Best Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe

Get ready to fall in love with chocolate chip banana bread! This recipe is the ultimate upgrade to the crave-worthy treat.

It has melty chocolate chips nestled within banana-infused goodness.

It’s moist and soft with a tender crumb and a rich, super-sweet banana flavor. 

Every slice is a sweet hug for your tastebuds!

Whether you’re a baking rookie or a seasoned chef, this recipe will be your new go-to. Preheat your oven and prepare for a true celebration of flavors!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread 

You might wonder what makes this bread different from all the other banana bread recipes.

First, it contains the double whammy of chocolate and cinnamon. They skyrocket the bread’s flavor to a whole new level. 

Next, it’s 100% homemade. Don’t get me wrong. I love an easy recipe just as much as the next person. But sometimes, you want good, old-fashioned recipes like your mom used to make. 

That’s THIS recipe. It tastes fantastic and works well for dessert, breakfast, or snacks. 

Finally, it has a phenomenal texture. It’s not as moist as some of the other recipes. But it’s fall-apart tender and will practically melt in your mouth. You’ll love it!

Ingredients

This from-scratch recipe is easy enough for beginners. Here’s what you need: 

• Flour. Use all-purpose flour and measure it accurately. Transfer it with a spoon into the measuring cup. Don’t pack it down into the cup, either. 

• Baking powder & baking soda. Remember to use fresh baking powder and baking soda. These are the leavening agents for the recipe. If they aren’t fresh, the bread won’t rise like it should. If you don’t have baking soda, check out these substitutes to see what else you can use. 

• Salt. Salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients. It adds a nice contrast to the recipe’s sweetness, too. 

• Bananas. When it comes to bananas for banana bread, the riper they are, the better they’ll taste. Using black bananas is fine. If they’re overripe, they’ll make the bread even sweeter. 

• Milk. Use whole, 2%, or even skim. It adds a little moisture and makes the batter easier to work with. 

• Ground cinnamon. Cinnamon adds a rich warmth to banana bread and smells amazing while baking. Add as much or as little as you like to suit your tastes. 

• White sugar. Some banana bread recipes call for brown sugar. However, I prefer white sugar because it adds plenty of sweetness but not much flavor. Brown sugar gives the bread a nutty, molasses-like taste. I love that flavor in many recipes, but not so much in this one. 

• Butter. Use real, unsalted butter for the best flavor. Margarine will work in a pinch, but it’s less rich than butter. Butter also helps ensure the bread is soft and tender. 

• Eggs. As they do in most baking recipes, eggs hold everything together. 

• Chocolate chips. Use a high-quality brand of chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli. The recipe calls for semisweet, but you can substitute dark, milk, or white chocolate. 

How to Make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Don’t let the numerous steps in this recipe scare you. Chocolate chip banana bread is super easy to make. Follow these directions:  

1. Get everything ready. Set out your ingredients, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with butter or margarine. 

2. Mix the ingredients. You need three separate bowls for this step. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the first one. 

Combine the bananas, milk, and cinnamon in the second one. 

And finally, beat together the sugar and butter with an electric mixer in the third one. Beat until the mixture is fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. 

3. Make the batter. Now, it’s time to combine all those separate bowls. First, stir the banana mixture into the bowl with the butter, sugar, and eggs. 

Then, add the flour mixture to that same bowl. Stir gently, and don’t overmix the batter. Finally, very gently stir in the chocolate chips. (This process is called “folding” them in.)

4. Bake. Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and bake it for about 70 minutes. You know the bread is ready when it passes the toothpick test. 

5. Cool, slice, and enjoy! Let the bread cool in its pan for 10 minutes. Then, release it and transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling. 

Once it’s fully cool, slice it into individual pieces, and enjoy! 

Tips for the Best Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Here are some tips to ensure you make the best bread possible: 

• Use a glass loaf pan. The bread cooks more evenly in a glass pan. Plus, the baking times listed in the recipe are for bread made in a glass pan. 

• Use room-temperature ingredients. Set your eggs and butter out beforehand. The butter should be soft before adding it to the batter. 

• Use parchment paper for easy removal. Remember to leave a couple of inches of overlap on the sides. The overlap will act as handles when it’s time to remove the bread. 

• Be sure your bananas are fully ripe. Black-peel bananas are okay for this recipe. The riper they are, the sweeter your bread will be. If your bananas aren’t fully ripe, check out my tips for ripening bananas quickly.

• Don’t overmix the batter! Mix the wet and dry ingredients gently until everything is JUST mixed. If you overmix them, your bread will be dry and tough. 

• Let the bread cool before slicing. It’ll fall apart if you try to cut into it too soon. Eating it while still warm can be tempting, but give it time to cool. Then, stick your slice in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds to warm it back up. 

Variations 

Try these variations if you’re feeling creative: 

• Try different add-ins. Besides using different types of chocolate chips, there are other add-ins you can use. Try nuts, caramel or toffee bits, dried fruit, and more. 

• Add a cinnamon sugar topping. Simply mix 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Then, sprinkle the mixture over the top of the batter before baking. 

• Use different spices. Allspice, nutmeg, and apple pie (or pumpkin pie) spice all work well in this recipe. 

• Make it gluten-free. Substitute gluten-free flour for the all-purpose flour. Check your other ingredients to ensure they’re gluten-free, as well. 

How to Store & Freeze

If you have leftovers, here’s how to store them properly so you can enjoy them when you’re ready.

To Store: Place it in an air-tight container and set it somewhere cool and dry. It should remain fresh for up to 7 days. 

To Freeze whole: To freeze it whole, wrap the cooled bread in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Then, place it in a freezer bag. 

To Freeze in slices: 

1. Let the bread cool. 
2. Cut it into evenly sized slices.
3. Line a tray with wax paper and lay the slices on it in a single layer. 
4. Freeze, uncovered, for about 4 hours. 
5. Transfer the frozen slices to a freezer-safe bag.

Whether you freeze the bread whole or in slices, it should last up to 3 months in the freezer.

To Thaw: Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before serving. You can also thaw slices at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.  

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