Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate Chips Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Dark Chocolate

by: White On Rice Couple

October13,2013

3

2 Ratings

  • Makes 2 Loaves

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

The biggest influence in my culinary life is my grandmother. When growing up, despite being 800 miles away and growing up on the ranch that rarely afforded us the opportunity to visit her, it was my grandmother’s cooking which inspired me as a young teenager to begin cooking on my own.
Unfortunately I didn’t get to spend much side-by-side time with Grandma in the kitchen. However through the cookbooks I inherited from her, I’ve been able to explore and learn through her sources of inspiration.
Grandma loved to make notes in her cookbook. Scribbles with variations she liked, ingredients that appealed or didn’t appeal to her, and her ever-present “X” ratings. She would give recipes she tried a rating from one to four “x”s.
She had enough savvy to rarely choose a recipe which she rated a meager single “x”, however when there was top rated “xxxx” I knew it was a recipe I needed to try. I’ve yet to make one of Grandma’s “xxxx” rated recipes and not love it. And this banana bread recipe is based off of one of those four x ratings.
The cookbook was called Private Collections, recipes from the Junior League Palo Alto. Based on the amount of scribbles and notes, Grandma loved this book. The original recipe was named “Kona Inn Banana Bread”.
We’ve adapted it to our own taste, incorporating a bit of vanilla extract and including the addition of dark chocolate chips. One could always add nuts, or even use regular chocolate chips, but since Grandma loved to cook to the tastes of the family, I follow suit and always include dark chocolate chips for my mom, even when she isn’t going to get a slice.
White On Rice Couple

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 2 cupsSugar
  • 1 cupunsalted Butter
  • 6 ripe Bananas
  • 4 large Eggs
  • 1 teaspoonVanilla Extract
  • 2 cupsDark Chocolate Chips
  • 2 1/2 cupsCake Flour
  • 2 teaspoonsBaking Soda
  • 1 teaspoonKosher or Sea Salt
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Lightly grease 2 loaf pans.
  2. Cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add bananas and mash with potato masher until the large chunks of banana are broken up. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and beat until well mixed. Stir in the vanilla extract and the chocolate chips.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into banana mixture until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
  4. Divide the batter between the loaf pans. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean (chocolate on the toothpick doesn't count) The house should be filled with the scent of fresh banana bread.
  5. Cool on rack for 10 min. before removing from pans. Loosen the edges, then pop loose the bottom of the bread from the pan. Place on wire rack to finish cooling. Keeps wrapped in plastic for up to one week.

Tags:

  • Bread
  • Banana Bread
  • Fruit
  • Dark Chocolate

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • kellyhere

  • sevenfaces

  • Kelly Rooney Anderson

  • rengahan

Recipe by: White On Rice Couple

Eaters, Drinkers, Photographers, Travelers and Garden Geeks. Sharing stories of food that connect us all.

Popular on Food52

10 Reviews

This is my go-to banana bread recipe. Always a hit with colleagues and family! I used all-purpose flour minus 4-ish tbsp and replaced with 4-ish tbsp cornstarch. Super fluffy and moist.

Emily S. January 13, 2019

This is my new go-to recipe for banana bread. It's a nice balance between light and fluffy and dense, comforting banana bread. It's fantastic. Definitely writing this down to keep.

kellyhere October 15, 2018

I haven't eaten this yet, but I made it to bring to my daughter's class tomorrow for her birthday, and I'm pretty bummed out that the loaves aren't coming out of the pan for me to slice and serve individually. I knew I should have lined the pan with parchment just to be safe, but it's a busy weeknight with a lot going on, and I trusted that the recipe's instruction to simply grease the pan would work (it didn't).

meredith March 31, 2016

Turned out wonderfully! i used raw cane sugar and only had 5 bananas on hand, still turned out very well. Fiancé brought the other loaf to his office and it was a hit!!

Adrienne January 19, 2016

I enjoy dense banana bread. Would you recommend all purpose flour instead cake flour make a heavier bread?

rengahan October 1, 2016

When I made this, it was very dense because of all the bananas. In fact, it took longer to cook than the usual banana bread. I don't know if I would try a different flour.

sevenfaces March 14, 2014

Delicious and moist, and there was a nice caramelised crust on the outside that softened up the next day. I used 1 1/2C sugar and 4 very ripe bananas and still found it plenty sweet and banana-y. Plus the boyfriend won't stop raving about it; he often says you can't improve on the banana (wrong!) but with recipes like this I think I'm changing his mind...

jackandlily February 14, 2014

Just made this last night...it is delicious.

Kelly R. January 14, 2014

This is so good!!!!!!!!!!! I made it a couple time and shared it, everyone loved it and asked where I got the recipe!! YUM!!

wendymoore January 5, 2014

I cannot believe there aren't tons of comments already, praising this fantastic banana bread recipe! It is one of the most moist and delicious banana breads I have ever baked. I added milk instead of dark chocolate because that is what I had on hand. So delicious!

Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate Chips Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Can you use dark chocolate chips for baking? ›

Dark chocks has a deeper, stronger flavor, but generally doesn't have the sharpness or depth of flavor ( imo)of semi-sweet chocolate. It makes great drinking chocolate, goes nicely with nuts, and is a good baking option for those who don't like the bitterness of a higher % cacao.

Why is banana bread dark? ›

Not using enough flour, though, results in a more caramelized-looking loaf. The difference between using too much and using too little flour is drastic. The outside turned a dark-brown color and looked almost caramelized.

Why is banana bread so comforting? ›

Psychologist Liam Casey says it's all part of our attempts to self-soothe. “Food is a reward — we often use words like 'treat' to describe foods like banana bread. In a time when we feel uncertain, giving ourselves a literal treat can be a way of feeling soothed and cared for.

What is the nutritional value in chocolate chip banana bread? ›

Nutrition Information

Calories: 250; Total Fat: 8g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 20mg; Sodium: 120mg; Total Carbohydrate: 44g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Protein: 5g.

What does dark chocolate do in baking? ›

Chocolate has a lot of fat, but it winds up adding more structure than tenderness to baked goods. Cakes or cookies with cocoa powder need less flour than those without, and a sweet made with dark chocolate will be tougher than one made with milk.

What does chocolate chips do in baking? ›

If it's baking, the right choice is probably chocolate chips. Chocolate chips hold their shape better than bars, adding structure and creating chunkier cookies.

Can you put too much banana in banana bread? ›

Fight the urge to use more banana than called for in your recipe. Using too much banana could make your bread heavy and damp in the center, causing it to appear undercooked and unappealing. If you have bananas leftover, you can always freeze them for later use.

Is banana bread better with baking soda or baking powder? ›

As a general rule, you can use either baking soda OR baking powder in banana bread – both ingredients will make your banana bread rise. While baking soda will react with acidic ingredients in the batter to raise your bread, baking powder can leaven banana bread without the addition of acidic ingredients.

Why does banana bread have to sit overnight? ›

Once a loaf of banana bread is fully baked and taken out of the oven, it's crucial to allow it to fully cool. Banana bread retains heat, especially in the center of the loaf. If the loaf is still warm once it's wrapped for storage, condensation can form, which can lead to mold.

Is it OK to eat banana bread everyday? ›

Thus, it's best to enjoy banana bread occasionally as part of a balanced, nutrient-dense diet. If you'd like to boost the nutrient density of your banana bread, try adding ingredients high in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals, such as nut flours and flaxseed.

Why are older bananas better for banana bread? ›

As the bananas ripen, the fruit converts starches to sugars, making them sweeter and more flavorful. If you've ever had a slice of banana bread that barely tastes of banana, it's probably because the bananas used weren't quite ripe enough.

Are chocolate covered bananas unhealthy? ›

Chocolate covered banana bites “can” be the perfect healthy dessert if your overall macronutrients and calories for the day are balanced out.

What does banana chocolate do for you? ›

CHOCOLATE CONTAINS SEVERAL COMPOUNDS THAT CAN BOOST MOOD AND REDUCE ANXIETY, INCLUDING SEROTONIN, ENDORPHINS, AND PHENYLETHYLAMINE. BANANAS ARE A GOOD SOURCE OF POTASSIUM, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR MAINTAINING HEALTHY BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART FUNCTION.

Is banana healthier than potato chips? ›

If you are minding your diet, banana chips may be a good option. In comparison to typical potato chips, they have a lower glycemic index and more fiber, which may help with blood sugar control. To avoid consuming too many calories, it is vital to take them in moderation.

Can I substitute dark chocolate chips for semisweet? ›

The short answer is that it is perfectly fine to substitute one type of chocolate chips for another in a recipe that calls for them. This is true for cookies, cakes, brownies and other recipes that call for mixing-in a quantity of chocolate chips.

Can you substitute dark chocolate chips for semi-sweet chocolate chips? ›

Any solid chocolate (bittersweet, semisweet, or milk) can generally be swapped in and out in equal quantities. Just be ready for a slight difference in flavor.

Can you use dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips? ›

Anywhere you'd use one, you can use the other (and, to be honest, most of us don't have refined-enough palates to taste the difference in a dessert). Your best bet for bittersweet and semisweet chocolate is a recipe where the chocolate is really the star player, like a decadent pie or simple buttercream frosting.

Can you use any dark chocolate for baking? ›

Semi-Sweet and Bittersweet Chocolate: These are types of dark chocolate, often used interchangeably in recipes. They're great for baking due to their balanced sweetness and cocoa flavour.

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