Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

How to Make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This chocolate chip banana bread recipe is wonderfully simple, and the best part? You only need one bowl. It’s a cozy baking project that fills your kitchen with warmth and your house with the scent of bananas and chocolate. Here’s how to make it step by step:

1. Preheat and Prep

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang to help lift the bread out later.

2. Mash the Bananas

In a large mixing bowl, mash 3–4 overripe bananas with a fork or potato masher until smooth with just a few small lumps. The bananas should be deeply speckled or even blackened — that’s when they’re sweetest and most flavorful.

3. Mix the Wet Ingredients

To the mashed bananas, add ½ cup melted unsalted butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, 2 large eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk everything together until fully combined and smooth.

4. Add the Dry Ingredients

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon salt over the wet ingredients, then add 1½ cups all-purpose flour. Gently stir with a wooden spoon or spatula just until the flour disappears — don’t overmix, or your bread could turn out dense.

5. Fold in the Chocolate Chips

Stir in ¾ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, saving a handful to sprinkle on top of the loaf. If you want more chocolatey bites, you can increase to a full cup or even use a mix of chip sizes.

6. Bake

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips over the batter. Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (no wet batter!).

7. Cool and Enjoy

Let the bread cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice, serve, and enjoy every gooey, chocolate-flecked bite.