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This is the best ever chocolate chip banana bread recipe. This moist, flavorful banana bread with chocolate chips is always a huge hit! I am sharing all of the baking tips and tricks for making the perfect banana chocolate chip bread.
Best Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe
This Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe has been years in the making. I have made plenty of loaves of banana bread but since I started Modern Honey, I have become determined to figure out how to make the best versions of a recipe.
It all started out with a little research. There are two highly opinionated camps — those who believe banana bread should be made with butter and those who believe it should be made with oil. Here’s the deal…we all know everything is better with butter, right? It adds an insane amount of rich buttery flavor that is perfect in baked goods.
Adding oil to baked goods makes them moist which is super important in banana bread. So why not have the best of both worlds? This chocolate chip banana bread recipe calls for both butter and oil. I am pleasing the masses here while making the best bakery-style chocolate chip banana bread.
Another key component of making a delectable banana bread is using sour cream. This is going to create a moist texture that melts in your mouth. We don’t want dry, hockey puck banana bread here. Not a chance!
It is important when making homemade banana bread to use ripe bananas. As bananas ripen, they develop natural sugars to add more depth of flavor and sweetness to the banana bread. Watch for bananas to start developing brown spots on their yellow skin to know they are ready for banana bread.
Ingredients:
Here is what you will need to make this easy chocolate chip banana bread recipe. The key ingredient is definitely ripe bananas because it makes the banana bread naturally sweeter.
- Butter: Use softened butter to make it easier to cream into the sugar.
- Oil: Use a mild-flavored oil such as canola or vegetable. For a coconut flavor twist, use coconut oil.
- Sugar: If you would like a deeper flavor, use 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of brown sugar.
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Ripe Bananas: See below for tips on determining whether or not your bananas are ripe enough to use in banana bread. Hint: you want to see those brown spots!
- Sour Cream: I suggest using full-fat sour cream for moisture and flavor. For extra moist banana bread, increase the sour cream to 1/3 cup.
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Mini Chocolate Chips: This helps to distribute the chocolate throughout the bread so every single bite is full of both banana and chocolate.
How to make Banana Chocolate Chip Bread:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, cream together butter, oil and sugar. Cream for 3 minutes.
- Add eggs, vanilla, bananas and sour cream. Stir well until combined.
- Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Don’t overmix. Stir in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips.
- Pour into greased approximately 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 inch loaf pan. A tip would be to use a light-colored bread pan and line the baking pan with parchment paper.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips. Also, sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of sugar on top of bread.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cover with foil halfway through cooking, approximately 25 minutes to prevent burning.
- Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with sweet cream butter. This banana bread freezes well.
How to cook banana bread in the middle?
When I first started making banana bread, I struggled with getting the center completely done without getting the outside too brown. The struggle is real. The solution I found that works like a charm is to cover the banana bread with aluminum foil halfway through the baking time. This ensures the middle gets cooked through without the edges becoming too dark.
How to make Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins:
This recipe can also be made into chocolate chip banana bread muffins. If you love banana bread in bite-size form, you will love these chocolate chip banana muffins. This recipe will make 12 large muffins or 18 small to medium muffins. I usually come out with 12 muffins. Since they are smaller, you will bake them for less time. Set the timer for 15 minutes and keep checking. The muffins are done when a toothpick comes out clean.
Another tip is to use mini chocolate chips. If you only have regular sized chocolate chips, they will work brilliantly as well. I just like the even distribution of chocolate flavor that mini chocolate chips bring to this chocolate chip banana bread. You can set aside 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips to sprinkle on the top of the bread. You will have everyone fighting for the tops of the bread after they see that much chocolate! Bring on the chocolate for breakfast.
I used a 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 inch loaf pan.
This USA pan is my favorite loaf panbecause it creates such perfectly baked bread.
FAQ’s:
Ripe bananas are key to a flavorful banana bread. They should be heavily speckled with brown spots. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful they will be.
The key to moist banana bread lies in the ingredients and mixing method:
Use very ripe bananas.
Don’t overmix the batter…mix just until combined.
Incorporate sour cream for added moisture.
Bake at the correct temperature and avoid overbaking.
Light-colored pans distribute heat more evenly and prevent the edges from becoming too dark or overcooked. Dark-colored pans absorb more heat, which can lead to quicker browning and potentially dry edges. For best results, use a light-colored pan or reduce the baking temperature slightly if using a dark-colored pan.
Store banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze it for up to 3 months. Allow it to come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Quick Bread Recipes:
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If you are looking for more sweet quick bread recipes, check out my Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe. You will have no idea there is zucchini in it. It’s amazing!
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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- 1/4 cup Oil
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 3 Ripe Bananas
- 1/4 cup Sour Cream (for extra moist bread, use 1/3 cup)
- 1 3/4 cup Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 3/4 cup Mini Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In large bowl, cream together butter, oil and sugar. Cream for 3 minutes.
- Add eggs, vanilla, bananas and sour cream. Stir well until combined.
- Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips.
- Pour into greased approximately 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 inch loaf pan.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips. Also, sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of sugar on top of bread.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cover with foil halfway through cooking, approximately 25 minutes to prevent burning.
- Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
- This banana bread freezes well.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I would love to hear what you think about this chocolate chip banana bread recipe! Come find me on instagram at modern_honey.
This bread is amazing! My husband has been begging for a banana bread with chocolate chips so I found yours and am so glad I did!! How should I store it for a few days other than freezing for more long-term? Not that it may last very long. ????
I am generally a purist, so I was hesitant to add the chocolate chips…I’m glad I did (and walnuts too)…this was so good I don’t want to make it any other way! I made it once when I ran out of chips, it was still delicious, but not the same! Doesn’t last long in our house!!
Melissa, why don’t you have your own cooking show? This banana bread is delicious! My loaf pan is MIA so I had to use a bundt pan plus I had to run an errand while baking this (hubby stayed at home, but that meant I uncovered the bread later than 25 min into baking it). All my family is devouring this AFTER a meal. Thanks for the recipe! Yummy and great texture!
Sounds like my recipe that I revamped years ago. I Am amused how your recipe reads 1/4 cup oil and 4 Tablesoons butter. 1/4 cup = 4 Tablesoons. I also make mine with soured milk (add a couple Tablesoons of vinegar and allow to curdle).
Thank you for recipe, it is fantastic, I just took it out of oven.
Jill
Looks great! White sugar or brown. Or both?
This came out amazing!! I would consider myself a novice baker and am typically intimidated by anything having to do with bread, as it can be finicky however, this was so moist and SO easy! Thank you!
Hi, I’m interested to make this. Could you kindly provide metric measurements??
Thank you!
Omg i made this banana bread and by far the best I’ve ever had. Deliciously moist. It was a hit!
So yummy! Made this yesterday and going to make the muffin version today!
THANK YOU for this! i just made these as muffins too and they came out so yummy!
This looks amazing. I want to try it. The only thing I’ll say is: mashed banana volume needs to be given. There’s too much variance in saying “three bananas”
Saying “one cup” or whatever is much more definitive.
3 bananas…Get it?
3 bananas were perfect, I have used all different sizes…always comes out delish
I turned these into muffins – without chocolate chips – and it took just 25 minutes to bake! Very moist, and turned out not just beautiful.. but delicious.
I tried the banana bread. It was great. The only issue I had was the bottom browning faster than the rest of the bread. I did cover it half way through, but only loosely. I used a glass loaf dish. Maybe aluminum will work better next time. Thanks for the recipe.
What size loaf pan?