The Best Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe

This is the best Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe! This easy spin on classic banana bread comes together easily and is such a popular recipe. It is moist, delicious, and only takes about 10 minutes to prepare.

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This Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is one of my most popular recipes. It comes together with a few simple ingredients and is fast to make. It is based on the very best easy banana bread recipe . The addition of the chocolate chips just takes it way over the top.

I suggest that when you make this recipe, you make a double batch. Make one to eat right away and one to freeze for later. You’ll thank me when the first batch is inhaled by your crew right away.

This chocolate chip banana bread was so delicious I went through all your steps and it turned out perfect. My friends all loved it will definitely make again!

What makes this the Best Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

It comes together with just a few simple ingredients. Just like the recipe it is based on, you probably already have most of the ingredients to make it in your kitchen.
The prep time on this recipe is only 10 minutes. Which means that you can easily make this for a perfect afternoon snack for children who love banana bread.
This banana bread recipe is so moist. It uses yogurt, which keeps it tender, soft, with the perfect exterior crumb.
It tastes like cake. Like actually like cake.

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Banana Bread Ingredients

Here are the ingredients that make up this delicious homemade banana bread. For the full recipe including all measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Flour: Be sure to measure your flour correctly using the steps in this post: How to Measure Flour .
Baking soda: Helps the bread rise and become light and fluffy. Be sure your baking soda is active by mixing a little bit with some vinegar. It should bubble up right away.
Salt
Ripe bananas: Add natural sweetness, moisture, and that classic banana flavor. The whole skin doesn’t need to be brown, but it needs to be decently speckled with brown dots.
Eggs: Help bind the ingredients together and add structure and richness to the batter.
Unsalted butter: Butter adds flavor, moisture, and tenderness to the bread. Using unsalted allows you to control the salt content in the recipe. If you use salted butter, skip adding any additional salt.
Plain yogurt: Keeps the bread extra moist and tender, and its slight tang works perfectly with the sweetness of the bananas and chocolate.
Sugar: Adds just enough sweetness, not too much.
Vanilla extract
Chocolate chips: If you want the top to have a really appealing look, throw a couple of extra chocolate chips on before putting it in the oven.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Whisk Together the Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

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Combine the Wet Ingredients

Stir together mashed banana, melted butter, eggs, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla.

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Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

Stir until just combined, and then stir in the chocolate chips.

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Pour into a Bread Pan and Bake

Pour the mixture into a greased bread pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out with just a few crumbs. After it comes out of the oven, allow it to cool before slicing.

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Tips and Tricks for this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Use a good loaf pan. They are not all created equal, and some work better than others. Below you can find the bread pan I love. It is a workhorse, and bread comes out perfectly in it.
Measure your flour properly. This is key in all baking recipes. Make sure that you scoop the flour into the measuring cup and then level it off. If you scoop right from the flour container, you will get too much and you will have a chocolate chip banana bread recipe fail. You can read more about this in this post: How to Measure Flour .
Make sure that your melted butter has cooled. If you don’t do that, you run the risk of your eggs starting to cook when they get mixed with the hot butter.
Use baking soda that is still fresh. Baking soda needs to be switched out every six months or so. Test it by adding a little to some vinegar. It should bubble immediately. If not, replace it.
Test the bread with a toothpick towards the end. Do not insert it directly in the middle of the bread, but slightly off to the side. You want the toothpick to come out clean. If you wait until the top comes out clean, you will risk the edges of the bread being dry. I would rather have a little bit of a gooey top (yummy) than dry sides (yucky). My oven requires 55 minutes for perfect bread.

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Substitutions and Variations

Swap the chocolate chips for something else. You can take out the chocolate chips (or half of them) and replace them with a cup of something else. We’ve made this with blueberries , strawberries , Nutella , and even zucchini . I know a lot of people love nuts in their banana bread, and walnuts or pecans would work as a swap, too.
Use mini chocolate chips. You eagle eyes will notice that I’m using mini chocolate chips in the video for this post, and the final shot shows big chocolate chips. That’s because we love it both ways! I love how the mini chocolate chips distribute, but I also love how the big ones look. If you use the minis you will still want to use just one cup.
Swap the yogurt for sour cream. They can be used interchangeably in this recipe, but I do not recommend eliminating the yogurt altogether.
Use gluten free flour. I haven’t tested this myself, but I have had readers report good results when they replace the flour in this recipe with one-for-one gluten-free flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour .
Make muffins. This recipe is great as muffins. You can follow these instructions: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins .

Storing and Freezing

Storing After Baking

This bread recipe should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to one week. I have the best results when I don’t store the bread in the pan it was baked in.

Freezing as a Whole Loaf

This bread can be frozen as a whole loaf. Wrap it three times in foil or plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer bag. Store for up to three months in the freezer.

Freezing as Slices

It can also be frozen as slices. Once cooled, slice the bread into 10 equal slices. Place the bread on a wax paper-lined tray and freeze it for about four hours. Transfer the slices to a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to eat, the slices will take about 30 minutes at room temperature to thaw.

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If you try this recipe or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

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Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour (240 grams)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe bananas mashed well (See note 1 )
6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled (See note 2). (84.8 grams)
2 large eggs at room temperature and lightly whisked
1/4 cup plain yogurt room temperature, sour cream also works (56.8 grams)
3/4 cup sugar (148.5 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips will work as well (170 grams)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 by 5 inch bread pan well with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. 2 cups all purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, cooled butter, eggs, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla. 3 very ripe bananas, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 large eggs at room temperature and lightly whisked, 1/4 cup plain yogurt, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Be careful not to overmix.
Stir in the chocolate chips until just combined. 1 cup milk chocolate chips
Pour the bread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out with just a few crumbs.
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove and allow to cool on a cooling rack for 35 minutes before slicing and enjoying.

Recipe Video

Notes

You will want to use very ripe bananas for this recipe. That does not mean that the whole skin needs to be brown, but it needs to be decently speckled with brown dots. You’ll know that they are perfect when they mash very easily with a fork. Some recipes suggest that you ripen bananas in your oven, but I don’t recommend that because the bananas won’t sweeten like they do when they naturally ripen. You can read more about freezing ripe bananas here .
The amount of salt in salted butter can vary a great deal from brand to brand. Using unsalted butter and then adding a specific amount of salt to this recipe allows us to control the amount of salt in the final baked product. If you want to use salted butter in this recipe, don’t add any additional salt to the recipe.

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