EASY CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD Recipe

I promise this Easy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread will be the unexpected star of your Mother’s Day brunch with gooey chocolate pockets and a tender, irresistible crumb that keeps everyone coming back for more.

I am obsessed with this Easy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread because it tastes honest, not overworked. The crumb is moist from ripe bananas and the top crackles with browned sugar and melty pockets of semisweet chocolate chips.

I love that every slice is messy, slightly underbaked in the center sometimes, gooey and irresistible. But it also slices clean when I want to serve it upright at brunch.

It reads as simple on paper but steals the show on the table. No fuss.

Pure deliciousness. I want to eat the whole loaf, right now every time, and I truly mean it.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour: gives structure so the loaf holds together, not crumbly.
• Baking soda: helps it rise and get that light crumb, basically.
• Salt: balances sweetness and makes the flavors pop, it’s subtle.
• Ground cinnamon: adds warm spice notes, plus smells amazing while baking.
• Granulated sugar: sweetness and slight crisp top, keeps things bright.
• Brown sugar: adds moisture and that caramel-y depth, kind of cozy.
• Melted butter: richness and tender crumb, it’ll make slices feel decadent.
• Egg: binds everything and gives a little lift, protein helps texture.
• Vanilla extract: rounds flavors and makes it taste homemade, real comforting.
• Ripe bananas: natural sweetness and moisture, plus that banana flavor punch.
• Sour cream or yogurt: makes it extra tender and keeps it moist.
• Chocolate chips: melty pockets of joy in every bite, pure fun.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (190 g)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup melted butter (about 75 g)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (about 170 g)

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan or line it with parchment, then set it aside.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon if using. Set the dry mix aside.

3. In a large bowl beat 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar with 1/3 cup melted butter until mostly combined; a few streaks are fine.

4. Add 1 large egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the sugar mixture and mix until smooth.

5. Stir in 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups) and 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt until the batter is uniform. It will be thick and a little lumpy from the bananas, that’s ok.

6. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix or the bread will be tough.

7. Fold in 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, reserving a small handful to sprinkle on top if you want a pretty crust.

8. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top and scatter the reserved chips over it.

9. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no raw batter. If the top browns too fast after 30 minutes loosely tent with foil.

10. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove the loaf and cool more before slicing. Tip: the bread tastes better the next day and slices cleaner if chilled briefly.

Equipment Needed

1. 9×5 inch loaf pan (greased or lined with parchment)
2. Oven (preheated to 350°F / 175°C)
3. Large mixing bowl
4. Medium mixing bowl
5. Rubber spatula for folding and smoothing
6. Whisk for dry ingredients
7. Electric mixer or wooden spoon for creaming sugars and butter
8. Measuring cups and spoons
9. Fork or potato masher for bananas
10. Wire cooling rack

FAQ

EASY CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All purpose flour: swap for whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 for nuttier flavor, or use a gluten free 1:1 blend same amount if gluten is an issue. Texture will be slightly different but it works fine.
• Melted butter: replace with neutral vegetable oil or melted coconut oil in the same amount (1/3 cup). Oil makes the bread more moist, so don’t worry if it seems a bit denser.
• Granulated sugar + brown sugar: you can use 3/4 cup maple syrup or honey instead of both sugars. Cut other liquids by about 2 to 3 tablespoons and bake a little longer, it browns faster.
• Mashed bananas: swap for equal amount (about 1 1/2 cups) unsweetened applesauce or mashed cooked sweet potato for similar moisture and sweetness. The flavor will change but texture stays good.

Pro Tips

1. Mash the bananas with a fork but leave a few small lumps, they add texture, and if the bananas are extra sweet you can cut the sugar by a tablespoon or two without losing flavor.

2. Warm the melted butter slightly and mix it into the sugars while still warm, it helps the batter come together faster, but dont pour hot butter straight onto the egg or you’ll scramble it.

3. Fold the flour in just until you can’t see streaks anymore, overmixing makes the bread tough. If you want big pockets of chocolate, toss half the chips in a little flour before folding them in.

4. If the top browns too fast tent loosely with foil after about 30 minutes, and let the loaf cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing, then chill briefly for cleaner slices the next day.