The best double chocolate banana bread that you'll make. It's super tender, moist, and extremely easy to make. This banana bread is packed with chocolate and bursting with delicious banana flavor. Definitely a keeper!
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Why This Recipe Works
We've improved and tested again and again this recipe using simpler ingredients. You'll get the most tender and moist chocolate banana bread, I promise! Both the banana and chocolate flavors really shine and you'll love every bite. You won't need other recipes!
I'm using lots of chocolate in the recipe to give this an intense chocolate flavor! Natural cocoa powder for that beautiful chocolate flavor, chocolate chunks in the batter for the melty-oozy surprise in the bread, and chocolate chips for the beautiful, elegant look on top!
Having second thoughts on the chocolate? Make my easy banana and chocolate chip muffins and good old classic banana bread!
I'm also using lots of bananas! I used four overripe bananas in total. That's around 14 oz or 1 ½ cups of mashed bananas! Using this many bananas is what makes this chocolate banana bread so tender and moist, trust me.
Ingredients For This Recipe
Banana - Overripe ones, with some dark spots on the skin. They are sweet so you don't need so much sugar in the recipe. They help make the chocolate banana cake tender and also easier to mix with the other ingredients.
Natural cocoa powder - Not Dutch process cocoa powder. It reacts so perfectly with the other ingredients that I only need ½ teaspoon of baking soda for this whole double chocolate banana bread as the leavening agent!
Chocolate - I use a combo of chocolate chunks and chocolate chips. I love the pockets of melted chocolate chunks in the batter and the intact beautiful look of chocolate chips on top. Use either all chunks or chips to your preference.
Oil - I use coconut oil for a touch of flavor. Any oil will do. Oil makes this easy chocolate chip banana bread super tender and moist for days!
Sour cream - Yes, it's double chocolate banana bread with sour cream! Another key ingredient that makes this banana bread super tender and moist. Start using this in your baking, you'll notice the difference! Full-fat Greek yogurt works great, also.
Sugar - I use coconut sugar for the delicious caramel-coconut note that goes amazing with coconut oil. Coconut sugar also retains moisture well, making this a moist chocolate banana bread. Any brown sugar or even white sugar also works.
If you're looking for more wholesome ingredients, try my delicious healthy oat banana muffins (our readers' favorite!), and healthy chocolate peanut butter banana bread.
⭐ See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Ripen Bananas Quickly
If you don't have overripe bananas lying around in the house but are dying to make this best chocolate banana bread, don't worry. I can help you ripen those bananas faster!
To use now - Place the whole unpeeled bananas on a baking tray, and bake in the oven at 300ºF (150ºC) until the skin turns black and the bananas are soft to the touch. Depending on the state of the bananas, this will take around 20-40. Cool completely before using.
To use in 2-3 days - Place the bananas in a closed paper bag together with avocado, apple, or pear in a warm area in your house. The ethylene gas which is produced by these fruits will be trapped inside the bag and will help ripen the bananas faster.
Overripe bananas are also amazing in muffins like in my double chocolate banana muffins and my healthy peanut butter chocolate banana muffins!
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Sift the dry ingredients. Sift all-purpose flour, natural cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda into a big bowl. Set aside.
2. Whisk the wet ingredients. Add coconut sugar, coconut oil, eggs, vanilla extract, mashed banana, and sour cream into a bowl and mix well using a hand whisk.
3. Fold in the chocolate. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well. Add in chocolate chunks/chips and fold everything together using a spatula. Don't overmix the batter to avoid tough and dense bread.
4. Bake. Pour into a lined and greased 9x5-inch loaf pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with some chocolate chips/chunks. Bake on the lower ⅔rd rack in a preheated oven at 325ºF (160ºC) for 70-80 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with some wet crumbs. Enjoy!
Recipe Expert Tips
- Use ripe bananas. The ones with dark spots on their skin. Ripe bananas are sweet, soft, and easily mixed with the other ingredients.
- Use chocolate chunks in the batter. This will create delicious pockets of melted chocolate inside the banana bread. Delicious! Remember, chocolate chunks give a melty-oozy look.
- Use chocolate chips for the topping. This will create the intact dots of chocolate look. Beautiful! Remember, chocolate chips stay intact and don't ooze.
- It tastes way better the next day. Yes! The amazing flavors get to sit and blend with each other. I like to heat it slightly in the microwave and serve it warm the next day, with a glass of cold milk. Oh, la la!
