There are few things I love more than a quiet afternoon at home, especially when there's something baking in the oven. And if there happen to be a couple of overly ripe bananas sitting on the kitchen counter, even better.
The other day, we had two bananas that were well past their prime, and instead of making our usual banana bread, I decided to make something a little more indulgent. Enter: double chocolate banana bread.
And you guys, it turned out SO good.
It's rich, incredibly moist, and full of chocolate flavor, thanks to Hershey's cocoa powder and generous chunks of semisweet chocolate throughout. It's somewhere between a classic loaf of banana bread and a fudgy chocolate cake, which, in my opinion, is a pretty wonderful place to be.
The best part is you only need two ripe bananas to make it, and there's a good chance you already have most of the other ingredients in your pantry.
I've always loved recipes that feel a little special without requiring a trip to the grocery store, and this is definitely one of them.
It's easy enough to throw together on a weekday afternoon, but delicious enough to serve for dessert after dinner. The bananas make the bread naturally moist, the cocoa powder gives it a deep chocolate flavor, and the semisweet chocolate chunks melt into little pockets of chocolate throughout the loaf.
We also use a combination of brown sugar and white sugar, which gives the bread just the right amount of sweetness while keeping the texture soft and tender.
And unlike some banana bread recipes that call for three or four bananas, this one only needs two!
Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
2 ripe bananas, mashed (about ¾ to 1 cup)
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chunks, plus extra for topping
A Few Notes About the Ingredients
Ripe bananas: The riper, the better! Bananas with plenty of brown spots are naturally sweeter and easier to mash, making them perfect for baking.
Hershey's cocoa powder: We use regular Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe. It gives the bread a rich, classic chocolate flavor without making it overly sweet.
Brown and white sugar: Using ½ cup of each gives this banana bread a lovely balance. Brown sugar adds moisture and a subtle caramel flavor, while granulated sugar provides sweetness.
Semisweet chocolate chunks: I love using chunks instead of regular chocolate chips because they create bigger pockets of melted chocolate. You can absolutely use chocolate chips if that's what you have, though.
Sour cream: This is one of the secrets to making the bread so moist, especially since we're only using two bananas. Plain Greek yogurt works beautifully, too.
Directions:
Step 1: Preheat Your Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper so the bread is easy to remove once it's baked.
Step 2: Mash the Bananas
In a large mixing bowl, mash your two ripe bananas with a fork until they're mostly smooth. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.
Step 3: Mix the Wet Ingredients
Add the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar to the mashed bananas and stir until combined.
Next, mix in the eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream until everything is smooth and well incorporated.
Step 4: Add the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, Hershey's cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring just until everything is combined.
Be careful not to overmix here! Overmixing can make banana bread dense instead of soft and tender.
Step 5: Fold in the Chocolate Chunks
Gently fold in ¾ cup of semisweet chocolate chunks, making sure they're distributed throughout the batter.
Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and sprinkle a few additional chocolate chunks over the top.
This part is completely optional, but I love how the extra chocolate looks once the bread comes out of the oven.
Step 6: Bake
Bake at 350°F for approximately 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
Because this is such a rich, chocolatey bread, the center may look a little fudgy, and that's perfectly fine.
Step 7: Let Cool and Enjoy!
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack.
Let it cool a little longer before slicing so the bread has time to set.
Although I have to admit, there's something pretty irresistible about cutting into a warm loaf while the chocolate chunks are still slightly melted.
Tips for the Best Moist Chocolate Banana Bread
Use very ripe bananas. The darker and spottier your bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be.
Don't overmix the batter. Once you've added the flour, stir only until the ingredients are combined. This helps keep the finished loaf soft.
Use room-temperature eggs. They incorporate more easily into the batter and help everything bake evenly.
Don't overbake. Every oven is a little different, so start checking around the 50-minute mark. You want moist crumbs on your toothpick, not completely dry crumbs.
Let the bread cool before slicing. I know it's tempting to dig in immediately, but allowing the loaf to cool helps the texture set and makes slicing much easier.
One of my favorite things about baking is how it makes the whole house feel a little cozier. Especially this time of year, when the afternoons get darker earlier and all I want to do is stay home, make something delicious, and enjoy a slower evening.
This double chocolate banana bread is exactly that kind of recipe.
It's wonderful with a cup of coffee in the morning, as an afternoon treat, or warmed up after dinner with a little vanilla ice cream, and if you happen to have a little salted butter nearby, try spreading some over a warm slice. Trust me on that one.
Sometimes the best recipes start with nothing more than two forgotten bananas on the kitchen counter.
Enjoy!