Ultimate Guide to Baking the Best Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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This Chocolate Chip Banana bread recipe has long been our go-to favorite homemade banana bread. Easy to make and delicious to eat, we never make just one loaf.

Dive into the secrets of the perfect chocolate chip banana bread! 2 bananas, flour, butter, sugar, eggs, chocolate chips, baking powder and a few other ingredients you probably have on hand in your pantry are all you need to get baking! Use our delicious banana bread recipe and trouble shooting tips to make the most delicious sweet treat ever.

chocolate chip banana bread

This best banana bread recipe was given to me by a neighbor years ago when we lived in Air Force base housing in Okinawa, Japan. It’s one of my very favorite things to make when I have overripe bananas to use up and it’s always a hit! It amazes me that the brown, yucky bananas can make such a wonderful treat!

Here’s how to make easy banana bread that will quickly become your family’s favorite recipe too.

ingredients in bowls for banana bread

What’s in this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe

  • 2 cups flour – we typically use King Arthur all-purpose flour or our own home ground flour from spring white wheat berries if we want a little healthier bread
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder -leavening agent that helps the banana bread rise and become light and fluffy. 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt – we always recommend Redmond’s REAL salt from Utah. It’s our favorite brand of healthy salt.
  • 1 cup mashed, ripe banana – about 2 large brown bananas, or 3 medium bananas
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 3/4 cup butter – you can use salted or unsalted butter, but we recommend unsalted
  • 3/4 cup sugar – we like organic cane sugar, but any white sugar is fine
  • 2 eggs – we prefer to use farm fresh eggs collected from our chickens, but duck eggs always work very well in baking. Eggs are a binding agent in the banana bread, helping to hold the ingredients together and provide structure. 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla – make sure to choose pure vanilla extract without additives
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips – mini chocolate chips work best, but you can use any type of chocolate chips you want

How to Soften Butter

It takes around one hour for butter to come to room temperature, but we like to leave ours out for longer. 

If you need to soften butter more quickly, you can cut it into smaller pieces or flatten it with a rolling pin to increase its surface area, which will help it soften faster. 

Additionally, you can place the butter near a warm oven or microwave it in short intervals, being careful not to melt it completely. However, be cautious when using these methods to avoid overheating the butter.

Recipe Tip

¾ cup butter is one and a half sticks. To cream butter and sugar effectively, start by softening the butter to room temperature. Cut the butter into smaller pieces to aid in the creaming process. Add the sugar gradually, beating on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.

overripe bananas

How Old Can Bananas be for Banana Bread?

Making banana bread is a great way to reduce food waste because very ripe or even overripe bananas are the best for baking. The older the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful they become.

In fact, bananas that may seem too ripe to eat are often perfect for banana bread, as they mash easily and provide a rich banana flavor. There’s no strict age limit for bananas used in banana bread. As long as they are soft, sweet, and have brown spots on the skin, they are perfect for baking.

How to Ripen Green Bananas

If you don’t have overripe bananas, it is possible to speed up the ripening process. Just put bananas in a paper bag and loosely fold the top. This will trap ethylene gas, which bananas naturally produce as they ripen.

Adding an apple or tomato to the bag can also increase ethylene gas production and accelerate ripening further. Using this method can still take 1-3 days to ripen bananas. We find it handy to peel over ripe bananas, put them in a freezer container and freeze until we want to use them.

loaf of chocolate chip banana bread

Best Way to Make Sure Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is Fully Baked

To get the perfect texture and flavor you want to make sure the bread is done just right. Here are some tips to help make sure your bread is fully baked.

When the banana bread is perfectly baked, it will be golden brown, fluffy, and smell fantastic! The edges of the banana bread should start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a clean toothpick or cake tester into the center of the loaf should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. 

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How to Fix Undercooked Banana Bread?

If your banana bread turns out undercooked, don’t worry – there are several steps you can take to salvage it.

Continue baking: If the banana bread is only slightly undercooked, put it back in the oven right away. Cover the top loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, and continue baking in 5-minute increments until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cooling Time: Allow the banana bread to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. During this time, residual heat will continue to cook the bread, so it’s essential not to skip this step.

Slice and toast: If the banana bread is too dense or moist in the middle, you can slice it into individual pieces and toast them in a toaster or oven. Toasting will help evaporate excess moisture and firm up the texture.

Microwave: If you need to fix a small portion of undercooked banana bread quickly, you can microwave individual slices for 15-30 seconds until warmed through. Be careful not to overheat, as this can dry out the bread.

Rebake as slices or cubes: If the entire loaf is undercooked and cannot be salvaged with toasting or microwaving, consider slicing or cubing the bread and placing the pieces on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven at a low temperature (around 300°F or 150°C) for 10-15 minutes or until fully cooked through.

Make bread pudding: If the banana bread is too mushy to serve on its own, you can repurpose it into a delicious bread pudding. Cut the bread into cubes, place them in a baking dish, pour a custard mixture over the top, and bake until set. Serve warm with a drizzle of caramel sauce or whipped cream.

sliced banana bread on bread board

How to Fix Sunken Chocolate Banana Bread?

There are several reasons your banana bread might sink in the middle and luckily, there are a few ways to prevent or fix this problem. If your banana bread has sunk in the middle, there are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially fix the issue.

