chocolate chips.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the loaf pan, and sprinkle more chocolate chips on top. Bake your double chocolate banana bread until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and comes out clean.
- Cool. Once baked, let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Store
This is one of those rare recipes that tastes even better the next day…and the day after that. As a result, it’s great for
Room Temperature: Place your bread in an airtight container, and store it in a cool, dry place at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Refrigerator: When kept in an airtight container or sealable bag, this double chocolate banana bread will stay fresh for up to 1 week.
Freezer: For longer-lasting bread, place it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Enjoy: Thaw frozen leftovers in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours. Then, enjoy them cold. Or, pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to heat them up!
Double Chocolate Banana Bread Common Questions
For the best double chocolate banana bread, your bananas should be very ripe with lots of brown or black spots covering the peel. These overripe bananas are sweeter, more flavorful, and much easier to mash into the batter. If your bananas aren’t ripe enough, you can speed up the process by placing them in a paper bag with an apple!
Your double chocolate banana bread might be too dense if you’ve overmixed the batter, which develops too much gluten and creates a heavy texture. Another common cause is using too much banana or too little leavening agent. Make sure you’re measuring ingredients correctly and gently fold wet and dry ingredients together just until combined—those few streaks of flour are actually good!
Your chocolate banana bread might have sunk in the middle for a few common reasons: opening the oven door too early during baking can cause a temperature drop that affects rising, using too much banana can add too much moisture, or underbaking can prevent the center from setting properly. Another culprit might be expired baking soda that couldn’t provide enough lift. Make sure you’re measuring ingredients accurately and check that your bread is fully baked by inserting a toothpick in the center—it should come out with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
You can elevate your double chocolate banana bread with lots of delicious additions! Consider mixing in chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch, a splash of espresso to amp up the chocolate flavor, or a swirl of peanut butter for nuttiness. Spices like cinnamon or a pinch of cayenne pepper add complexity, while orange zest brings brightness to balance the richness.
More Banana Bread-Inspired Recipes
If you’re head over heels for this double chocolate banana bread, you’re in for a treat with these recipes:
- Healthy Baked Banana Bread Oatmeal – This make-ahead breakfast is hearty, satisfying, and perfectly sweet.
- Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Bread – More than your average banana bread recipe, this version is so good it’s almost unreal!
- Sheet Pan Banana Bread – The easiest banana bread you’ll ever make, this sheet pan recipe will revolutionize the way you bake.
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Skillet – The richest banana bread you’ll ever taste, this recipe is made in a single skillet with ease.
Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 4 small very ripe bananas or 3 medium bananas
- 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Peel ripe bananas and put them in a large mixing bowl, then mash them until creamy.4 small very ripe bananas
- Add melted butter and granulated sugar to a new bowl; whisk together. Add eggs and vanilla to the same bowl, and whisk all ingredients together.1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add salt, sour cream, mashed bananas, baking soda, and combine ingredients.1/3 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Sift in the flour and cocoa powder. Add to the batter and beat just until it comes together. Do not over mix.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Fold in the chocolate chips.1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- Pour batter into a 9×5 loaf pan and top with more extra chocolate chips, optional.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
love your focus, ideas and recipe’s. xx
Hi Val,
Thank you so much — we love that you enjoy our recipes!
xo,
Alia & Radwa
can I omit the bananas?
Hi Kellie,
Bananas are essential to banana bread for flavor and moisture. However, if you’re looking for something similar, you could potentially use applesauce to replace the moisture and sweetness. We haven’t tested it so we’re not sure how that will change the texture, but if you’re experimental in the kitchen, we hope that’s a good place to start!
xo,
Alia and Radwa