Chocolate Banana Bread from Scratch

This Chocolate Banana Bread is made completely from scratch with ripe bananas and rich cocoa powder, creating a moist, tender loaf with deep chocolate flavor. Perfect for breakfast, snacking, or dessert, it’s an easy recipe that satisfies every chocolate lover’s craving!

Do Chocolate and Bananas Go Together?

To answer that question I have to go backwards in time to the 1990s. Our family would often visit Southern California. We particularly loved to take the ferry over to Balboa Island. It’s quaint and filled with great places to snack. 

There is a little hole-in-the-wall place on Balboa island that sells chocolate covered bananas. And I’ll never forget the first time I had one. Wow! I fell in love instantly. There’s just something about the combination of bananas and chocolate that gets me every time. 

Then again, I always loved a delicious banana split as a kid, so I suppose this flavor combination has always been a favorite. So, baking up a banana bread with chocolate sounded like a terrific idea! 

Can I Add Chocolate to Banana Bread?

I have a chocolate banana bread recipe already, but it’s definitely not from scratch. Like many of the recipes on this site it starts with a boxed mix. In this case, a brownie mix. And that recipe is delicious. 

But I wanted something I could make from scratch. This recipe is really similar to my Classic Banana Bread with a couple of twists: I substituted cocoa powder for a half cup of the flour, and threw in some chocolate chips in place of the walnuts that recipe calls for.

I guess you could call it a hodgepodge recipe, because I found several similar ones online. Some of those called for half butter and half vegetable oil, so I went that route. (I know from years of baking that oil gives you a slightly lighter outcome, and that was probably a good thing for a heavy, rich bread like this one.) 

The outcome? Well, you can be the judge of that. But I’ll definitely be making this one again. And I have a feeling my friend is really going to enjoy it. I’m taking this banana bread to her tomorrow as a gift. 

Chocolate Banana Bread Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients you probably already have on hand in your kitchen. 

• 3 mashed bananas
• ¼ cup melted butter
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 large room temperature egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips (divided)

How to Make Chocolate Banana Bread from Scratch

This recipe comes together so easily. You don’t even need a mixer! Just a simple mixing bowl will do. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Spray a 9x5” loaf pan with Baker’s Joy or other non-stick spray. Set aside. 

Melt butter in a large microwave safe bowl. 

Cool. Add oil and mashed bananas and stir well with a blending fork or bread whisk. 

Add brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Mix well. 

Add all dry ingredients (baking soda, sea salt, flour, and cocoa). 

Stir only until combined. Don’t over mix. 

Stir in ¾ of the chocolate chips. 

Scoop batter into prepared loaf pan. 

Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top. 

Place in preheated oven and bake for 50 - 65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (I baked mine for 55 minutes.)

Remove and place pan on wire rack to cool. 

When you can handle the pan, turn out the loaf directly onto the rack to continue cooling. Slice and serve! 

Place leftovers in an airtight container. They should stay fresh at room temperature for 2-3 days. Any longer, and you will need to refrigerate. You can freeze this bread to be eaten later. It should stay good in the freezer up to two months. 

What to Expect from this Recipe

This recipe is rich, decadent, creamy, and over-the-top delicious! If you love a great chocolate cake you’re going to flip over this recipe. This chocolate chips give it a slightly gooey texture, which is sheer perfection. And the creaminess of the bananas is the best foundation ever for all of that chocolate. I’m so glad I decided to try this out. Talk about a new favorite! 

Variations to this Recipe

There are always fun ways to change things up! Why not try some of these?

Black Forest: Add ⅔ cup of dried cherries to turn this into a luscious Black Forest banana bread. 

Raspberries: Raspberries and chocolate? Yes, please! (Can you even imagine?) 

Peanut butter chips: Substitute half of the chocolate chips with peanut butter. (Delicious!) 

Other Chocolate Recipes from Out of the Box Baking

• Ultimate Chocolate Cake Recipe
• Doctored Brownie Mix with Mint Chocolate
• Chocolate Pound Cake with Sour Cream
• Easy Chocolate Coconut Balls
• Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Crackers

That’s it for this post, friends!

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you're at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.