Easy One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

How to make homemade chocolate chip banana bread that's moist and delicious. Super simple, easy, one bowl recipe with melted chocolate chips in every bite.

My kids love banana bread with chocolate chips. Being that I love all things chocolate, it's no problem for me to add all that melted chocolaty goodness to our favorite sweet bread recipe.

While I love a slice of banana nut bread, I do love a slice of chocolate chip banana loaf too.

There's just something special about bananas and chocolate. It's almost like pairing together peanut butter and chocolate…

Which gives me another idea I may need to work on… Peanut butter chocolate chip banana bread. Hmmm…

Anyway, you're going to love this chocolate chip banana bread recipe. It's easy to make, you only need one mixing bowl, and it bakes up into a delicious loaf of bread you can slice and enjoy for a snack, for breakfast, dessert, etc.

WHERE CAN I FIND THE ACTUAL RECIPE CARD?

If you’d rather skip all of my baking tips, important baking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card with longer how to video.

INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED:

• Mashed bananas
• Sugar
• Egg
• Flour – You can use all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour.
• Baking soda and baking powder
• Salt
• Canola oil
• Chocolate chips

Keep in mind, all of the amounts you'll need are in the printable recipe card below.

KITCHEN TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT YOU'LL NEED:

Mixer and/or Large Mixing Bowl

Spatula

Loaf Pan

Toothpick or Cake Tester

Wire Rack

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD

Making banana bread with chocolate chips is a very easy process. Just follow a few simple steps…

1. Mash up the bananas, and cream (or mix) with the sugar. I use my mixer to mash them, but you can also smash the bananas with a fork.
2. Add the egg to the banana/sugar mixture.
3. Mix the dry ingredients and canola oil into the sugar mixture.
4. Gently fold the chocolate chips into the mixture.

Then just pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan that's ready to go, and sprinkle the top with the extra chocolate chips. And bake according to the instructions in the recipe card below!

You'll need to bake the bread until it reaches a golden brown color, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

I usually let it cool in the pan for a good 10 to 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge, and plop it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

ALTERNATIVES FOR BANANA BREAD WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS

There are a few things you can do to switch up this recipe and maybe even make it more flavorful…

• Add walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
• Use applesauce in place of the egg.
• Add dried cranberries or dried cherries.
• Make the bread in mini loaf pans instead of one big loaf pan.
• Make chocolate chip banana muffins instead of bread. Just use a muffin tin instead of a loaf pan.

CAN I MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE, GLUTEN-FREE, ETC.?

Yes, you absolutely can make this a dairy-free, gluten-free chocolate chip banana bread. In fact, I make it gluten-free all the time.

To make the bread gluten-free, simply switch out the all-purpose flour for a “cup for cup” gluten-free flour. Cup for cup means you don't have to do any figuring or measuring to try and figure out how much flour to use because you use the same amount.

My favorite gluten-free flour blend right now is Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Flour. I've found that it's not grainy, like some other gluten-free flours I've tried.

It makes a really soft zucchini bread, banana nut bread, and lemon pound cake. It even makes delicious chocolate chip cookies.

To make the bread dairy-free, simply use dairy-free chocolate chips. Also, double check just to make sure none of your other ingredients include dairy.

HOW DO YOU KEEP BANANA BREAD MOIST?

Making banana bread moist takes just a little bit of thought before and after you bake the bread.

While mixing and baking the bread…

• Use oil instead of butter for a soft, moist banana bread. Butter can cause the bread to absorb more water, which strangely enough, can make it dry.
• Use overripe bananas. That means you want some brown in those banana peels. The riper and softer the bananas, the better.
• Sift the flour.
• Don't over bake it. Follow your recipe instructions, and start checking with a toothpick about 10 minutes before cook time ends because oven times can vary. (On that same note: don't under bake it, especially if using gluten-free flour, because it can make the bread fall if you do.)

After baking the bread…

• Store banana bread wrapped in plastic wrap, in a food storage bag, or in an airtight container.

CAN YOU FREEZE CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA LOAF?

Yes, you can. Just be sure to wrap it up really well in a freezer bag or aluminum foil. Or store it in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn.

GET THE PRINTABLE RECIPE

If you love this homemade gluten-free banana bread as much as we do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest!

CRAVING MORE DESSERTS? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for all the latest updates!