This chocolate chip banana bread recipe has been a staple in my kitchen for years! It's moist, packed with banana flavor, and loaded with chocolate chips.
Awesome recipe! Yummy all the way. Your technique of beating the butter and sugars for 3-5 minutes greatly improved the texture - thanks for the tip! ★★★★★
-Yvonne
If I had to choose only one recipe to make for the rest of my life, it might just be this chocolate chip banana bread.
The bread itself is moist and flavored with ripe bananas and melty chocolate chips, and the outside has the most perfect crunch. It's just so, so good! I've been baking banana bread ever since I was a little kid, and this is by far my favorite version I've ever made.
Are you hungry yet? Let's get baking!
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What You'll Need
Here's a quick overview of some of the key ingredients and tools needed to make this banana bread. The full recipe can be found at the bottom of the post.
Key Ingredients
- Light brown sugar - I prefer to use light brown sugar for this recipe, but dark brown sugar would also work.
- Sour cream - I love adding sour cream to this recipe because it makes the bread so moist. If you don't have any sour cream, greek yogurt works well instead.
- Bananas - The riper the bananas, the better when making banana bread. To get the bananas ready for this recipe, I like to just mash them up on a cutting board using a fork.
- Chocolate chips - I like to use semisweet chocolate chips to make this recipe, but milk or dark chocolate chips would also work. You could even use chocolate chunks or chopped chocolate as well.
- Turbinado sugar - I like to sprinkle a little turbinado sugar on top of the batter before baking. This adds a slight crunch and helps the bread brown.
Equipment
- Mixer - Personally, I like to use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment when making this recipe. However, an electric hand mixer will also work.
- Loaf pan - I like to bake this recipe in a 9x5 inch loaf pan, but you can adapt it to other pans if needed.
- Silicone spatulas - I always like to use silicone spatulas when baking because they're so flexible! You can use them to scrape down the bowl as you're mixing all the ingredients together, as well as when you need to pour the batter into the pan.
How to Make This Banana Bread
Here's all you need to do to make this recipe:
Start by beating together the butter and sugar. In a large bowl (or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment), beat the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Then, add in the eggs and mix until combined. (Image 1)
Then, add in the rest of the liquid ingredients. Add in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and mashed bananas, and mix until homogenous. Scrape the bowl well to make sure everything is evenly incorporated. (Image 2)
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Then, add the dry ingredients into the other mixture in one addition and mix until only just combined, being careful not to overmix! Finally, fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. (Image 3 and Image 4)
Time to bake! Pour the batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan and spread with an offset spatula or knife to make sure it is even at the top. If desired, sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top of the batter and generously sprinkle some turbinado sugar on top to give the bread an extra crunch. Bake at 350°F for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean. (Image 5)
Let cool before cutting and serving. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan until it's no longer hot to the touch. Then, transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting and serving. (Image 6)
Tips to Perfect This Recipe
- Beat your butter and sugars for several minutes. When mixing together your butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar, make sure to beat on high speed for at least 3-5 minutes. You want the mixture to get very fluffy because this leads to a lighter texture in the overall bread.
- Make sure your bananas are ripe. When it comes to banana bread, the best bananas are overripe ones. I'm talking lots of streaks of black (or even entirely black). When my bananas start to get really ripe, I like to cut them up and store them in the freezer. Then, you can use them for banana bread at any time in the future!
- Sprinkle some turbinado sugar on top of the batter before baking. This is a new trick I've been doing lately, and it makes the banana bread so crunchy on top! If you haven't used turbinado sugar before, it's a less-refined sugar that still has some molasses, and it has much larger crystals than granulated sugar.
- Use a toothpick to see if the banana bread is ready. The best way to determine when this bread has finished baking is to insert a toothpick or cake tester directly in the middle of the loaf. If the toothpick comes out clean (with no liquid), then it's time to take the bread out of the oven.
Common Questions About This Recipe
These are some questions I frequently hear about this recipe. If you have a question that isn't answered below, feel free to leave it in the comments.
Yes, absolutely! Let the banana bread cool completely after baking, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. I also like freezing individual slices since they thaw a bit faster.
Personally, I like to place the peeled bananas on a cutting board and mash them using a fork or potato masher. However, you can also mash them using a handheld mixer or stand mixer if you'd like.
Of course! I like making chocolate chip banana muffins sometimes because they make a great breakfast on the go. Simply follow the recipe as written and pour the batter into a lined muffin tin. Bake the muffins at 350°F (177°C) for 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
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Print
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
Description
This chocolate chip banana bread recipe has been a staple in my kitchen for years! It's moist, packed with banana flavor, and loaded with chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (107g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (100g)
- ⅓ cup (76g) sour cream
- 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (85g) chocolate chips + more for sprinkling on top
- Optional: turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl (or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment), beat together the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar on high speed until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. On medium speed, add the eggs, and mix well to combine. Then, add in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and mashed bananas and mix until homogenous. Scrape the bowl well to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Then, add the dry ingredients into the other mixture in one addition and mix until only just combined, being careful not to overmix. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread with an offset spatula or knife to make sure it's even at the top. If desired, sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top of the batter and generously sprinkle some turbinado sugar on top to give the bread an extra crunch. Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan until it's no longer hot to the touch. Then, transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting and serving.
- Wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container, you can store this banana bread at room temperature for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the banana bread for up to 2 months if tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Notes
- Bananas: If desired, you can substitute frozen bananas in this recipe. Simply let them thaw to room temperature before using. When my bananas start to get really ripe, I like to stash them in the freezer to use for recipes like this!
- Chocolate Chips: Feel free to swap the semisweet chocolate chips for milk or dark chocolate chips. You can also use chopped chocolate or chocolate chunks instead.
- Add-Ins: If you want, you can add in some walnuts or another kind of nut to this recipe. Simply add in about ½ cup of whatever ingredient you choose and follow the rest of the recipe as written.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Awesome recipe! I made the cupcake version. I also used Greek yogurt since I do not keep sour cream on hand. I don’t think the flavor or texture was affected though. Yummy all the way. Your technique of beating the butter and sugars for 3-5 minutes greatly improved the texture - thanks for the tip!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Yvonne! It's great to hear that Greek yogurt worked in the recipe as well.