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Chocolate Banana Bread recipe so delicious, it’s the perfect banana bread for chocolate lovers! Rich, moist, decadent and easy to make, this is the best chocolate banana bread and a family favorite!
If you love banana bread, then I urge you to give this Chocolate Banana Bread recipe a try soon! So rich and delicious, the flavor combination of banana and chocolate is perfect together! As much as my family loves our traditional banana bread recipe, this chocolate version is one that is requested often by the chocolate lovers in the family.
Chocolate Banana Bread
It has taken me a few years, but now I understand why my grandmother would stash back bananas when she came home from the grocery store. We all knew that the bananas on the counter were for snacking, but those beside her bread box were reserved for banana bread. I’ll admit that I started doing the same. One bunch goes into the fruit bowl and another goes to the side for making various banana breads that we enjoy so much!
Banana bread makes a great thing to bake, wrap up and take to work to share with coworkers or to a friend you think would enjoy it. I think it is the best way to introduce yourself to a new neighbor too.
Ingredients
- Ripe bananas
- Dark brown sugar
- Butter (salted)
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder
- Espresso powder
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Vanilla extract
How to Make the Chocolate Banana Bread
Prep. Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and preparing your baking pan. To prepare your pan, you can either spray the inside of the pan well with a baking spray or you can rub with butter and then lightly dust with all-purpose flour. Make sure to shake out any excess flour.
Mix. As I mentioned earlier, you can mix by hand or use an electric mixer based on your preference. Mix together the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Then, remove the bananas from their peelings, mash them with a fork, and mix until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg to make sure well blended into the batter.
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, and espresso powder in medium mixing bowl until blended. Add the flour/cocoa mixture to batter and mix until smooth. Add baking soda, salt and vanilla extract and stir until well combined. Pour into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, turn out onto a board for slicing or a wire rack to cool completely before covering.
How to Freeze
- Cool. Once cooked, allow to cool completely.
- Place in Containers. Portion into an airtight, freezer-safe container(s), label, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw. Allow to thaw overnight.
- Reheat and Serve. Reheat in oven or microwave until warm and serve.
Here’s my Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 overripe bananas mashed
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 8 tablespoons salted butter room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a 9-inch loaf pan with baking spray or coat with butter and dust with all-purpose flour, being sure to shake out any excess flour. Set aside.
- Mix bananas and sugar with electric mixer until well blended. Add butter and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each egg.
- Whisk flour, cocoa powder, and espresso powder in a medium mixing bowl until blended. Add flour/cocoa mixture to batter and mix until smooth. Add baking soda, salt, and vanilla extract and stir until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake until a wooden skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle, about 1 hour.
Video
Notes
Store chocolate banana bread under a cake dome, wrapped well in plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Freezer Friendly:
Allow chocolate banana bread to cool completely. Wrap well in foil or plastic wrap and store in a zip top, freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Nutritional Information
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally published 2015.
Amazing!! So most and perfect amount of chocolate and banana flavors.
El, thank you. So glad you liked this recipe!
Delicious and very rich. Took close to 1.5 hours to get done in glass pan. Next time I will blend sugar and butter first as butter stayed lumpy with the bananas but it still turned out. I added some chopped walnuts. Dare I add chocolate chips ? 😉
Why not!
Cheryl, I haven’t added chocolate chips but that sounds good.
Hi Robyn,
Made this for weekend guests and it was a huge hit!!!
Any suggestions for making this gluten free? Would love to make this for a friend with celiac disease.
Thanks!
Cathy, you can use gluten free flour instead of the all-purpose flour. I’ve used brands that are a 1:1 replacement and they worked fine with this recipe.
Very good! I added a heaping scoop of chai mix and 1/4 tsp cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cardamom. And I mixed vanilla with almond extract. It made a delicious chocolate chai banana bread!
Hi Robyn… getting ready to make your bread and choc cake… I accidentally used “unsweetened” cocoa powder for the banana bread… is that ok or should I throw out and start over. Yikes.
Rosa, I use unsweetened cocoa powder for both chocolate cake and the chocolate banana bread. Hope you enjoy!