Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

Overhead view of a slice of Chocolate chunk banana bread with a fork taking a bite out.

Print Recipe

5 from 18 votes

With actual chunks of banana and dark chocolate, this incredibly moist Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread is so yummy.

Prep Time30

Cook Time50

cooling1

Total Time2 20

Course: Afternoon Kaffee, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana, Chocolate

Servings:

Calories: 333kcal

Equipment

8.5" x 4.5" square metal pan
Electric Mixer

Ingredients

Banana Cake Batter

45 grams unsalted butter
75 grams dark brown sugar
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 bananas ripe, approximately 325 grams once peeled
75 grams white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 eggs standard large
100 grams full fat greek yogurt or sour cream, or quark
60 grams vegetable oil or any other neutral oil
200 grams all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

Add Ins

180 grams dark chocolate chopped
1 banana medium, peeled and chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.

Banana Bread Cake

In a medium sauce pan, add in the butter, place over medium heat and melt. Peel approximately 3 bananas (325 grams peeled) and cut in half lengthwise and crosswise. Pour in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and the bananas into the pan. Heat over low heat, stirring regularly until the bananas start to soften and become fragrant.
Once a bit soft and saucy, remove it from the heat and pour into a heat safe mixing bowl. Set aside to cool.
Chop up your choice of chocolate and set aside. If adding nuts, this is the perfect time to toast and chop them up. Use 150 -200 grams of walnuts or pecans.
Once the banana mixture has cooled, pour in white sugar, salt, vanilla, yogurt, oil, and eggs. Whisk to combine. An electric mixer is great here but a regular manual whisk will work too just make sure everything is fully combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour and baking soda together.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet. Before mixing together, peel and chop the last banana into 1/2" chunks. Add the chocolate and banana chunks (and nuts if adding) on top of the dry ingredients.
Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients and add-ins into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.

Bake

If using this USA pan, pour the batter straight into the pan. If using a different metal loaf pan, prep the pan with a baking spray including flour or parchment paper.
Optionally sprinkle the top of the loaf with an additional 50 grams of granulated sugar or more chopped chocolate.
Bake the loaf on the middle rack in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The bread also shouldn't wobble when you move the pan.
Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and set aside to cool for 45 minutes to an hour.
After it feels cool to the touch, tip the loaf out of the pan and set on a parchment lined wire rack to cool for another 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Store leftovers, tightly wrapped in an airtight container. The sugar top will soften but will still be delicious!

Notes

Tips for making a Banana Bread

The perfect bananas for banana bread are brown and spotty but not completely brown and mushy. If they are too ripe you'll have a somewhat alcoholic tasting bread that has too much moisture in it because the bananas will have broken down too far.
No matter the brand be sugar to bake the loaf in a metal loaf pan, not a glass or ceramic dish. The bread will have a difficult time baking all the way through in glass or ceramic.
Melt the butter in the pan before adding the brown sugar and bananas but don't let it start to brown, it will brown as you cook the bananas. Be sure to cook the whole mixture over low heat to prevent any burning.
If you want to add nuts to this banana bread, go for it! I recommend using walnuts or pecans, just be sure to toast them in a pan over medium heat first to enhance their flavor. Use 150-200 grams of roughly chopped, toasted, nuts if adding them into the bread.
Make sure the butter and banana mix has cooled before adding in the rest of the ingredients to prevent cooking the eggs or activating the baking soda too soon.
Don't over mix the batter. Banana bread can easily become tough if over mixed so be sure to mix the dry ingredients only until just combined.
I used my favorite 8.5"x4.5" small loaf pan from USA pan because the light ridged metal gives it an even, tall, bake and has a non stick surface. A standard 9" x 5" loaf pan will work too the loaf just won't be as tall. If using a different brand of pan, be sure to spray the pan with a baking spray that includes flour or line the pan with parchment paper (or both).
The sugar topping is optional but I love the extra crunch that it gives the bread. You can also just add extra chocolate chunks on top or leave it plain.
Don't underbake this banana loaf. The bread should be a deep golden brown on top and not jiggle anymore. It can be easy to underbake this bread and have the center sink while cooling.
Make sure to let the cake cool for 45 min - 1hour before tipping it out. If you try to flip it out too soon, it will fall apart.

Nutrition