Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is extra moist, loaded with fresh bananas, has chocolate chips in every bite and is a real crowd pleaser!

This post was originally published in December 2018 – I’ve since updated the photos!

I’ve always been a fan of any type of banana flavored baked good! Take for example my Lemon Blueberry Banana Bread, Double Chocolate Banana Muffins or even my Banana Bread Overnight Oats! There is something so extra cozy about the natural sweetness of the banana combined with the other goods that make those baked goods so good!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe: 

If you ever want to impress anyone – just bake a loaf of this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread for the SMELL ALONE. It will make your house smell like a bakery. So much goodness.

I like this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread because it’s simple but classic. My husband and I have been watching a lot of Great British Baking Show lately – and the amazing Mary Berry always say if you do something simple it must be “sheer perfection”.

And not to toot my own horn, this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is sheer perfection to me!

I love that it’s super moist, thick slices that are filled with banana flavor. I also love that there are chocolate chips in every single bite! Chocolate chips are my fave.

There is also a bit of a secret ingredient in this recipe. Nothing too crazy – but instead of using apple sauce to help further moisten the bread – I added….sour cream! 

Yes, maybe it’s strange. Maybe it’s not. But I surely loved the slight tanginess and rich moist flavor that the sour cream adds.

I love this recipe so much because it is such a crowd pleaser! Bake a loaf the night before you have company coming and you’ll have some happy breakfast eaters! Or maybe bake it for family as a late night snack while you’re playing board games.

So let’s get into what you need to make it!

Ingredients You Need:

• Ripe Bananas – the riper the better! They will be more sweet!
• Butter – I used salted butter for this recipe. 
• Granulated and Brown Sugar – The combination of the two make this bread perfect!
• Eggs – Use large eggs in this recipe. 
• Sour Cream – This helps really further add moisture to the bread. 
• Vanilla Extract – A must for flavor.
• Flour – I used classic all purpose flour for this recipe. 
• Baking Soda – this will help the bread rise!
• Salt – a small pinch goes a long way.
• Chocolate Chips (and lots of ‘em!) – a must for this recipe! 

Ingredient Substitutions: 

Unsalted for Salted Butter – feel free to use unsalted, I always prefer salted in my baking but it’s not a big deal to switch it out. 

Whole Milk Greek Yogurt for Sour Cream – these two work pretty interchangeably to me in my baking journey. Make sure it’s the whole milk Greek yogurt though so you get the extra fat in there!

Chocolate Chips – you can use chunks, semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate etc. 

Step by Step Instructions on How to Make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread:

This is such a simple and delicious bread to bake. Let’s get into it! 

1. Preheat the oven! Grab a 9×5 loaf pin and grease it with either butter, cooking spray or parchment paper. Set aside for now.
2. In a large bowl, mash up those ripe bananas! It shouldn’t be too hard if they’re already soft. Next, melt butter in a small bowl. Add in your brown and white sugar and whisk together until creamy. Add this to the bowl with the mashed bananas and mix to combine. 
3. To the same bowl, add your eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
4. To the bowl, add in your flour, baking soda and a pinch of salt. Mix  only until incorporated. Don’t overwork it, just enough to where you no longer see pockets of flour. 
5. Lastly, gently fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Pour into a greased 9×5 loaf tin. Sprinkle with extra chocolate chips if desired. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick can be inserted into the middle and comes out clean! 
7. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then carefully remove to a cooling rack. Slice when mostly cooled and enjoy!

Best Baking Tips: 

Be sure that your oven is fully preheated before the banana bread goes in! This will ensure an even and proper cooking temperature for the bread. 

Try and mash the ripe bananas as best as you can to avoid the giant lumps of banana in the batter. 

Like stated in the above directions, don’t overwork the batter once it has all of the ingredients in it. Just be sure that the flour is fully mixed in. 

To check if the bread is done, be sure to use a toothpick or a butter knife and insert it into the middle of the bread. If it comes out clean then you’re all set! If there is still some batter on it, pop it back in for another 3-5 minutes and then check again. 

I personally think this banana bread is best warm with a schmear of butter and a pinch of salt on top. I also like it cold from the fridge. Basically, I’ll eat this anyway you slice it. Breakfast, lunch, dessert or snack! Gimme!

Storing Leftovers: 

Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Enjoy every bite! XO – Haylie 

Did you enjoy this recipe? Here are a few other breakfast baked goods you might like: 

Cinnamon Peach Bread 

Brown Butter Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread 

Maple Cinnamon Banana Muffins

Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! Like a recipe that you saw? Follow me on Pinterest here! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie