This Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread is easy to make, soft, and moist, with pockets of melted dark chocolate. It's everything you want from a banana bread and more! It has simple ingredients, it's gluten-free, and freezer-friendly! Serve it for breakfast, brunch, as a snack, or for dessert.
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What Makes This Banana Bread Special
Chopped chocolate, not chocolate chips - A quality dark chocolate bar is such a game-changer for banana bread! It spreads in the batter so much better than chocolate chips! Chopping it will always give you everything from large chunks to tiny pieces, so every single bite of the banana bread will have a little bit of melted chocolate in it.
Easy and simple - There's nothing complicated to this recipe, and it doesn't require you to be a baker to get it right every time! I was testing and making this bread for a few months before publishing it, and it comes out the same every time!
Gluten-free - All my recipes are tested using my go-to gluten-free flour blend (Bob's Red Mill 1:1 flour), so you can be sure this recipe will work for you, whether you use regular all-purpose flour or a gluten-free one.
Freezer-friendly - My favorite part about baking is usually the leftovers, especially from the freezer! Nothing beats finding a forgotten slice of banana bread stashed in the freezer when you're craving something sweet! This bread is just as delicious defrosted as when it was fresh!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour - All my recipes are made using a gluten-free flour blend. I always use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour to keep all my recipes consistent, and I recommend using this flour (if you're gluten-free) for the best results. Regular all-purpose flour also works!
- Bananas - You want to use ripe bananas for this recipe. They should be dark yellow with lots of black spots. If your bananas are ripe enough, they will be very easy to mash. They're much sweeter when they're ripe and give the bread a better flavor.
- Large eggs - They help bind everything together. I haven't tested any vegan substitutes and recommend eggs for the best results.
- Greek yogurt - Yogurt is the secret ingredient here to make the loaf extra soft and moist. It's a game-changer for banana bread!
- Avocado oil - I use avocado oil in all of my baking, and I prefer it over butter here. It's very neutral in taste, and it gives the loaf a cake-like texture.
- Cane sugar - I went with granulated sugar for this recipe because there's already enough moisture from the yogurt, eggs, and oil. Cane sugar is less processed than white sugar, but still neutral in flavor and not as moist as brown sugar.
- Chocolate bar - You can use anything from milk chocolate to semi-sweet and dark chocolate. I usually go with a 75% chocolate bar. If you like extra dark chocolate, you can go with 85%. Keep in mind that the higher the cacao percentage, the less the chocolate will melt. White chocolate works as well.
- Spices and flavorings - Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste helps to enhance all the flavors, and cinnamon adds a little bit of flavor that ties everything together.
- Butter - I always use unsalted butter to grease my loaf pan. It sticks to the sides much better than oil, and your flour will also stick better as a result.
Variations and Substitutions
- Turbinado sugar - This is optional if you don't want the extra sugar, but I highly recommend it! Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top of the bread before baking, and it will create a delicious, crispy crust on top. I often do this with any muffins or loaves, and it makes them look like they came straight from a fancy bakery!
- Vegan yogurt - If you want to avoid dairy, you can use a good creamy dairy-free yogurt instead of Greek yogurt.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cane sugar, avocado oil, vanilla extract, and sea salt until well combined.
- Add mashed banana and Greek yogurt and whisk again.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches and whisk until just combined. Be careful not to overmix it.
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- Fold in chopped chocolate into the batter using a spatula, saving some for garnish.
- Grease your loaf pan with a knob of butter and add flour. Tilt the pan around to cover all sides. Turn it upside down over the sink and tap the sides to get rid of any excess.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and top it with any reserved chopped chocolate and sprinkle with turbinado sugar (if using).
- Bake the banana bread in the preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let it cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan before carefully transferring it onto a cooling rack. Cool for at least an hour before slicing. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks!
- Coarse sugar on top - If you want to make the loaf extra fancy, sprinkle it with coarse turbinado sugar before baking. The sugar doesn't melt completely, and it creates a delicious crunchy topping as it caramelizes in the oven. It makes the banana bread cafe-worthy and so delicious! I tend to do this with most of my baked goods.
