Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

My moist chocolate chip banana bread is a deliciously updated version of classic banana bread, filled with an irresistible flavor combination of chocolate, bananas and peanut butter. Made with lots of ripe bananas, sour cream, semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus a mouthwatering peanut butter icing drizzled with extra chocolate, my recipe is a tasty twist on this classic treat!

Banana bread with a chocolatey twist

Often times, when I have an abundance of overly ripe bananas that are too soft and spotty to enjoy straight out of the fruit bowl, or even in oatmeal, I love to bake up a loaf of moist banana bread filled with rich sweetness and aroma.

I've baked so many loaves of banana bread over the years—plain versions as well as our beloved cranberry walnut banana bread—because it is truly just a simple, classic favorite to enjoy as a light breakfast, or with afternoon coffee or tea as a sweet snack.

And while classic banana bread is absolutely scrumptious just as it is, me being me, I can't help but tinker a little. I've gotta add a few bells and whistles to it to give it a more chocolatey, peanut buttery flavor profile, making it extra decadent and yummy.

Enter my chocolate chip banana bread recipe, one filled with lots of those extra sweet, soft and overly ripe bananas, and with the addition of semi-sweet chocolate chips throughout.

But I don't stop there, my friend...

I had to go ahead and add a peanut buttery note as well, topping this sweet loaf with a creamy peanut butter icing, plus a decorative little extra drizzle of chocolate.

My chocolate chip banana bread is definitely a kicked up and updated version of classic banana bread, perfect for those occasions when banana bread with a more decadent twist just sounds like the most delicious way to go!

My recipe for chocolate chip banana bread

When making banana bread, I like to use ingredients that will add not only sweet aroma, but also enrich this loaf and make it extra tender and moist.

For that I use four medium bananas which are overly ripe, with lots of brown spots—basically, the bananas we no longer want to eat out of the fruit bowl because they're too soft and mushy!

I also use sour cream, plus a combination of both melted butter and vegetable oil, which provides great flavor plus texture in banana bread.

A generous splash of vanilla also goes in, along with equal amounts of both granulated and brown sugar, though using only brown sugar would be really tasty here as well.

I add a full cup of chocolate chips into the batter before baking, and I love to use semi-sweet chocolate chips, though you can use milk chocolate or dark chocolate here, if you prefer.

And for a little added peanut buttery flavor, I whisk together an easy peanut butter icing to pour over the entire cooled banana bread loaf, and drizzle over a touch more chocolate for good measure.

A slice of this chocolate chip banana bread is just the thing to satisfy the sweet tooth, though one slice is usually never enough!

Here's a sneak peek at my chocolate chip banana bread recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I whisk together my dry ingredients, and set those aside.
2. Then, I mash up my bananas and whisk together with the sugar and the wet ingredients.
3. Next, I add my dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold together to combine.
4. I then fold in my chocolate chips, pour my batter into my prepared loaf pan, and bake for roughly 1 hour and 5 to 10 minutes.
5. While the chocolate chip banana bread bakes, I prep my peanut butter icing.
6. Once the banana bread has baked and cooled, I pour the icing over the loaf, and allow that to set for a few a bit.
7. I then drizzle over some melted chocolate, allow that to set, then slice and enjoy the chocolate chip banana bread.

Recipe

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This moist chocolate chip banana bread is extra decadent and delicious drenched in a peanut butter icing and extra chocolate!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Yield: 1 loaf (9 slices)

Nutrition Info: 658 calories (per slice)

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Chocolate Chip Banana Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 ripe bananas, mashed as smoothly as possible
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• ½ cup, heaping, sour cream
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ¼ cup milk chocolate chips (optional for drizzle)
• 1 tablespoon crushed peanuts (optional for topping)

Peanut Butter Icing Ingredients:

• ¼ cup creamy, natural-style peanut butter
• ¼ cup water
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your banana bread ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°, line a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper that slightly overhangs, and lightly mist with cooking spray.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt, and set these dry ingredients aside for a moment.
4. Then, in a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas with the brown and granulated sugars, and whisk together until well combined.
5. Next, add in the melted butter and vegetable oil, the eggs, the sour cream and the vanilla, and continue to whisk until well-blended.
6. Then, add in the dry ingredients, and using a rubber spatula, gently fold those into the wet ingredients just until combined, taking care not to over mix so that your loaf remains light and tender.
7. Next, add the chocolate chips into the batter, and fold those in.
8. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan, and bake for about 1 hour and 5 to 10 minutes, or until baked through (I like to loosely cover mine with foil during the final 20 to 25 minutes of baking to prevent it from getting too dark too quickly).
9. Allow the chocolate chip banana bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then using the overhanding parchment paper, carefully remove it to completely cool on a rack before icing.
10. While the banana bread cools, gather and prep all of your peanut butter icing ingredients according to the ingredients list to have ready and organized for use.
11. To make the icing, place all ingredients into a medium to large bowl, and using a hand mixer or a whisk, mix together until well-blended and creamy. The icing should be pretty thick yet fairly pourable, so if you need a tad more water, just add by the teaspoon-full to get there. Or, conversely, if too thin, add a touch more powdered sugar. Set aside.
12. Once the chocolate chip banana bread has completely cooled, drizzle or pour peanut butter icing over loaf, and allow it to set up.
13. Then, melt the ¼ cup of milk chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 minute or so, and drizzle over the top of the loaf, if desired (you can do this by adding the melted chocolate to a small ziplock bag and cutting the corner off for a thin drizzle line). Finish by sprinkling over the crushed peanuts.
14. Allow chocolate to set up a little, then slice and serve.

Tips & Tidbits for my chocolate chip banana bread recipe:

• Overly-ripe bananas with lots of spots: These very ripe bananas are ideal for banana bread. They're too ripe to enjoy otherwise, and have lots of natural sugar and aroma which lends itself well to baked goods. They should mash up very easily and smoothly.
• A combo of melted butter and oil: I like to use both butter and oil in my banana bread recipes, because the butter adds warm, rich flavor, and the oil adds a touch more fat and creates a tender, plush crumb. You could use all oil or all butter, if you prefer, but the texture will be slightly different.
• Allow the banana bread to cool before icing: You will want to allow your chocolate chip banana bread to completely cool before pouring over the peanut butter icing, so that it will set. If the loaf is still warm, the icing will tend to run off and not set up—patience is a virtue here, so do allow the loaf to cool.
• How to store chocolate chip banana bread: I typically like to slice up my entire loaf, plate it, then gently cover with plastic wrap. Another option I like is to use a glass dessert dome to keep my baked goods fresh. The loaf can be frozen, then slowly defrosted. Once the loaf has defrosted, it can be coated with the peanut butter icing and chocolate drizzle. (Don't coat it with the icing before if you plan to freeze it.)

Craving more cozy desserts? Check out my recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies with Roasted Hazelnuts, Brownie Cookies, Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting, Cranberry Walnut Banana Bread, Chocolate Banana Bread, or recipe my for Banana Nut Muffins!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2016, and has been updated with even more love!