one bowl chocolate chip banana bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is made in one bowl with simple ingredients! It’s ultra fluffy and moist, with a crisp top and melty chocolate chips in every bite. This is the perfect quick baking project for a weeknight, or to make with your kids!

this recipe

This recipe was originally published in April of 2020, but I’ve just updated it to make the recipe easier and more delicious, and to give new photos. A few folks have reached out asking for the old version of this recipe, which used sweetened condensed milk – I’ve included the old version of the recipe below the recipe card at the very bottom of this post.

If this is your first time making banana bread, never fear – this easy recipe has been a staple in our home for years and I’ll walk you through each simple step.

Why you’ll love Chocolate Chip Banana Bread:

• Plush Banana Bread – This moist chocolate chip banana bread is moist & plush!
• Chocolate Chips – We’re adding lots of chocolate chips to make this loaf of banana bread extra rich and delicious.
• Easy Quick Bread – This quick bread comes together quickly, in one bowl! It’s the best Chocolate Chip Banana Bread – points for flavor, points for ease!

Ingredient Overview:

• Bananas – Use bananas that are very ripe – if they’re brown on the outside, they’re perfect! This is one of our favorite ways to use up overripe bananas (these Healthy Banana Muffins are another favorite!)
• All-purpose flour – Spoon & level your flour, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly into your bag or container will lead to too much flour.
• Granulated sugar – Granulated sugar adds a bit of sweetness and helps keep the bread moist.
• Eggs – Use large eggs.
• Cinnamon – Cinnamon adds depth of flavor, but if you aren’t a fan of cinnamon you can omit it.
• Chocolate Chips -Semi-sweet chocolate chips are the perfect addition to banana bread. Use semi- sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips – milk may be a bit too sweet here.

Recipe Substitutions & Variations:

• Dairy-free – Use dairy-free butter and chocolate chips to make this recipe dairy-free.
• Gluten-free – I have not tested a gluten-free version of this recipe but I would start with a cup-for cup gluten-free all-purpose flour if you want to try it. Or, try my Gluten-Free Banana Snack Cake!
• Melted Butter – You may be tempted to swap melted butter for the vegetable oil, but in my many rounds of testing I found that vegetable oil makes a more moist & fluffy bread. This is because oil is a liquid at room temperature, whereas butter is solid (or semi-solid) at room temperature. If you really want to use butter, you can use half melted butter and half oil.
• Chocolate Chips – Feel free to use mini chocolate chips, or swap half the regular size for mini chips.
• Nuts – Feel free to add 1/2 cup chopped nuts in place of some of the chocolate chips, or in addition to! Try walnuts or pecans. You can also swap all the chocolate for nuts if you prefer that.
• Classic Recipe – Omit the chocolate for a classic banana bread.

How to Make this Banana Bread Recipe:

Step 1: Mash your Bananas. Peel and mash bananas on a cutting board with a fork. Set aside.

Step 2: Mix up the Banana Bread Batter. Cream the butter in a large bowl (or medium bowl) with an electric mixer. Mix in the sugar, then mix in the eggs, vanilla, mashed bananas, and water.

Step 3: Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined, then stir in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

Step 4: Bake the Banana Bread. Spread batter into a standard loaf pan and add extra chocolate chips on top! The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for it to bake! Your kitchen will start to smell SO amazing as this bakes.

Once it’s a deep golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the banana bread comes out with just a bit of moist crumb, it’s done!

Serving + Storing:

Let it cool for as long as you can possibly bear, on a wire rack, before digging in and cutting a big slice. But, let’s be honest – eating banana bread warm is the only way! Store the cooled loaf in an airtight container or covered tightly at room temperature for 3-4 days.

Just imagine digging in to those melty puddles of chocolate, that crisp golden brown lid, and that soft, moist banana bread. Perfection! Be sure to slather some butter on top of your warm slice! I’ve even been known to spread nutella on mine for a mid-day snack.

Expert Success Tips:

• Don’t Over Bake – Follow the doneness indicators given in the recipe card below to ensure the perfect bake on this chocolate banana bread.
• Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
• Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.

FAQS:

More Quick Bread Recipes:

• Skillet Irish Soda Bread
• Zucchini Bread with Honey Butter
• One-Bowl Raspberry Lemon Bread
• Best Pumpkin Bread
• Classic Beer Bread with Salted Honey Butter

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A few folks have reached out saying that they really enjoyed the old version of this recipe, which was slightly different and used sweetened condensed milk. Here’s the old version for those that wanted it – enjoy!

• 3 medium bananas
• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips, plus more for topping

Follow the directions as given above, but start by adding the mashed banana, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and sugar to the bowl. Whisk to combine, then fold in the dry ingredients, then the vegetable oil, then the chocolate chips. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes. Follow the same doneness cues as given above.