Chocolate Banana Bread Slice (Printable)
Rich, moist banana bread infused with cocoa and dark chocolate chips. Easy to prepare, ideal for breakfast or as a sweet treat.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Wet Ingredients
01 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
04 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
06 - 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
08 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Add-Ins
10 - 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
11 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper or grease lightly with butter or cooking spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, vegetable oil, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to eliminate lumps and evenly distribute leavening agents.
04 - Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture using a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix as this develops gluten and results in dense bread.
05 - Gently fold in dark chocolate chips and walnuts if desired, distributing evenly throughout batter.
06 - Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top surface with a spatula for even baking.
07 - Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges with a few moist crumbs attached.
08 - Allow bread to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The combination of banana and chocolate creates this mysteriously complex flavor that coffee shops charge $5 a slice for, but youll be pulling it from your own oven.
- Its genuinely difficult to mess up - even my most distracted attempts have turned out beautifully moist loaves that disappeared within hours.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter will create tunnels in your bread and a tougher texture - I count my stirs and stop the moment the flour disappears.
- The toothpick test can be tricky with chocolate bread - look for moist crumbs rather than wet batter, as perfectly clean means its already overbaked.
03 -
- Freeze overripe bananas whole in their peels, then thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes before using - they practically mash themselves and make the bread incredibly moist.
- For the most even chocolate distribution, toss chocolate chips in 1 teaspoon of flour before adding them to the batter, which prevents them from sinking to the bottom during baking.