Chefs Binge · American · Serves 12 slices

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

A soft, moist banana bread loaded with chunks of melting chocolate. Made with very ripe bananas and chopped dark chocolate folded right through - one easy loaf, and even better on the second day.

Prep

15 min

Cook

1 hr 5 min

Total

2 hrs 20 min

Serves

12 slices

Per serving

317 kcal

Ingredients

Dry

250 g plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

170 g chopped dark or semi-sweet chocolate - 130 g for the batter, 40 g for the top

Wet

115 g unsalted butter - softened

150 g granulated sugar - or 100 g granulated + 50 g light brown

2 large eggs - room temperature

60 g sour cream - or plain yoghurt

345 g mashed very ripe banana - 3-4 bananas

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Heat the oven and prep the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment, leaving an overhang to lift the loaf out later.

Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Stir in the 130 g of chopped chocolate - tossing it in the flour helps stop it sinking to the bottom.

Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the softened butter and sugar on high for about 3 minutes, until pale and creamy.

Add the wet ingredients. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the sour cream, mashed banana and vanilla until just combined.

Bring it together. Add the dry mixture and mix on low just until combined. The batter is thick - do not over-mix, or the loaf turns tough and gummy.

Fill and top. Scrape the batter into the pan and level it. Scatter the reserved 40 g of chopped chocolate down the centre.

Bake. Bake for 60-65 minutes. Tent loosely with foil at about 30-35 minutes so the top does not over-brown. It is done when a toothpick in the centre (between the chocolate) comes out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter - start checking at 55 minutes.

Cool before slicing. Cool in the pan on a rack for at least 1 hour before lifting the loaf out and slicing. It keeps cooking as it rests, so slicing too early makes the centre seem gummy.

Chef’s notes

Riper is better: use heavily spotted or black bananas - sweeter, moister loaf. Yellow bananas make it bland and dry.

Do not over-mix: stop as soon as the flour disappears; a thick, slightly lumpy batter bakes tender, not tough.

Toss the chocolate in flour before folding it in so it stays suspended instead of sinking.

Chopped bar chocolate gives melty pockets; chocolate chips work too, and dark, milk or a mix all suit banana.

Read the toothpick carefully: melting chocolate can look like raw batter - aim between the pieces and look for moist crumbs.

Cool fully before slicing for clean, moist slices.

Per serving Calories 317 kcal · Protein 4 g · Carbs 44 g · Fat 14 g · Saturates 8 g · Fibre 2 g · Sugar 23 g · Sodium 220 mg

chefsbinge.com/chocolate-chip-banana-bread

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