The Best Super Moist Dark Chocolate Banana Bread
The Best Super Moist Dark Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe – I promise you will never need another! With dark cocoa, dark chocolate chips & dark brown sugar, you’d be surprised how something with so much ‘dark’ can bring so much light into your life 😉
Banana breads are nice, but they’re a dime a dozen.
So instead of just a banana bread recipe, I’ve got you guys a miles-better recipe of Dark Chocolate Banana Bread.
It’s incredibly soft, decadent, fudgy and all things worth drooling over.
With deep, intense chocolate flavor… soft, tender crumb…and melt-in-the-mouth texture, it is…
Totally worth going bananas over!
Sorry….
Just had to use that pun.
Well, I have to be honest with you guys.
I wasn’t much into banana bread (still am not), but with this version of dark chocolate banana bread?
I’m obsessed.
And so is everyone who has tasted it.
Everyone who eats it, loves it. And everyone who tries the recipe themselves, never tries another recipe again! No kidding guys!
If you are like me and love baking with chocolate, this recipe is a keeper.
If you love my dark chocolate cake and fudgy chocolate brownies, you will definitely love this dark cocoa banana bread recipe!
It’s not long after you sink your teeth into this fudgy chocolatey goodness and have your lips smeared with the melty chocolate chips, that you realize exactly what I’m talking about.
About Dark Chocolate Banana Bread
This is an ultra chocolatey, super moist, extra fudgy homemade banana bread.
It’s star ingredients are dark cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips.
Both of these ingredients not only balance out the sweetness of banana, but also make this banana bread DOUBLE CHOCOLATE.
No, I’m not screaming…just excited 🙂
The rich banana bread owes it’s deep, intense chocolate flavor to the fine, dark cocoa powder. Something regular chocolate banana bread misses out on!
Now we all know baking a loaf of banana bread is literally the best way to use up overripe, brown bananas!
And when you want something a little more exciting than just banana bread, or simply don’t like plain banana bread (like me!), then this is the perfect option for you.
Studded with dark chocolate chips, this banana bread makes one heck of a gift when you visit family or friends.
What is Dark Chocolate Banana Bread?
Homemade dark chocolate banana bread is the perfect union of sweet bananas and rich chocolate in the form of a ‘quick bread’.
This basically means it does not contain yeast like leavened breads do, but instead rise with the help of baking soda and baking powder.
Consisting of just the right ratio of bananas to chocolate, every bite bursts with flavor. This has got to be the fudgiest, most chocolatey banana bread you will ever taste.
Believe me when I say…
This is the banana bread that ends your search for the best chocolate banana bread recipe.
Why I love this dark chocolate banana bread recipe (and why you will never need another!)
Chocolate and bananas go great together, like in this Banana Fudge Pie and Chocolate Coated Banana Pops.
But here in this dark chocolate banana bread, they’re a match made in heaven.
- Super moist, chocolatey, full of flavor
- Freezer friendly- yes!
- Super easy to make
- Very quick to prepare – it’s just the baking that takes time.
- Irresistibly intense chocolate flavor
- Infinitely fudgy
- Loads of chocolate chips
- Tender crumb and tender texture
- like a dark double chocolate banana cake
- You can sleep comfortably knowing you have the best ever chocolate banana bread recipe under your belt
Easy Dark Chocolate Banana Bread: Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
Dark Brown Sugar: For extra richness and gooey-ness! Brown sugar is known to keep baked goods extra moist due to it’s molasses content, and using ONLY brown sugar means this will be a super moist banana bread. Dark brown sugar has an even higher molasses content compared to light brown sugar, hence that is all we use here. No white sugar needed.
Salt: to balance out the sweetness. You can use table salt, or even sea salt if you have it handy. Or skip the salt altogether if you are using salted butter.
All-purpose flour: You can switch this up with whole-wheat flour to really get yourself a healthier chocolate banana bread.
Chocolate Chips/Chunks: A generous amount of dark chocolate chips or chunks…no justification required.
