This is the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, a classic recipe honed to perfection. It is a no fuss, one-bowl recipe requiring only 15 minutes of work and makes the most delicious banana bread: soft and moist without being dense or stodgy, with a nutty banana flavor that isn't too sweet, and a generous amount of chocolate.
Read the full blog post below for detailed notes, tips, tricks, photos and videos. Not in the mood for chocolate? Try my cinnamon crunch banana bread recipe instead!
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What makes this banana bread special?
👩🍳A quick and easy, no fuss recipe. It comes together in one bowl with just about 15 minutes of work. No fancy ingredients, no complicated steps
✨ A crispy, golden crust. When it comes to banana bread, I am all about the crispy edges - they make you appreciate the soft interior more!
🍯 A soft and moist interior without being dense or stodgy. It is incredibly tender and moist with a velvety, melt-in-the-mouth feel while still being light enough to enjoy a slice or two (or three)
🍌 The perfectly balanced banana flavor. The banana flavor shines without being overly sweet, which is a trap many recipes fall into!
🧈 Nutty caramel goodness from brown butter. Once you make banana bread with brown butter, you're never going back
☕️ A beautiful hint of coffee. If you've ever paired a slice of banana bread with a cup of coffee, you know this combination is heavenly
🍫 The *right* amount of chocolate. AKA a lot of chocolate measured with your heart
🍞 The perfect size. This banana bread is a proper loaf with height, giving way to the perfect slices
Video tutorial
Here is a short video tutorial for this chocolate chip banana bread recipe:
Step by step photos
The detailed recipe is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but let's go over the steps quickly with photos to help you visualize everything.
Whisk the brown butter and brown sugar:
Add the eggs, vanilla and coffee. Whisk until smooth:
Mash the bananas:
Tip: If you're using an electric hand mixer instead of a whisk, you can add the bananas whole to the batter and whisk them in. They will automatically get mashed!
Add the bananas and yogurt to the batter and whisk until combined:
Sift in the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined:
Fold in the chocolate chips:
Bake, rest, and enjoy!
The perfect loaf pan
Using the right size and shape of a loaf pan is important in achieving the perfect banana bread (or any loaf cake). I use this exact loaf pan from USA Pan, and highly recommend it. It is 8.5" x 4.5" with perfectly straight edges, and makes banana bread with the right height. It is also a light colored pan, which prevents the edges of the banana bread from darkening too quickly.
Tips to perfect this chocolate chip banana bread
This recipe is simple, but a few key tips can make all the difference between good and amazing:
Measure with a weighing scale for accuracy. This is especially important for flour, as measuring cups can easily over-measure flour resulting in a dense and dry bread, and for the bananas
Make sure your bananas are extra ripe! The more brown spots, the stronger the flavor. If in a pinch, bake the bananas at 350F for 5-8 minutes to caramelize them before use
Use dark or semi-sweet chocolate. This will help balance the sweetness of the banana bread. Milk chocolate instead will tip things too far
Use a light colored loaf pan. A dark pan will brown and cook the edges too fast
Be cautious of the amount of batter. This recipe makes a generous amount of batter that will almost fill the loaf pan to the top. If you're worried about overflow (and especially if your loaf pan is less than 2.75" in height), bake ½ cup to 1 cup of the batter separately as a muffin
Get the baking time right. Use a toothpick inserted in the middle to test for doneness, it should have light crumbs but no wet batter. Underbaking will cause the bread to sink!
Let it fully cool down. This banana bread will fall apart if you try to slice it while it's warm. Let it fully cool down at room temperature before slicing in
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you may use white sugar instead of brown but brown sugar will give you the best results.
While you can reduce the sugar further, I advise against it because it will make the bread less moist.
Yes! You can use this recipe as a base for a plain banana bread, or try other mix ins. My favorites are walnuts and peanut butter chips.
Yes! You can make this bread beforehand and store it in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days (or in the fridge for up to 5 days). I recommend reheating each slice in the microwave before serving.
