Chocolate Banana Bread is a delicious twist on classic banana bread, combining the sweet, moist texture of ripe bananas with rich chocolate. It’s a great way to use overripe bananas and is perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert.
Key Features of Chocolate Banana Bread:
- Ingredients: The bread is made with ripe bananas, cocoa powder or melted chocolate, flour, sugar, eggs, and butter or oil. Chocolate chips are often added for extra indulgence.
- Flavor Profile: It has a deep chocolate flavor with subtle banana sweetness, creating a rich and moist loaf.
- Versatility: You can customize it by adding nuts, extra chocolate chips, or even a swirl of peanut butter for added texture and flavor.
Classic Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup melted butter (or vegetable oil)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Mash Bananas: In another bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir in the sugar, egg, melted butter (or oil), and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips and Nuts: If using, gently fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve: Slice and enjoy! It’s great served warm or at room temperature. You can also spread butter or chocolate hazelnut spread for extra decadence.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Banana Bread is a comforting and rich treat that’s perfect for any occasion. It’s a great way to enjoy the flavors of chocolate and banana together in one delicious loaf!