Chocolate Banana Bread Delight (Printable)
A moist, rich loaf featuring ripe bananas and chocolate, ideal for any time of day.
# What's Needed:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (7 3/4 oz)
02 - 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (0.9 oz)
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 3 ripe medium bananas, mashed (1 1/4 cups)
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled (4 oz)
07 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar (4 2/3 oz)
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Add-ins
10 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (6 oz)
11 - Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (2 oz)
# How to Make It:
01 - Set oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper to facilitate removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly blended.
03 - In a large bowl, blend mashed bananas, melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
04 - Fold dry mixture into wet ingredients gently until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - Fold in chocolate chips and chopped nuts if using, ensuring even distribution.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan, leveling the top with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.
08 - Allow bread to cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Tips for Success:
01 -
- The cocoa powder adds an unexpected depth that keeps this from tasting like standard banana bread—it's like a secret chocolate hug in every bite.
- It comes together in under an hour from start to finish, and the house-filling aroma is basically free therapy.
- Moist enough to eat plain, fancy enough to serve to guests, and forgiving enough that slight mistakes rarely ruin it.
02 -
- Those moist crumbs on the toothpick are your friend—it means the bread will stay tender when sliced, while a completely clean toothpick means you've baked it just past the sweet spot into dryness.
- Don't skip cooling completely before slicing; I learned this the hard way when impatience turned perfect bread into a warm, crumbly mess.
03 -
- For an extra chocolate kick that surprised my own taste buds, sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips on top of the batter right before it goes in the oven—they melt slightly and create little pockets of pure chocolate joy.
- A light dusting of cocoa powder on the cooling loaf makes it look bakery-professional and tastes like a secret you're keeping from everyone else.