This Double Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe is so sweet and decadent, you’re going to love it. Moist and delicious, it’s the perfect after-dinner dessert or tasty afternoon snack.
If you love this recipe, you should try our walnut banana bread and chewy banana oatmeal cookies.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
Chocolate and banana taste so good together, which is why this Double Chocolate Banana Bread is so heavenly. I just love filling my home with the delicious aroma of this baking bread.
- TASTE: This recipe is full of sweet banana, rich chocolate, and lots of buttery flavor. The cocoa powder and chocolate chips will make any chocolate lover’s heart sing.
- TEXTURE: Moist and delicious, it has the perfect mix of gooey chocolate, creamy bananas, and crunchy walnuts to make a truly scrumptious banana bread.
- TIME: This recipe takes an hour and 15 minutes, but active prep time is only 15 minutes.
- EASE: This Double Chocolate Banana Bread is really easy to make. I’ll walk you step-by-step through it so your loaf always comes out moist and perfect.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Bananas- You want these to be as ripe as possible. This makes them extra sweet and very moist, perfect for banana bread.
- Chocolate- Dutch process cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate chips are what make this recipe a double chocolate banana bread. Use Dutch-processed because it has a darker color and smoother, more mellow flavor.
- Sugar- This sweet treat uses both granulated sugar and brown sugar. The brown sugar gives it extra moisture and adds a rich flavor from the molasses.
- Walnuts- They provide crunch and a mild, nutty taste. Use unsalted raw walnuts so you can control the flavor and saltiness better. We’ll toast them before adding them.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute unripe bananas- If you haven’t got ripe ones, then just place them unpeeled in the oven for about 15 minutes at 250°F, or freeze them for a few hours, so they’ll release their sweetness for your banana bread.
- Add espresso powder- This ingredient brings out a deeper flavor in the chocolate because of its bitter contrast. About 1 tablespoon will do.
- Substitute gluten and dairy free ingredients- You can make this allergen friendly by using gluten-free flour, and also plant-based butter and vegan chocolate chips.
- Add different chocolate chips- For a slightly different flavor, add white chocolate chips or dark chocolate to this bread in place of the semi-sweet chocolate.
How to Make Double Chocolate Banana Bread
- Mix most of the wet ingredients together. In a large bowl, add the sugars, butter, and eggs, mixing thoroughly.
- Mash the bananas. Using a fork, mash the ripe bananas and add them into the bowl with the other wet ingredients.
- Sift together the dry ingredients. Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa powder into a separate bowl. Set aside.
- Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the banana bread batter bowl, mixing thoroughly with a spatula.
- Toast the nuts. Toast the walnuts in a pan and then give them a rough chop.
- Combine all ingredients. Add the toasted walnuts and 1 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips to the batter and stir until they are evenly distributed.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Into a greased loaf pan, pour the chocolate banana bread batter and then top it with the remaining chocolate chips.
- Bake. Bake your banana bread for one hour at 325°F, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow it to cool before slicing.
Pro Tip: Let the banana bread sit in the pan for 10-15 minutes before putting it on a cooling rack or plate to allow the steam to condense. This will make cutting much easier.
Recipe Tips
- Use melted butter- Melted butter is easier to incorporate with the other wet ingredients, giving the banana bread lots of moisture.
- Use room temperature eggs- This is also important because it helps the eggs mix well with the other ingredients, especially the yolks that can be hard to break when cold.
- Sift dry ingredients- When you sift the dry ingredients, you have an even distribution of everything, giving each bite of the bread the same amount of airy sweetness.
- Use VERY ripe bananas- Ripe bananas are key because their sweetness and flavor make the banana bread. They add moisture and sweetness you just can’t get from less-ripe bananas.
FAQs
Usually banana bread is not moist because there is too much flour. This can happen if you are scooping your measuring cup into the flour, packing it in and thereby adding too much to your batter. Instead, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife to get an accurate amount so your double chocolate banana bread is nice and moist.
If you are using too much baking powder, your bread will rise more than it should and then sink when it cools. To avoid that, only use about 1/4 tsp. of baking powder and a teaspoon of baking soda to keep the leavening to a minimum. Banana bread is moist and dense, so this is perfect.
