Double Chocolate Banana Bread (Moist For Days!)

Imagine a piece of indulgently rich chocolate cake paired with a flavorful slice of banana bread. Here we’re getting two fabulous baked goods together in one. This double chocolate banana bread is extra moist, undeniably fudge-like, and can satisfy even the biggest chocolate craving. It’s easy to make, too!

I’ve made chocolate banana bread a few times over the past several years and have never been “wowed.” I really wanted to develop a recipe that delivered a decadent chocolate flavor with a moist, dense texture. After several tries, I landed on today’s chocolate chip-studded beauty, a loaf that lives up to my very popular and deeply loved classic banana bread recipe.

Here’s Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Banana Bread

• Uses simple, basic baking ingredients
• Batter comes together easily
• Stays moist for days, and also freezes well
• Dense, but not-too-heavy crumb
• Substantial chocolate flavor that doesn’t overpower the banana
• An anytime treat—enjoy with coffee, in the afternoon, or for dessert

Key Ingredients to Use & Why

Let me share a brief rundown of the ingredients you need and the purpose of each. Remember, baking is a science, and the select ingredients play a crucial role in the texture, moisture, flavor, and structure of your baked goods. I use many of the following ingredients in my double chocolate zucchini bread, too.

Expect a thick batter and use a 9×5-inch loaf pan; an 8×4-inch pan is too small.

The chocolate banana bread takes about 60 to 65 minutes to bake. Begin checking for doneness at 60 minutes using a toothpick; if it comes out mostly clean with only a few moist crumbs, the bread is done.

You don’t have to wait too long for this quick bread to cool; at least 1 to 2 hours is enough. Just wait until you slice into the warm loaf with all those melty chocolate chips inside.

And my last piece of advice: try a slice with a generous swipe of peanut butter!

Other Favorite Banana Recipes:

Print

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

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  Author: Sally
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  Prep Time: 15 minutes
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  Cook Time: 1 hour
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  Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes (includes slight cooling)
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  Yield: 1 loaf
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  Category: Bread
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  Method: Baking
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  Cuisine: American

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Description

This double chocolate banana bread is moist and fudge-like, and comes together quickly with a couple bowls and a loaf pan. See recipe Notes for freezing instructions and how to turn the loaf into chocolate banana muffins.

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2.  In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined. Mix in 3/4 cup (135g) chocolate chips. Set aside.
3. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then beat in the yogurt, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract until combined. Add the dry ingredients and hot water, and beat on low speed until combined. Batter is thick. Do not over-mix.
4. Pour and spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top, down the center of the loaf.
5. Bake for 60–65 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from drying out. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. This may be after 60–65 minutes depending on your oven, so begin checking around the 60-minute mark, at 5-minute intervals.
6. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for at least 1 to 2 hours before removing, slicing, and serving.
7. Cover and store bread at room temperature for 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Banana bread tastes best on day 2 after the flavors have settled together.

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Notes

1. Freezing Instructions: Freeze baked & cooled loaf, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. If desired, bring to room temperature before serving. To learn more details about how to freeze quick breads, see my post called Make-Ahead Baking.
2. Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×5-inch Loaf Pan or this 9×5-inch Loaf Pan| Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
3. Chocolate Banana Muffins: You can try these whole wheat healthier chocolate banana muffins, or turn today’s more decadent batter into muffins. To do so, preheat oven to 425°F (218°C) and spray a muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. Prepare batter as directed above, fill each liner to the top with batter and bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C). Then, keeping the muffins in the oven, lower the temperature to 350°F (177°C) and continue to bake for an additional 14–15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 12–16 muffins.
4. Can I Use Whole Wheat Flour? Yes, you can replace the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour with no other changes needed. The loaf will taste denser.
5. Cocoa Powder: Use natural cocoa powder, not Dutch-process. See Dutch-process vs natural cocoa powder for more information.
6. Chocolate Chips: Don’t leave these out! They sweeten the bread and give the bread more chocolate flavor.
7. Sour Cream or Yogurt: I usually use sour cream or nonfat plain Greek yogurt. For the yogurt, you can use full-fat, low-fat, or even vanilla Greek yogurt instead. Or use regular plain yogurt.
8. Frozen Bananas: You can use frozen bananas here. Thaw the frozen bananas. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking. Try not to mash too much or else you’ll be left with 2 cups of banana-y liquid; some chunks are great.

Keywords: chocolate banana bread