Dark Cocoa Powder: Since this is a banana bread with cocoa powder, only make sense to use dark cocoa for that intense chocolate flavor. The one most commonly found is Hershey’s Dark Unsweetened Cocoa Powder but my absolute favorite is Hintz Fine Dark Cocoa Powder. That being said, you can switch it up with any good quality unsweetened cocoa powder if you are not specifically looking for a dark chocolate banana bread.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Helps our loaf rise.
Cinnamon Powder: Just for an extra kick.
Wet Ingredients
Butter: Not only does this make the banana bread rich and flavorful, but it also hydrates it, making it ever more soft and tender. This recipe does not need oil to keep it super moist.
Ripe bananas: Please use ripe bananas and if the one’s you have aren’t very ripe, see FAQs to learn how to ripe bananas in an oven. Over ripe Bananas in banana bread play a huge role in moistness. You can tell if they are suitable for banana bread if they have a well-spotted appearance. The darker the bananas are, the sweeter they will be and the more moist your bread will turn out! If you use under-ripe (greenish-yellow) bananas, this loaf will lack moisture and sweetness.
Eggs: Eggs in banana bread provide structure, flavor, tenderness, leavening and so much more!
Vanilla extract: I often substitute vanilla extract with vanilla powder, and still get great results.
How to make The Best Super Moist Dark Chocolate Banana Bread
Grease a loaf pan with nonstick spray or any flavorless vegetable oil and preheat your oven.
First cream together your butter and sugar, and beat in the remaining wet ingredients. Throw in the dry ingredients, and stir to combine before you pop it in the oven.
For the sake of presentation, don’t forget to top the batter with extra chocolate chips as the crowning jewels this bread deserves.
As the bread bakes and the aroma of ultra rich, freshly baked banana bread wafts from your oven, expect to have your neighbors knocking.
Once the banana bread is out of the oven, let it cool…
You know what they say….good things come to those who wait..
Well, I don’t believe that.
More of an early-bird-gets-the-worm kind of person..
Or banana bread in this context 🙂
Slice and enjoy every last bit! Relish as you realize you are now tasting the best super moist dark chocolate banana bread!
So rich! So divine!
(See FAQs below for vegan option. It may be a bit more dense but still a chocolate lovers dream.)
Tips for the best fudgy dark chocolate banana bread
As easy as this recipe is to follow, you can never go wrong if you follow these tips:
1. Weigh your ingredients
Using a kitchen scale for baking is highly recommended over measuring by cups. It takes the guess work out of the recipe because a gram will always be a gram, but a cup won’t always measure out to be the same. And the difference… does make a difference!
Bananas: If you just go by the amount of bananas used, you may end up with too much or too little banana in the loaf which can completely change your banana bread. So weigh the mashed bananas, or measure out 1 and 1/4 cup of mashed bananas.
Flour: Measure the flour correctly, otherwise the bread could turn out too dry. Either weigh your flour using a food scale or use the correct technique to measure by cup. To measure by cup, simply spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge such as the back of your knife. Please don’t shake it or pack it down into the cup and don’t scoop directly from the flour bag or container, because this could leave you with more flour than required in the recipe.
2. Use good quality cocoa powder and chocolate
As this is a banana bread with cocoa powder, quality of the cocoa power and chocolate is the secret to the ultra chocolatey banana bread.
4. Try to use a mix of chocolate Chunks and chocolate chips
A combination of chocolate chips and chunks will produce the best, moist chocolate banana bread. Because the chocolate chips hold their shape during the baking process, you get firmer chocolate bits as your bite into the banana bread. The chocolate chunks create pockets of melted, fudgy chocolate adding to the moistness of the loaf!
5. Make sure to sift the dry ingredients beforehand for a lump-free batter.
Or at least whisk them well to combine and reduce lumps.
6. Don’t over beat your batter.
Since banana bread is ‘quick bread’, you will get a gummy, chewy texture if you over mix. So GENTLY mix the batter after adding the dry ingredients JUST till combined (a few lumps are okay).
