Description
This easy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe creates a perfectly moist loaf studded with melty chocolate chips. Made with very ripe bananas, sour cream, and simple pantry ingredients, this banana bread has a tender crumb and incredible flavor. Perfect for breakfast, snack time, or dessert!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1½ cups)
- ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Add-Ins
- 1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
- Optional: ½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). This gives it plenty of time to reach the right temperature while you mix your batter. Grease your 9×5-inch loaf pan generously with butter or cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper for easy removal. Trust me, there’s nothing worse than banana bread that sticks to the pan!
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Make sure everything is well combined — this ensures your leavening agents are evenly distributed throughout the batter. Set this bowl aside for now.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter (make sure it’s slightly cooled so it doesn’t scramble the eggs!) and granulated sugar until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until fully incorporated. This helps create a smooth, emulsified batter. Stir in the vanilla extract, mashed bananas, and sour cream or yogurt until everything is smooth and creamy.
Here’s where the magic happens! Add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture and gently stir with a rubber spatula just until you don’t see any more dry flour streaks. This is super important — overmixing develops gluten, which makes your banana bread tough and dense instead of tender and fluffy. A few small lumps are totally fine! Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts until they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Pour your batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with your spatula. Pop it in the oven and bake for 55–65 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. If you notice the top is browning too quickly, loosely tent it with aluminum foil to prevent burning while the inside finishes baking.
Let the banana bread cool in the pan for about 10–15 minutes. This makes it easier to remove without falling apart. Then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Don’t have ripe bananas? Speed up the process by baking them (unpeeled) at 300°F for 15-20 minutes until the skins are black. Let them cool, then use as directed.
- Prevent a domed top: Create a shallow trench down the center of your batter before baking. This helps it rise more evenly.
- Check doneness early: Ovens vary wildly! Start checking at 55 minutes to avoid overbaking.
- Mix chocolate chips with flour: Toss your chocolate chips in a tablespoon of flour before folding them in. This prevents them from sinking to the bottom.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American