Name: Moist Chocolate Banana Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min

Chocolate Banana Bread is your classic banana bread… PLUS a deep, fudgy chocolate twist. Think rich cocoa batter, ripe mashed bananas and pockets of melted chocolate chips all through the crumb.

It’s the upgraded version — the one you make when you want something that feels a little indulgent but is still incredibly easy.

This isn’t just banana bread with a bit of cocoa. The cocoa gives it that almost cake-like intensity, while the bananas keep it incredibly moist.

And the chocolate chips? They melt into little pockets of goodness that make every slice better than the last.

If you’ve got overripe bananas on the counter and a craving for chocolate, this is the loaf to make.

For Chocolate Banana Bread

All-Purpose Flour – gives the loaf structure while keeping it soft and tender.
Dutch Process Cocoa – delivers a deep, rich chocolate flavor throughout the bread.
Baking Soda – helps the loaf rise and keeps the texture light.
Sea Salt – enhances the chocolate flavor and balances the sweetness.
Ripe Bananas – the key to natural sweetness and that ultra-moist texture. The browner, the better.
Unsalted Butter – adds richness and buttery depth to the crumb.
Canola Oil or Melted Coconut Oil – keeps the bread exceptionally moist.
Light Brown Sugar – brings sweetness with a subtle caramel-like flavor.
Egg – binds everything together and adds structure.
Pure Vanilla Extract – rounds out the chocolate flavor and adds warmth.
Semisweet Chocolate Chips – stirred into the batter and sprinkled on top for melty pockets of chocolate in every slice.

Moist Chocolate Banana Bread

Deep cocoa flavor meets sweet, ripe bananas in this rich and tender loaf. It’s simple to prepare and perfect for anyone who loves a chocolate-forward quick bread.

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Course: Breakfast, Dessert or Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Moist Chocolate Banana Bread

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1

Servings:

Notes

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 large brown bananas (1 ½ cups mashed)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/4 cup canola vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Dutch process cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
6 large brown bananas (3 cups mashed)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup canola vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups Dutch process cocoa
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
9 large brown bananas (4 1/2 cups mashed)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
3/4 cup canola vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil
2 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork. Add the melted butter and oil and stir until combined. Stir in the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, don't overmix. Stir in ¾ cup of the chocolate chips.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of chocolate chips over the top of the bread. Bake for 50–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean. You might have some melted chocolate chips on the toothpick and that is fine. You just don't want a lot of gooey batter. Check at 50 minutes, just to be safe. Oven times vary.
Remove the pan from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the bread and carefully remove from the pan. Let the bread cool on the wire cooling rack until slightly warm. Cut into slices and serve.

Storage

The bread will keep on the counter, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 4 days. This bread also freezes well. To freeze, cool the bread completely and wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost before slicing.

Nutrition

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1.What kind of bananas should I use?

Use very ripe bananas — the kind that look a little too far gone.

Lots of brown spots = more natural sweetness and better flavor. They also mash more smoothly, which gives you that ultra-moist texture we’re going for.

2.Can I use frozen bananas?

Yes! Just thaw them completely first.

They’ll release extra liquid as they defrost — drain that off before adding them to your batter so it doesn’t become too wet.

3.How do I know when it’s done baking?

Insert a toothpick into the center.

If it comes out mostly clean (a few melted chocolate streaks are totally fine), it’s ready. What you don’t want is wet, raw batter.

Start checking at 50 minutes — ovens can vary.

4.Why did my banana bread sink in the middle?

This usually happens for one of two reasons:

The batter was overmixed
• It wasn’t fully baked

Mix just until combined and resist the urge to keep stirring. And make sure that center is fully set before pulling it out of the oven.

5.How do I keep it super moist?

Don’t overbake it — that’s the biggest secret.

Also, store it tightly wrapped once it cools. This bread actually tastes even better the next day because the moisture settles beautifully into the crumb.