Chocolate Banana Bread (Printable View)

Moist banana bread with chocolate chips and cocoa, perfect for breakfast or snacks.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (or neutral oil)
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Mix-ins

10 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
11 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
03 - In a large bowl, mash bananas. Add melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract, then whisk until smooth.
04 - Gently fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined without overmixing.
05 - Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts, if desired.
06 - Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface evenly.
07 - Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
08 - Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's almost impossible to mess up, even if you're not a seasoned baker, because the bananas do most of the heavy lifting.
  • Unlike plain banana bread, the cocoa powder deepens everything—you get that chocolate satisfaction without needing to add blocks or chunks.
  • It stays moist for days, which means breakfast sorted for the better part of a week, or an excuse to slice into it warm with butter melting into the crumb.
02 -
  • Ripe bananas are absolutely everything—the kind that look almost too brown to eat are exactly what you need because they bring natural sweetness and moisture that underripe ones can't match.
  • The moment you see the dry ingredients incorporated is the moment to stop stirring; one extra fold and you'll feel the texture change from tender to dense.
  • Baking times vary wildly depending on your oven's personality, so start checking around 50 minutes rather than assuming it'll take the full 60.
03 -
  • If your bananas aren't quite ripe enough, let them sit out for another day or two rather than rushing—the difference is remarkable and worth the wait.
  • Melting the butter before mixing it in creates a more tender crumb than softened butter whisked together, and the technique is honestly less fussy.

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