Chocolate Banana Bread (Snack Box Recipe)

Chocolate makes everything better and today we are doubling the dose with this super moist, Double Chocolate Banana Bread!

Wait till you see how it’s made:

How to Make Moist Banana Bread

The key to moist banana bread is super ripe bananas. It’s worth waiting for them to turn brown.

Here are ways to know if you’re bananas are ready for bread making: they’re ugly enough that no one wants to eat them and they fall apart with the touch of a fork.

Due to its molasses content, brown sugar is also another ingredient that keeps banana bread and many other baked goods moist. Keep this in mind, next time you want to bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

Overbaking will also dry out an otherwise perfect loaf of banana bread. Make sure to check for doneness around the 45 to 50-minute mark.

Chocolate Banana Bread Freezing Tips

Enjoying banana bread now and freezing some for later is always a good idea. To freeze, allow the bread to cool down to room temperature before slicing into thick slices. Next, wrap each slice with plastic wrap and place them into a freezer safe zip bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.

In the meantime, whenever you need a slice, remove it from the freezer and allow to defrost on the counter or microwave before enjoying.

If you’d like to freeze a whole loaf, follow the above directions but omit the slicing step.

While we’re on the topic if you ever have ripe bananas and no time to use them, freeze them for later use in recipes like this chocolate banana bread, banana breakfast muffins, or smoothies. If making any baked goods be sure to let the bananas defrost before adding to the recipe.

The Best Ingredients for Chocolate Banana Bread

Chocolate makes everything taste better, which is why this banana bread gets a double dose with cocoa powder and chocolate chips! The cocoa powder has an intense flavor and those chocolate chips give you bits of melted chocolate in each slice.

How to Make Chocolate Banana Bread Healthier

While this banana bread is definitely a treat and treats are a part of a healthy lifestyle, there are a few ways to make it lighter:

• Use SUPER ripe bananas-
  The riper the banana the less sugar you’ll need to add. Ripe bananas contain a higher natural sugar content and more intense banana flavor which causes them to taste sweeter.
• Reduce the amount of chocolate chips-
  Reducing the number of chocolate chips by a fourth or half would lighten up the recipe while still giving you a taste of that ooey goodness from the melted chips in the bread.

What Else to Put in a Chocolate Banana Bread Snack Box

To balance out all the sweet I like to include some fresh and wholesome options like berries and vanilla Greek yogurt. Other ideas include chopped walnuts, sliced apples, or fresh cut carrots and celery with peanut butter.

Which reminds me, if you’re a peanut butter lover you’ve got to try this: after you’ve allowed the banana bread to cool, cut a thick slice, and spread a generous amount of peanut butter over the top. This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy Double Chocolate Chip Banana bread with a cup of Bulletproof coffee of course.

Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe

• Author: Laura
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 - 60 minutes
• Total Time: 65 - 75 minutes
• Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 3 large brown bananas, (1 1/2 cups mashed)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork. Add the melted butter and stir until combined. Stir in the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract, stir until smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix. Add in 3/4 cup of chocolate chips and stir.
4. Pour batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips over the top of the bread. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool down for about 15 minutes before running a knife around the edges to separate the bread. Remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool on a wire cooling rack. Slice and serve.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 335
• Fat: 16.7 g
• Carbohydrates: 44.8 g
• Fiber: 3.6 g
• Protein: 4.8 g