Don’t you think we all need a scrumptious banana bread recipe?
How about chocolate banana bread which is great for breakfast, snacks, and even dessert?! I hope that gets you excited to make one delicious loaf of bread out of ripened bananas.
TENDER AND CHOCOLATEY
It will be decadent, tender, and chocolatey. You’ll love the addition of cocoa powder and chocolate chips if you’re looking for a rich chocolate taste.
Or you can throw in some walnuts or pecans or any nuts of your choice in place of the chocolate chips. Your call.
FUN AND SUPER EASY
It’s also super easy you can even let young kids (if you have them) do it while you supervise. Let them mash the bananas, show them how to measure ingredients, make them fold in the chocolate chips, and have fun making it together.
I bet ya’ all be excited while it bakes in the oven, and your home is filled with the wonderful smell of chocolate bread goodness! Oh, yum.
Simple ingredients but BIG on taste. It’s a keeper!
MAKE IT WITH PANTRY INGREDIENTS
The ingredients are probably in your pantry, anyway, except for the sour cream, which you might need to buy because it is key in making the bread extra tender.
Bananas. Use 2-3 very ripe bananas. I particularly like the ones with brown spots. These are sweeter and softer in texture.
Cocoa powder. Use natural cocoa powder and not the Dutch process. To quote Jennifer Segal, author of this recipe, “the acidity in natural cocoa powder activates the baking soda in the recipe and causes the batter to rise in the oven.” Dutch process cocoa powder, on the other, is not acidic enough to activate the baking soda.
Flour. All-purpose flour or plain flour is all you need.
And the rest of the ingredients are basic pantry staples: baking soda, salt, unsalted butter at room temperature, sugar, eggs at room temperature, vanilla extract, semi-sweet chocolate chips, or nuts.
DEFINITELY A KEEPER
This is my all-time favourite chocolate banana bread, and I have not changed a thing in the recipe. It’s from Jenn Segal of Once Upon A Chef, a trained chef and cookbook author from Washington D.C.
Let me know what you think if you give it a try.
How To Make Chocolate Banana Bread
Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick 1/2 cup (114g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas, from 2-3 brown bananas
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (177 C). Grease a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until there are no more lumps in the cocoa powder and the mixture is well combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients and beat gently until just combined. Add the bananas, sour cream and vanilla and mix on low speed to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let the loaf rest in the pan for about 10 minutes, run a blunt knife around the edges to loosen, then turn it out onto a rack to cool completely.