- Cool slightly before slicing. I love to serve it warm, so I usually wait 20-30 minutes before attacking it! There's just something heavenly about a warm slice of banana bread.
How To Store And Freeze
Store-This chocolate banana bread is amazing on the day of baking but it absolutely tastes fantastic the next day. Keep it in an air-tight container, in the fridge for up to a week.
Freeze-It's freezer-friendly, which is why this is the best chocolate banana bread! It lasts for up to 3 months in the freezer in an airtight container. I like to slice it into portions, wrap them in cling film, and place them in an airtight container. That way, I just grab the amount we need. Thaw at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF (175ºF), no fan, on the lower ⅔ rack for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with some wet crumbs.
They should be overripe! The skin should be darker with dark spots, and the bananas should be soft to the touch. They'll make this double chocolate banana bread sweet without having to add so much sugar. They also result in super tender and moist banana bread. Underripe bananas will make it more bland and dry.
Most of the ingredients in this recipe are acidic like sour cream, coconut sugar, and bananas. Baking soda is the perfect leavening agent for acidic ingredients, and it also helps to make the banana bread look darker.
More Banana Recipes
If you tried this Double Chocolate Banana Bread or any other recipe on our website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the comments below!
📖 Recipe
Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup (195 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (60 g) natural cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 4 (400 g) ripe bananas , or 1 ½ cup mashed
- ¾ cup (150 g) coconut sugar , or brown sugar
- ½ cup (125 g) sour cream , or full-fat Greek yogurt, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (75 g) coconut oil , or any oil
- 2 large eggs , room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (140 g) chocolate chunks
Others
- chocolate chips , for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 320ºF (160ºC), no fan. Line and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan, with the parchment paper overhanging on the sides.
Dry Ingredients
- Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a big bowl. Set aside.
Wet Ingredients
- Add mashed bananas, oil, sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract in another bowl and mix well using a hand whisk.
- Add in chocolate chunks and fold everything well using a spatula. Don't overmix to avoid tough and dense bread.
Bake
- Pour into the loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake on a lower ⅔ rack for 70-70 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with some wet crumbs. I like to cool it for 30 minutes on a rack before slicing it since I like it warm!
Notes
- For cup measurements, use the scoop and level method for measuring flour. Too much flour will result in a tough cake.
- Don't overmix the batter to avoid a dense and tough cake.
- Bake immediately, don't leave the batter sitting on the counter or in the fridge. This recipe uses baking soda that works effectively and amazingly when baked immediately.
- I use a portable oven thermometer to get the accurate oven temperature.
Nutrition Facts
The nutrition facts provided are an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Originally published on Oct 13, 2018. Updated with improved text, recipe, and pictures on Aug 10, 2023.
Antonella says
There's baking powder and coconut in the recipe's video, but not in the written instructions. I remember making it few years ago with the coconut and I recommend it.
Bea & Marco says
Thanks so much for your comment! Yes, the video shows our older version with coconut and baking powder. We updated the recipe to a simpler version (the process guide is still the same in the video) because we wanted it to be more approachable (the written recipe card is the improved one). If you loved the older version with coconut, that’s a lovely variation you can still add in!
sweetie says
I changed yoghurt to milk and using 80% dark chocolate chunk. It works well and taste great.
Bea & Marco says
Yay! We're thrilled to hear that, thank you!
Lea Mocret says
We loved it.
It was easy to make and we loved the taste. So yummy.
It was difficult to stop eating. LOL!
I will be checking out your other recipes.
Thank you for sharing.
Bea & Marco says
Yay! I'm happy to hear that. Yes, you'd need strong will power to stop eating this. Haha! Thanks, Lea!
Vann says
The cake is tasty but, I used less sugar usually less than 200grams, cause I find the sugar too much and less cocoa powder cause of the cost. I also switched sour cream with plain yoghurt and coconut sugar with cane sugar and most of the time I leave out chocolate chips cause of its cost and availability.
Bea says
Yes, adjust the recipe to your likings and situation. That's the beauty of cooking!
Wey Shiuan says
Oh god Bea!! I would say this is the best recipe I tried so far. The flavour is so rich and is soft. Love using coconut sugar as it gives ‘wow’ effect to the cake! My kids love it so so much. Yay, am a happy mum!! Love you heaps Bea!!! Btw, coffee cheesecake is the fridge. Yet to taste it.
Bea says
Thank you Wey! Happy Mum = happy family, right 😀 ? Hope you liked the cheesecake also!