Serving Suggestions
This Double Chocolate Banana Bread is one sweet treat that works with everything. Enjoy it with coffee, other desserts, or at the end of a great meal. Here are some suggestions:
- Main Courses: Bring out this delicious dessert after a meal of Juicy Air Fryer Pork Chops (VIDEO), Ribeye Steak, Pesto Salmon, or Creamy Tomato and Mushroom Rotini Pasta.
- Cookies: Serve a slice of this Double Chocolate Banana Bread with Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Almond Joy Cookies, or Raspberry Macarons.
- Fruit and Nuts: Pair this dessert with Mini Fruit Tarts, Fruit Pizza, Chocolate Bark with Dried Fruit and Nuts, or Candied Pecans.
- Coffee: This rich bread is great with a bitter coffee, or try it with this homemade Iced Caramel Macchiato or Caramel Frappuccino (Starbucks Copycat).
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can make this recipe days or a weeks in advance, so long as you let it cool and wrap it well with plastic wrap. Refrigerate it or freeze it depending on how long you’ll need to store it.
Storing: Wrap the loaf of Double Chocolate Banana Bread in plastic wrap or foil, or place it in an airtight container to keep it from drying out or going bad. It will last for about a week in the fridge.
Freeze: Place it in an airtight container or ziplock freezer bag to avoid freezer burn or drying out. It will keep fresh in the freezer for about 3-4 months.
More Scrumptious Desserts!
Full Recipe Instructions
Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup dutch process cocoa
- 3/4 cup toasted walnuts
- 1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips reserve 1/4 cup for topping
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup unsalted melted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 2 large eggs.
- Then mash up 3 very ripe bananas and add them to the butter and sugar mixture.
- In a separate bowl sift, 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Then set that aside.
- Now add the dry ingredients to the banana bread batter and mix thoroughly with a spatula.
- Toast 3/4 cups of walnuts and chopped them roughly. 
- Add the chopped walnuts to the chocolate banana bread batter along with 1 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and top the banana bread with the remaining 1/4 cup of semisweet chocolate chips.
- Bake at 325°F for about one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean after being inserted into the center of the banana bread.
Notes
- Use melted butter- Melted butter is easier to incorporate with the other wet ingredients, giving the banana bread lots of moisture.
- Use room temperature eggs- This is also important because it helps the eggs mix well with the other ingredients, especially the yolks that can be hard to break when cold.
- Sift dry ingredients- When you sift the dry ingredients, you have an even distribution of everything, giving each bite of the bread the same amount of airy sweetness.
- Use VERY ripe bananas- Ripe bananas are key because their sweetness and flavor make the banana bread. They add moisture and sweetness you just can’t get from less-ripe bananas.
Nutrition
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Eliane says
Would it be possible to sweeten this banana bread with pitted dates [instead of sugar] somehow instead? If not, could any of your desserts on your blog be sweetened with dates? I would appreciate any suggestion!
Dina says
Hi Eliane, I have been wanting to test out recipes with dates and date syrup. I know it can be a little tricky because dates add moisture which could change the consistency of the recipe if there us to much liquid. Unfortunately, I have not done enough testing to give you a clear amount dates to sweeten this recipe with.
Michelle says
325 F isn’t right. It should be baked at 350 F.
Dina says
Hi Michelle, every oven runs a little differently. So a little additional bake time might be needed. I always recommend checking the center with a toothpick to ensure doneness.
Jamie says
Easy to make, and to my surprise, its taste and texture is like a brownie. My husband, who doesn’t like chocolates, loved this!
simplyhomecooked says
So happy to hear that Jamie! Always a win with our husbands are happy 🙂 Thank you for your feedback and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Romana Asmat says
Hii! May I know the time and temperature for baking it in airfryer. TIA
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Romana, I have never tried making this banana bread in an air fryer so I don’t know that information. I hope you get a chance to make this recipe in an oven 🙂
Anna says
My 11 year old made this banana bread several days ago and it was definitely a chocolate lovers dream! It was a double win for this mom- delicious and easy enough for an ambitious 11 year old to make. Thanks for this recipe!
simplyhomecooked says
That is so awesome to hear Anna!! I love to hear that your son loves to bake with you 🙂 Yes this recipe is definitely loaded with chocolate! Thank you so much for your kind feedback 🙂