Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe

This easy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is so soft and moist and the addition of chocolate chips makes it even better.

Banana Bread – A Classic Favorite

I can’t remember a time growing up when there wasn’t good, old regular banana bread around. It seemed like every family had its favorite banana bread recipe and it showed up at potlucks, family get togethers and of course, breakfast.

Why such a great recipe? Because it was easy to make, kept well, froze well, and used simple ingredients. Plus, it was a great way to use of those extra ripe bananas that were sitting on the counter!

A traditional banana bread back in the day had a rich banana flavor, was slightly sweet from the sugar and would often have a bit of a filler using things like walnuts (which was not my favorite!). Easy, tasty, portable. Definitely reasons why it was so popular.

Banana Bread Today

Today, banana bread remains as popular as ever. However, as with most recipes, over time we look for ways to improve or change.

In my case, I decided to take a classic banana bread recipe and up my game by adding chocolate chips to create a moist chocolate chip banana bread. The addition of chocolate does not disappoint one little bit and it’s become my go-to recipe for banana bread.

And the really great thing? If you don’t consider yourself much of baker, but really want this chocolate chip banana bread? Then this is the best banana bread recipe for you.

Why is that? This recipe is not complicated at all as it uses mainly dry ingredients that are easy to keep on hand in your pantry. In addition to the dry ingredients, the only wet ingredients you need are eggs, butter and ripe bananas.

Simple and delicious. Such a great combination.

What Makes This an Easy Recipe

What makes this recipe easier than many other bread recipes is that this is considered a quick bread recipe. Quick breads use a chemical leavening agent (a leavening agent helps dough rise and provides the bread a lighter texture), which is much quicker than using live leavening agents (such as yeast).

Since I’m using baking soda and baking powder (chemical leavening agents), this is considered a quick bread. As such, I don’t have to take time for the dough to rise, which makes for a faster preparation time.

Tips for Slicing the Banana Bread

One important thing to note when making this easy quick bread is to give the banana bread time to cool completely. If the loaf is not fully cooled and at room temperature, it will have a tendency to fall apart when you try to slice it.

It takes a little patience, but it’s worth the wait to make sure it’s properly cooled. Once it’s fully cooled, cut off a thick slice of banana bread and pour yourself a steaming cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. Then, sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

How to Freeze the Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

If you are making this ahead of time or decided to bake an extra loaf, it can be frozen. The best way to freeze the banana bread is to first let it cool completely.

Once the banana bread is cooled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Then, wrap that in aluminum foil. Place in the freezer.

Alternatively, you can wrap in plastic wrap, put in a zip-lock bag, seal and place in the freezer. The banana bread should be good for up to three months in the freezer.

Tips and Tricks

• Make sure your bananas are very ripe. If your bananas are ripe but you’re not ready to bake a loaf, pop them into the freezer. That way you’ll have them on hand when you are ready to bake a loaf.
• Toss the chocolate chips in a tablespoon of flour. That will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the batter and are equally distributed in the bread.
• This quick bread needs to be baked in a 5 by 9 inch loaf pan. A 5 by 8 inch pan will be too small and the bread will overflow when it’s baked.
• Bake the loaf at a higher temperature for the first 10 minutes. This will insure that the outside is nice and crispy and the inside stays soft and moist.
• I know you’ll be tempted to dive into this bread straight from the oven, but for the best results, allow it to cool completely before slicing.

Ingredients Needed to Make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Full instructions can be found below in the printable recipe card

• Granulated white sugar
• Brown sugar
• Unsalted butter
• Eggs
• Ripe bananas – Make sure they are at least ripe. If you happen to have some overly ripe bananas on your countertop, they will also work.
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Chocolate chips – I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 5 by 9 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
• In a bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, simply use a large mixing bowl and a hand or electric mixer.
• Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time, mixing until combined.
• Add mashed bananas and mix well.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to banana mixture and mix until just combined.
• Remove bowl from mixer and stir in chocolate chips.
• Scrape batter into the prepared loaf pan and place in the oven. Set timer for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top no longer looks moist, the sides are beginning to pull away from the pan and you have a nice golden brown color.
• Let sit for 5 minutes on a wire rack, then run a knife along the edges and invert loaf onto the rack to cool completely.

More Quick Bread Recipes to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

• Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze
• Lemon Zucchini Bread
• Fresh Cherry Bread
• Quick Streusel Peach Bread
• Cinnamon Roll Muffins {Dairy Free Option}
• Blueberry Orange Bread
• Cornbread Muffins