7. Don’t overbake. Don’t underbake.
This dark chocolate banana bread loaf bakes for about 1 hour. You are looking for a completely puffed look with a crack in the center. Test if the banana bread has baked through by inserting a toothpick. You might need to test a few spots since you may hit a chocolate chip and think its the batter that not done!
If it comes out clean or clean-ish, it’s ready. If not, continue baking for 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven.
It’s still better to take it out slightly undone, than overbaking and getting a dry double chocolate banana bread. This is because the loaf will stay hot for a long time even after you take it out of the oven, and it will continue to cook a little bit as it cools.
For More Delicious Chocolate Recipes, Check Out My
- Chocolate Chip Walnut Blondies
- Chocolate Malt Drip Cake
- Dark Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
How long does this dark cocoa banana bread stay moist?
This recipe produces a super moist chocolate banana bread and it stays soft and fresh for 2-3 days. If you would like to keep it for longer, place it in the refrigerator for a week or just freeze. (Leftover slices can be frozen for chocolate cravings on rainy day, see freezer instructions in FAQs below.)
Is this a double chocolate banana bread?
Yesss! All the more reason to love it. Not only is it made from dark cocoa, all those chocolate chunks and chips mixed in makes this banana bread DOUBLE chocolate. This means that every little crumb of this lovely loaf is packed with ultra chocolatey flavor!
How to serve fudgy chocolate banana bread
You can serve it as a
- Snack (cold out of the fridge at midnight? I’m in!)
- Office Lunch Box Item
- Kids’ Lunch Box Item
- Potluck or Casual Brunch Item
- Dessert (Make it fancy by drizzling some cream cheese or topping it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream)
What can I serve it with?
| Nutella | Ice-cream | Strawberry Jam | Honey | Almond Butter | Chocolate glaze |
| Cream Cheese | Dollop of Whipped Cream | Drizzle of Maple Syrup | Peanut Butter | Cinnamon butter or sugar | Cup of coffee or milk |
How do I store dark cocoa banana bread?
Place it in an airtight container and keep at room temperature for a day. However, due to the perishable ingredients, it is best to store leftovers in the fridge after a day. This way it will last up to a week. You can even freeze it to store for a longer time. Just wrap tightly using a cling wrap to seal the freshness before putting it in the airtight container.
Swapping Options
What can I use instead of dark chocolate chips?
| Mini Chocolate Chips | Milk Chocolate Chips | Chopped Chocolate | White chocolate chips | Peanut butter chips |
| Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips | Dark Chocolate chunks | Chopped Walnuts, Almonds or Pecans | Shredded coconut | Caramel Chips |
Ingredient Substitutes
| Instead Of: | You can use: |
| Dark Cocoa Powder | Unsweetened cocoa powder* Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder |
| Dark Brown Sugar | Light Brown Sugar |
| All- Purpose Flour | Bread Flour |
| Unsalted Butter | Salted butter (but skip the salt in the recipe) Vegan Butter (like Earth Balance) |
| Bananas | You can replace a little of banana puree for applesauce but not more than 1/4 cup! |
What can I use instead of a loaf pan?
Regular cake pan is fine, but it would probably reduce the baking time. The option I love is a muffin tin to create dark chocolate banana bread muffins! For this, line a muffin tin with paper liners and fill each about 3/4 full (it should make roughly 12-14 dark chocolate banana bread muffins). Just like the banana bread, top each muffin with more chocolate chips and bake at 180C for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Are you ready for the best super moist dark chocolate banana bread to emerge from your oven? Go ahead and try this recipe!
The Best Super Moist Dark Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup dark cocoa powder (60g)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (6g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder (2g)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (3g)
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar (150g)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113g)
- 3-4 very ripe bananas (300g puree)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5g)
- 100 grams dark chocolate chips (some more for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease a 9 X 5 inch – 23 X 13 cm loaf pan. Line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
- Make sure the rack is in the center of the oven.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon powder, baking powder and baking soda and whisk to combine. Using a whisk saves you from sifting your dry ingredients, although you can sift them if you prefer.
