This is the Best Easy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe, a classic favorite! Light, airy banana bread loaded with ripe banana and chunks of chocolate. With just 9 ingredients this bread comes together quickly and couldn’t be easier, I have made it over a dozen times and its perfect each time! This banana bread is also freezer friendly! Perfect for gifting during the holidays or as a fun weekend bake.
Made with melted butter this recipe comes together in one-bowl for easy clean up and doesn’t require a hand or stand mixer to cream butter. You might also like this Double Chocolate Banana Cake or my Banana Cake Recipe with Oil.
Find all of my delicious quick bread and cake recipes here for more baking inspiration!
Recipe Highlights
- Simple ingredients: this banana bread is made with mostly pantry ingredients you already have on hand like all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, and baking soda. Butter, eggs, and vanilla are also common ingredients. Make sure you have ripe bananas and chocolate chips on hand for this recipe!
- Light and airy texture: this bread has a spongy texture and tender crumb, it is not dense at all like some quick breads can be. The bananas add the perfect amount of moisture and sweetness.
- No mixer needed: this bread recipe is made with a base of melted butter so you do not need to use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream butter. This batter can be made in a large mixing bowl.
- Customizable: Add-ins like nuts, chocolate chips, or cinnamon are easy to mix in if you want a twist on the classic.
What Is Banana Bread
Banana bread is one of those super simple baked goods that seems like a labor of love. A slightly sweet, quick-bread with mashed ripe bananas and studded with chocolate chips! I always whip this recipe up for a quick housewarming or thank you gift, it’s always a big hit.
If giving this away as a gift, wrap the loaf whole in parchment paper or slice and package pre-sliced. This bread is also freezer friendly if you want to make an extra loaf to keep on hand, great for brunch or last minute guests!
Main Ingredients
This banana bread uses simple ingredients, see below for ingredient substitutes if there are any as well as special notes:
- Unsalted Butter: if using salted butter, omit adding more salt later in the recipe. Do not substitute margarine.
- Granulated white sugar: I do not recommend swapping any other type of sugar for this recipe. Other sugars can impact the batter differently and change how the cake bakes and rises.
- Whole eggs: I like fresh pasture raised farm eggs if available, but any kind will work for this cookie. Let your eggs come to room temperature for this recipe, this helps the eggs incorporate better.
- Pure vanilla extract: use homemade or store-bought vanilla extract. Almond extract could also be added for almond flavor.
- Baking soda: make sure your baking soda is fresh and not expired, after a couple months it will start to lose it’s potency.
- Ripe bananas: fresh or frozen ripe bananas can be used here. If using frozen bananas, removed as much moisture as possible before adding them into the batter.
- All-purpose flour: no substitution here, other types of flour will change the texture and affect baking differently.
- Chocolate chips: semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate chips all work here. Chocolate chunks or chopped chocolate bar are also good choices.
How To Make Banana Bread
Let’s talk a little about how to make this The Best Easy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Quick overview:
- Melt butter. Add in sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add in mashed banana.
- Mix in dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate. Transfer to a greased loaf pan.
- Bake and enjoy.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, heavily grease or line a loaf pan, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and sugar. Mix well to combine. Add in the mashed bananas.
- To the wet ingredients, add in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix to fully combine. Fold in the chocolate chips, set a few aside to sprinkle on top if desired.
4. Transfer batter into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
More Drool-Worthy Banana Recipes
If you’re and banana fan like me, you’ll love some of these other sweet treats using ripe bananas:
Baking Tips
- Use ripe bananas, they are the easiest to incorporate and provide the most banana flavors. If using frozen bananas make sure to drain excess liquid.
- Don’t over mix batter, mix just until dry ingredients are incorporated and lump free.
- Grease and line loaf pan, using cooking spray and parchment paper helps ensure the edges and corners of the bread don’t stick and releases easily from the pan.
- Allow bread to cool completely before slicing for the cleanest slice.
Recipe Variations & Add-Ins
You can customize The Best Easy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe by trying some of the variations below:
- Mix in chopped nuts like peanuts, almonds, pecans, or walnuts.
- Swirl in peanut butter or chocolate hazelnut spread.
- Top with a sliced banana before baking for a fun look and extra banana flavor.
Recipe FAQs
Banana bread is firmer and more dense, great for slicing. Banana cake is lighter and more airy, banana bread is typically butter based while banana cake is oil based.
Bananas are a lot easier to work with and have a much stronger banana flavor when they are ripe. When bananas get mushy and brown that is the most ideal time to use them in baked goods like muffins, cakes, and bread. As long as the bananas are not leaking and the peel is still intact they are good to use in your bread.
Adding bananas to this bread ensures it stays light and moist, while still staying airy and not too dense. The bananas not only add moisture but add a nice sweetness.
Leftover bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. This bread stays moist and holds its texture best at room temp but can also be stored in the fridge or freezer.
The Best Easy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 whole Eggs, room temperature
- 2-3 large Ripe Bananas, mashed
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 1/4 cups All-purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, heavily grease or line a loaf pan, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and sugar. Mix well to combine. Add in the mashed bananas.1/2 cup Unsalted butter, 1 cup Granulated Sugar, 2 whole Eggs, 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract, 2-3 large Ripe Bananas
- To the wet ingredients, add in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix to fully combine. Fold in the chocolate chips, set a few aside to sprinkle on top if desired.1 1/4 cups All-purpose Flour, 1 tsp Baking soda, 1/2 tsp Salt, 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Transfer batter into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
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