Check for doneness

Before making any adjustments, ensure that the banana bread is fully baked. Use a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread to check for doneness. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, the bread is baked through. If it’s undercooked, continue baking until done.

Avoid overmixing

Overmixing the batter can lead to excess air incorporation, which can cause the bread to rise too quickly and then collapse in the center. Be sure to mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined to prevent overmixing.

Check oven temperature

A too-hot oven can cause the outer edges of the banana bread to set too quickly, while the center remains undercooked, leading to sinking. Use an oven thermometer to verify that your oven is at the correct temperature as indicated in the recipe.

Use the right pan size

Using a pan that is too small or too large can affect the baking process and result in uneven cooking or sinking. Ensure that you are using the correct size of loaf pan as specified in the recipe.

We recommend using a 9×5 loaf pan for this recipe.

Avoid opening the oven door

Opening the oven door too frequently during baking can cause fluctuations in temperature and disrupt the baking process, potentially leading to sinking. Only open the oven door when necessary, such as to check for doneness near the end of baking.

Support the bread

If the bread has already sunk in the middle, there’s not much you can do to reverse it. However, you can disguise the sunken area by slicing the bread and serving it with toppings like whipped cream, frosting, or fruit compote.

finished chocolate chip banana bread

How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat Banana Bread

Once cooled completely, we recommend storing banana bread in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out. Lining the bottom of the container with parchment paper will help absorb any excess moisture.

Some people like to wrap the banana bread tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil but we try to avoid plastic wrap as much as possible.

Property stored banana bread should last at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you live in a hot or humid climate, you may want to store it in the refrigerator to extend its shelf life.

You can also freeze banana bread and it should last three months in the freezer as long as you remove as much air as possible before putting it in the freezer.

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To Reheat Banana Bread

To reheat frozen banana bread, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature for about 1-2 hours.

You can reheat individual slices of banana bread in the microwave for 20-30 seconds on high power, heat it for 10-15 minutes in a 350 degree oven, or use a toaster to reheat.

Variations on our Chocolate Chip Banana Recipe

While we love this recipe exactly as it is, it’s extremely versatile. Not only can you turn this recipe into chocolate chip banana muffins but you can also play with the ingredients to make something new. Here are five popular ways you can change it and take the recipe to next level.

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread

Add chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds to the batter for added texture and flavor. Fold them in along with the chocolate chips before baking.

Double Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Increase the chocolate flavor by adding cocoa powder to the batter. You can either replace some of the flour with cocoa powder or add it in addition to the flour for an extra rich and chocolatey banana bread.

Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Create a cinnamon sugar swirl by layering the batter with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar before adding the chocolate chips. Alternate layers of batter and cinnamon sugar in the loaf pan for a marbled effect.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Add shredded coconut to the batter along with the chocolate chips for a tropical twist. The coconut adds sweetness and a chewy texture to the banana bread, complementing the chocolate chips beautifully.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Swirl peanut butter into the batter before baking to create a delicious flavor combination. Alternatively, you can sprinkle peanut butter chips or chopped peanut butter cups on top of the batter along with the chocolate chips for an extra indulgent treat.

More Recipes We Love that Use Over-Ripe Bananas

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread

Homemade Banana Bars

Pineapple, Orange, Banana Smoothie

Healthy Shamrock Shake Smoothie Recipe

Easy Vitamix Green Smoothie Recipe

Yield: 12 slices

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

chocolate chip banana bread

Delicious banana bread the entire family will love! You'll like this recipe so much, you will want to quadruple it so you have a few loaves to freeze!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x5" loaf pan.

    Mix the dry ingredients by stirring together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

    cream butter and sugar

    Beat butter in a large mixing bowl using a stand mixer until smooth and creamy. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

    Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy.

    add eggs

    Beat in eggs, on low speed, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and stir one final time.

    Mash bananas and then add milk. Mix until smooth in a medium bowl. Set aside.

    add bananas and dry ingredients

    Beat flour mixture and mashed bananas mixture into butter mixture.

    add chocolate chips

    Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

    finished chocolate chip banana bread dough

    Pour into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with a top layer of sugar for a crunchy suprise.

    pour batter in prepared loaf pans

Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool loaf in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove loaf from pan to wire rack and cool completely.

Enjoy!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 289Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 211mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 4g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 7/5/2021. Nutritional data is not always correct.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram tagging @simplifylivelove! I love to see your photos!

About Michelle Marine

Michelle Marine is the author of How to Raise Chickens for Meat, a long-time green-living enthusiast, and rural Iowa mom of four. She empowers families to grow and eat seasonal, local foods; to reduce their ecological footprint; and to come together through impactful travel.

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13 Comments

    1. Thanks so much for the photo compliment. I’ve been working hard on my food pics – trying to make them more appealing! 🙂

  1. Hi Michelle,
    This is a wonderful Chocolate Chip Banana Bread that we would just love. Hope you are having a great week end and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

  2. I remember having this bread as a kid. It was sooo yummy! Can’t have it now but it sure looks good. Your photo looks amazing, you’ve really improved!!

  3. This is the best banana bread I’ve had, and I’ve tried lots. This is my new “keeper” recipe. Thanks!