Chocolate Banana Bread Easy Recipe

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This easy chocolate banana bread recipe lands somewhere between classic banana bread and a rich chocolate cake. It has a soft, moist crumb, plenty of dark chocolate, and just enough banana flavor to balance the cocoa without overpowering it.

Banana bread doesn’t really have a season in my kitchen. I’ll make it in the middle of summer or a few days before Christmas whenever ripe bananas are waiting on the counter. Still, this chocolate version feels especially good once the weather cools down—it’s simple enough for an ordinary afternoon but rich enough to serve as dessert.

The sliced banana and crunchy demerara sugar on top give the loaf a beautiful finish, while pockets of chopped chocolate make every slice feel a little indulgent. Serve it slightly warm and you may have trouble deciding whether to call it breakfast, banana bread, or chocolate cake.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• ⅓ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces dark chocolate chips

For the Topping

• 1 ripe but firm banana
• 1 tablespoon raw or demerara sugar

Instructions

1. Prepare the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang to lift out the bread easily.
2. Combine the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar: Add the softened butter and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat for 3–4 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until lighter and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. Finish the wet mixture: Add the mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix until combined. The batter may look slightly separated at this stage, which is normal.
6. Add the dry ingredients: Fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients just until only a few streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing.
7. Fold in the chocolate: Add the dark chocolate chips and gently fold until evenly distributed and no dry flour remains.
8. Fill the pan: Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
9. Add the banana topping: Slice the firm banana lengthwise into three thin pieces. Arrange them over the batter and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
10. Bake: Bake for 60–70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out without wet batter. Melted chocolate may leave a few moist streaks on the toothpick. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover it with foil during the final 15 minutes.
11. Cool: Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Lift it out using the parchment paper and transfer it to a wire rack to cool before slicing.

How to make the Sliced Banana Topping for Chocolate Banana Bread ?

• One whole banana is sliced down to its whole length, into three planks.
• The secret for this recipe isn’t to use one of those soft blackened bananas, save those for the batter, instead use a bright yellow one that is firm enough.
• Use a small kitchen knife, and slice it slowly. It’ll slice like butter.
• Just in case be sure to have a spare banana handy, in case things don’t go well.

Pin the image below if you like this chocolate banana recipe!

If you like this recipe, I’m sure you’ll also love this Strawberry Banana Bread recipe.

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