- Don't overmix your batter - Avoid vigorously whisking the batter once you add the dry ingredients. Whisk them in until just combined, and add your chopped chocolate. As you whisk or fold it in, the batter will mix further. If you overmix it, you risk the loaf being denser, and it may not rise properly.
- Serve the bread toasted - While you can enjoy this loaf cold straight from the fridge, I recommend toasting it in the oven at 300°F for 8-10 minutes for the best flavor. The bread softens and the chocolate melts again - it makes it 10x more delicious!
Storing and Reheating
Refrigerator: I only recommend storing this loaf in the fridge, unless you plan to eat it within 24 hours and have a cool place to store it in. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Wait for the loaf to cool completely before closing the container to avoid condensation.
Freezer: Slice the loaf and freeze it in an airtight container or a freezer bag for 2-3 months. To avoid the slices sticking together, place a small piece of parchment paper between each slice. I recommend slicing it instead of freezing it in large pieces because it will be much easier to defrost.
Reheating
While you can enjoy this bread cold, I highly recommend warming it up because it melts the chocolate, and it makes the bread a little softer. I recommend doing this in the oven to get the edges crispy and heat it evenly.
From the fridge: If your loaf is refrigerated, place it on a small baking sheet and warm it up in a preheated oven at 300°F for about 8-10 minutes.
From frozen: If it's frozen, you can either defrost it in the fridge or at room temperature first, or reheat it from frozen for about 20 minutes (I only recommend this if you pre-sliced it). Alternatively, you can also defrost it using the defrost setting on your oven first if you have it.
FAQs
If it's too dry, it has too much flour, and if it's too wet, it doesn't have enough flour or too much of the wet ingredients. Make sure to always measure flour by spooning flour into your measuring cup, NOT scooping it with the measuring cup. Scooping it with the measuring cup compresses the flour, and you'll end up with much more of it in the batter.
This is most likely because of overmixing the batter. This is especially important with regular flour, but gluten-free flour can be overmixed, too. It will fall more flat, be denser, and rubbery. The best way to avoid this is to gently whisk in the flour in two parts and then fold it in with a spatula at the end, rather than vigorously whisking.
More Banana Bread Recipes
Banana bread is one of my favorite things to bake, and I usually have a couple of slices stashed in the freezer. There are many variations you can make, but below are four of my favorites! Head over to Breads and Muffins to see all the latest ones.
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Have you tried this Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread? Please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
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Print📖 Recipe
Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Baked Goods
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread is easy to make, soft, and moist, with pockets of melted dark chocolate. It's everything you want from a banana bread and more! It's gluten-free and freezer-friendly! Serve it for breakfast, brunch, as a snack, or for dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (I use gluten-free flour by Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- ½ cup avocado oil (or other neutral cooking oil)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana (2-3 bananas)
- ⅔ cup Greek yogurt
- ½-1 bar of dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces (I use 75% or 85% chocolate)
- Knob of butter and ½ tablespoon (for greasing the pan)
- 1 tbsp turbinado sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cane sugar, avocado oil, vanilla extract, and sea salt until well combined.
- Add mashed banana and Greek yogurt and whisk again.
- Add the flour mixture in two batches and whisk until just combined. Don’t overmix it.
- Fold in chopped chocolate, saving some for garnish.
- Grease your loaf pan with a knob of butter and add flour. Tilt the pan around to cover all sides. Turn it upside down over the sink and tap the sides to get rid of any excess.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and top it with any saved chopped chocolate and sprinkle with turbinado sugar (if using).
- Bake the banana bread in the preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let it cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan before carefully transferring it onto a cooling rack. Cool for at least an hour before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
Wait for it to cool: Allow the bread to cool down as much as you have patience to before slicing it. It will be very crumbly if you try to slice it while it’s still hot. Letting it cool allows it to set and hold its shape much better.
Storing: Allow the bread to cool completely before storing it in any closed containers to avoid condensation. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3-4 months. If you’re freezing individual slices, place parchment paper in between them to avoid them sticking together.
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