- In a medium bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork. You can also use a potato masher, OR electric beaters for this step. Make sure to measure the mashed bananas to an even 1 1/4 cups and keep aside.
- Grab a large bowl, and beat the unsalted butter and brown sugar using an electric hand mixer until creamy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute or till the mixture is smooth. Now add the mashed bananas and beat till mixture is combined.
- Now, with mixer on low speed, stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Don’t overmix the batter as it will make your bread chewy and dense with a gummy texture. So GENTLY mix the batter after adding the dry ingredients JUST till combined. A few lumps are okay.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in chocolate chips/chunks.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips/chunks on top.
- Bake for about 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the loaf to cool for at least 20 minutes before removing it form the pan. Use a knife to release the sides of the bread from the pan if necessary and remove the chocolate banana bread from the pan.
- Transfer it to the cooling rack and let cool completely. This ensures the center completely sets so each slice holds together.
- Once cooled, slice the chocolate banana bread and serve. Take a moment to marvel at your creation before digging into it!
Notes
INSTEAD OF DARK COCOA POWDER, DARK CHOCOLATE CHIPS & DARK BROWN SUGAR:
You can use regular cocoa powder, chocolate chips and brown sugar. IF YOU HAVE SALTED BUTTER Instead of unsalted butter, you can use salted butter but you will need to skip the salt in the recipe. MAKE IT VEGAN- Use vegan butter like Earth Balance
- Use flax eggs instead of regular eggs
- Use vegan chocolate chips instead of regular dark chocolate chips
Did you try this recipe?
If you try this super moist dark chocolate banana bread recipe, be sure to snap a photo and share it on Instagram. It makes my day- just knowing someone tried my recipe and loved it!
Tag me @iamtheovenist so I can check it out and leave a comment! 🙂 Or give your feedback in the comments below 🙂
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What if I do not have a weighing scale?
Using a kitchen scale for baking is highly recommended over measuring by cups. It takes the guess work out of the recipe because a gram will always be a gram, but a cup won’t always measure out to be the same. However, the most important thing to weigh here is the flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use the Spoon & Sweep method. This means using a spoon, lightly fill the measuring cup with flour then sweep excess with the back of a knife, as shown here.
How do I freeze double chocolate banana bread?
This banana bread is completely freezer friendly! You can slice it up, wrap each slice (or entire loaf!) tightly with a cling wrap, and place it in an airtight container. It will easily last a month or two this way and will be as good as new once you defrost. Thaw at room temp or in the refrigerator, and reheat a slice or two gently for a few seconds in the microwave.
Can this banana bread be vegan?
To make vegan dark chocolate banana bread, replace the 2 eggs with two flax eggs. Mix 2 tablespoons of ground flax/flaxseed meal with 5 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 10 minutes to thicken before use. Also, replace the butter and chocolate chips with vegan versions. You can even make vegan dark chocolate banana bread muffins using this recipe!
Can I ripe bananas in an oven?
Yes. If your bananas aren’t ripe enough, or are greenish-yellow, you can make them ripe by baking on a sheet pan for 15-20 minutes at around 150c. They should come out completely brown. Let them cool before you peel and mash them for this recipe. Ripe bananas are they key to a moist chocolate banana bread!
How do I use frozen ripe bananas?
If using frozen ripe bananas, allow them to thaw completely before mashing and adding to the batter. However, I would not suggest using frozen bananas as they change the flavor and crumb of the banana bread and release a lot of moisture.
Does dark chocolate banana bread taste bitter?
Noo, not at all! Just doesn’t taste as sweet as regular chocolate banana breads. Pretty much like a double chocolate banana cake.
What if my bananas are too ripe for banana bread?
As long as they do not have mold on them, you can even use black bananas. Will be so much easier to mash!
Why isn’t my banana bread moist?
Two likely causes for this are: overbaking your loaf or adding more flour than needed (weigh to avoid this!).
Can I make this banana bread gluten-free?
Use a good quality gluten-free flour like that can be used in a 1:1 ratio. You can find these in UAE:
- Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour
- King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure Flour, Gluten Free
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