Chocolate Banana Bread Slice (Printable Version)

A fudgy, moist banana bread infused with cocoa and dark chocolate chips. Ideal for breakfast or as a satisfying sweet treat.

# Ingredient List:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
04 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

06 - 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
08 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Add-Ins

10 - 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
11 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper or grease lightly.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, vegetable oil, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to remove lumps and evenly distribute leavening agents.
04 - Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture using a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix to maintain tender crumb structure.
05 - Gently fold in chocolate chips and walnuts if using, distributing evenly throughout batter.
06 - Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top surface with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges with a few moist crumbs.
08 - Allow bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The chocolate chips melt into little pockets of gooey goodness that make each bite slightly different from the last, like a treasure hunt for your taste buds.
  • This recipe rescues those spotty bananas that everyone ignores in the fruit bowl, transforming them into something so delicious your family will deliberately let bananas overripen.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter will develop the gluten and create a tough, rubbery bread instead of the tender crumb we want – I learned this lesson the hard way after enthusiastically beating my first batch.
  • The toothpick test works differently for chocolate baked goods – unlike regular banana bread, you want a few moist crumbs clinging to the toothpick rather than waiting until its completely clean, which would mean its overbaked.
03 -
  • Freeze overripe bananas with their peels on whenever you have extras, then defrost for an hour before using – the freezing process breaks down the cell walls and makes them extra sweet and easy to mash.
  • Reserve a small handful of chocolate chips to sprinkle on top of the batter just before baking for a professional-looking finish that signals whats inside.

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