More classic recipes
Some other classic recipes I am loving right now:
The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe
- Total Time: 90 min
- Yield: 8-10 servings
Description
A soft, moist and easy banana bread made with brown butter, a hint of coffee, and lots of chocolate for a beautifully balanced flavor
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113g)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (25g)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed (150g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp instant coffee + 1 teaspoon hot water
- 4 extra ripe bananas, mashed (about 440g)
- ½ cup Greek yogurt (120g)
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour (227g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate of choice (300g); I recommend semi-sweet or dark
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 340F and line a 8.5 x 4.5 or 9 x 4 loaf pan with parchment paper
- Add the cubed butter or a saucepan. Place of medium low heat, and cook and stir for ~5-8 minutes until the butter has browned. It will melt first, then become bubbly and foamy before you see brown specks on the bottom and smell a lovely caramel-y scent. Be sure not to overcook, as it can burn quickly after browning
- Add the brown butter to a large bowl. Add the oil and brown sugar, and whisk for 1-2 minutes. If the mixture feels too hot, wait 5 minutes before proceeding
- Add the eggs, vanilla, and coffee dissolved in water. Whisk for 1-2 minutes until the mixture becomes smooth and lighter in color
- Add the mashed bananas and greek yogurt, and whisk until combined
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently whisk until the dry ingredients are combined and no lumps or streaks of flour remain
- Lastly, fold in the chocolate chips. Do not overmix
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. It is a generous amount of batter - so if you are worried it will overflow, you can remove ~½ cup and bake it separately as a muffin. Optionally, you can sprinkle more chocolate chips on top
- Bake for 65 to 75 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with light crumbs but no wet batter
- Remove from the oven and let the banana bread rest in the loaf until it fully cools down. This can take a while, try not to rush! Once cooled, remove from the pan, serve & enjoy!
Video tutorial:
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 75 min
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Sanober Aziz says
I tried this today. Taste was good but quantity of chocolate was too much. I would suggest to use less chocolate . Idk why my bread turned out lil bit chewy. I used exact measurements with scale. Idk what fid i do wrong
Zoha says
Hi Sanober! Thanks for your feedback. I suppose everyone has different preferences when it comes to the amount of chocolate. As for the chewiness, it could be from overmixing the batter
Halima says
Amazing. I got 2 loaves a large 9 inch one and a small 4 inch one. Your Brownie recipe is amazing as well. Made it twice and got the crinkly top both times. May Allah bless you and the work of your hands. Ameen
Zoha says
Aww, thank you so much, Halima!!!
Mahnoor says
Thank you for this recipe! Made it ASAP because I had old bananas and I am so glad - it was definitely the best banana bread I’ve ever had! Took a chance and baked all of the batter in my loaf pan and it worked perfectly. So soft and moist, I’m obsessed
Zoha says
Exactly how i feel 🙂 Thank you!
Sumz says
hi Zoha.
I'm looking to make this tomorrow. would it be okay making this without chocolate?
Zoha says
Hi Sumz, yes, that will be ok. Baking time may be slightly reduced
Najha Rasheed says
This recipe is fantastic. It's not too sweet, very moist, and flavourful. I love the caramelised edges the most. It's a 10/10! Thank you, Zoha!
Zoha says
I am SOOO pleased to hear that - thank you!
Maryam says
Hi Zoha,
I have tried banana bread today and it turned out soooo delicious!
I have also tried your Newyork Cheesecake,Brownie and Tres Lechés Cake. They all were so soo good.
Thank you so much!❤️ May Allah give barakah in your rizq Ameen ❤️
Zoha says
Aww, thank you SO much! Means the world to me!
Tashia Tayyab says
I tried the banana bread and it turned out amazing. I was not too sure about adding yogurt but it did make a great change. I will be making this again and again.
Zoha says
Aww, THANK YOU!
Saishma says
As we all know, Zoha has the best recipes on baking. Her measurements are precise and accurate. I tried the Ultimate chocolate chip banana bread, it's my first bake. I turned out to be amazing, the cake was spongy, soft, the right amount of sweetness. I will definitely try more of her recipes, I'm glad that I chose her recipe for my first bake. (And my grandma, a great home cook, said that this cake is better than than all the store bought birthday cakes she ever ate)