This healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread has a delicious sweet and moist taste and texture plus banana and chocolate flavor. You’ll love the fact that this bread has just the right amount of sweetness.

Chocolate chip banana bread slices stacked up

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Why You’ll Love This Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe

As I have been testing this Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe, it has been my daughters’ favorite snack for the last several weeks.

I’ve finally finished testing it and perfected the recipe so that every loaf comes out golden (not too dark), just slightly domed with a little crack, and so moist too! Below you’ll find all the nitty gritty deets about this recipe. Can’t wait for you to try it!!!

Recipe Highlights

  • Simple enough that even a beginner baker can make it
  • Made with Whole-Wheat flour for more fiber and nutrients
  • Makes a great breakfast or snack
  • A great way to use up overripe bananas
  • Sweetened naturally with maple syrup and bananas
  • Uses mini-chocolate chips so they spread out in the batter and you’ll need less
  • Can be made ahead and frozen too
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Ingredients For Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Ripe Bananas

  • Ripe Bananas with some black spots are best for this recipe because they have the strongest flavor, they are sweetest and they are softest for mashing.
  • Frozen bananas work great too. Just thaw them and mash. When they thaw, do not pour off any liquid they give off. 

Oil

  • I used avocado oil and also tested with organic canola oil. I also tested this with hazelnut oil that I had gotten as a free sample from my client La Tourangelle. Even melted coconut oil will work. 

Eggs

I used two eggs in the batter. If desired you can substitute two flax eggs instead to make this banana bread vegan!! 

Maple Syrup

I used Grade A Dark/Robust maple syrup for the strongest maple flavor, but any grade will work. If you prefer you can use honey instead. Or you could use white sugar too! 

Vanilla Extract

I use a heavy hand with the vanilla extract, and it really smells lovely in this bread. Especially when you’re baking it!! I tested it with regular pure vanilla extract. But I also have vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract extra (which have the seeds of vanilla bean too.) 

Whole Wheat Flour

As you know, I am pretty much always trying to use whole grains in place of refined grains, so this bread was no exception. I tested it with white whole wheat and also with whole wheat. I didn’t test it with gluten-free flour. (I ran out of chocolate chips before I could.) I will update you here if/when I do. 

All-Purpose Flour 

In order to help the texture of the bread, I added in a small amount of all-purpose flour. It helps keep the bread light and rise nicely.

Baking Powder, Salt and Baking Soda 

I ended up going up in the added salt here to 3/4 of a teaspoon which is a lot for a baking/quickbread recipe. The chocolate begged me to do it. And I cannot say no to chocolate.

Chocolate Chips

I used mini chocolate chips because you can get away with using a lot less and they spread out in the batter making every bite chocolatey! I like Enjoy Life brand (which are dairy free if you are making the vegan version of this recipe) but Nestle also makes mini chocolate chips. You can use regular chocolate chips too if that’s what you have on hand. Heck you could even chop up a chocolate bar if that’s what you’ve got! 

overhead of loaf of banana bread
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How To Make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread {Step-By-Step}

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl

Step 1: Prepare Pan and Oven

The banana bread batter takes very little time to mix together, so make sure you fire up that oven to preheat it as soon as possible. I also like to have my pan prepared too before I mix the batter.

Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients

 Mix the flour, leaveners and salt in a medium mixing bowl with a whisk until it is completely combined.

Mash banana in a large bowl with a potato masher or fork
Add the dry mix to the wet mix and blend gently with a silicone spatula

Step 3: Mix Wet Ingredients

  • Next, mix the wet ingredients in your medium to large bowl. Start off by mashing the banana in the bowl. I use a potato masher, but you could also just use a fork if that’s what you have. 
  • Then add in the eggs, oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
  • Go ahead and use that same whisk from the dry ingredients and make sure the eggs are completely mixed in. 

Step 4: Combine the Wet and Dry Mixes

Combine the Wet and Dry Mixes with a silicone spatula. Do not overmix as doing so can cause tunneling, which is caused by too much gluten development. It causes large air pockets in the batter.

Add the chocolate chips and gently fold in
Transfer to a loaf pan coated with cooking spray.

Step 5: Add Chocolate Chips

Add the chocolate chips into the batter and then gently stir them in just until they are incorporated. I like to reserve about a dozen of them to then sprinkle on top of the loaf.

Once the batter is mixed together the liquid will start to activate the leavening agent. If you mix the batter together and then let it sit without baking it, the bread will not rise as much because the leavener will run out of steam. 

Step 6: Bake Immediately

Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan (sprinkle with reserved chips if you have done so) and bake it until the center springs back when lightly touched. You can test to see if it is set up in the center by testing it with a toothpick. It took about 55 minutes for the Nordic pan I used. Glass/Pyrex pans can take a little longer.

To Bake as Muffins: Spoon batter into a greased muffin tin or into muffin tin lined with paper liners, dividing evenly. Bake at 350 degrees F until the top springs back when lightly touched, 25 to 27 minutes,  .

Chocolate chip banana bread slices and part of a loaf from overhead

Make Ahead and Freezing Tips

  1. If you do want to make this bread in advance, you can mix the wet mix and store it in the fridge a day ahead. The dry mix can be mixed and covered and left on the counter up to a day ahead.
  2. Leftover bread (once completely cool) can be wrapped up in plastic or foil and left on the counter for two days. 
  3. It can be frozen for 1 month. Wrap in two layers of foil and set in a plastic resealable freezer bag. 
slices of chocolate chip banana bread

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At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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close up of a stack of slices of banana bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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4.6 from 11 reviews

  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 10 servings 1x
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Description

This moist and healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is super easy to mix together and bake. It makes a not-too-sweet snack or breakfast and it is sweetened with maple syrup and made with whole-wheat flour for better nutrition.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 cup white whole-wheat flour

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 large ripe bananas, mashed

2 large eggs

1/2 cup dark pure maple syrup

1/2 cup avocado oil or organic canola oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup chocolate chips, preferably mini

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray or line muffin pans with paper liners.
  2. Whisk whole wheat flour, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl.
  3. Mix bananas with maple syrup, eggs, oil and vanilla in a large bowl.
  4. Add flour mixture to banana mixture and stir until just combined. Add chocolate chips and gently fold in.
  5. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan or spoon into muffin tin, dividing evenly. Bake until the loaf springs back when touched lightly in the center and a toothpick inserted in the center comes back with moist crumbs attached, 55 minutes for loaf.
  6. Let cool in the pan for an hour. Run a knife along the edges. Turn out of pan. Slice or allow to cool completely before wrapping up in plastic or foil.

Notes

For Best Results: Once the batter is mixed together, bake it immediately so that the leavener will have the most lift.

Make Ahead Notes: If you do want to make this bread in advance, you can mix the wet mix and store it in the fridge a day ahead. The dry mix can be mixed and covered and left on the counter up to a day ahead.

To Bake as Muffins: Spoon batter into a greased muffin tin or into muffin tin lined with paper liners, dividing evenly. Bake at 350 degrees F until the top springs back when lightly touched, 25 to 27 minutes.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 55 minutes
  • Category: Snack
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/10th loaf
  • Calories: 322
  • Sugar: 23 g
  • Sodium: 270 mg
  • Fat: 17 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 39 g
  • Fiber: 4 g
  • Protein: 5 g

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Chocolate chip banana bread slices stacked up.