Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

May 20, 2008

I always have the best of intentions when I buy barely yellow bananas at the grocery store.  I have visions of healthy breakfast shakes, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and healthy mid afternoon snacks.  Without fail the bananas turn brown and speckled.  They start to mush and sink into themselves.  They just become all around unsexy.  They threaten to spread they’re over exposure to the unsuspecting apples and oranges in the same bowl, and we simply can’t tolerate that!

I should just come to terms with the real reason that I buy bananas- so that I can mix them with chocolate and try to pass them off as breakfast.  This Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is attempt to do just that-  eat loads of chocolate and say yes!  Yes, I ate a glorious breakfast!

There is satisfaction in that, to be sure!

This quick bread comes out more like a delicious chocolate cake than a traditional banana bread- that wouldn’t have anything to do with the truck load of chocolate in the bread, would it?  It’s tender and moist and has an absolutely beautiful undercurrent of banana flavor.  Try it for breakfast.  Milk is essential, or good coffee.  And that’s a start to a beautiful day, lovebird.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Baking: from my home to yours

Print this Recipe!

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a 9×5 inch loaf pan and place it on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets one on top of the other.  This extra insulation will keep the bottom of the bread from overbaking.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt ad baking soda.

Working with a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for about a minute  until soft.  Add the sugars and beat for 2 minutes more.  Add the egs one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition.  At this point , the batter may look a little curdled- it’s ok.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the mashed bananas.  Add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing only until they disappear into the batter.  Still on low sweep, add the buttermilk, mixing until it is incorporated.  Stir in the chopped chocolate.  Scrape batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 3o minutes.  Cover the bread loosely with a foil tend to keep the top from getting too dark, and continue to bake for another 40-45 minutes (total baking time is between 70 and 75 minutes), or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before running a knife around the edges of the bread and unmolding it.  Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

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{ 65 comments… read them below or add one }

Brendy December 30, 2010 at 12:20 pm

Baking now!!!! It smells delicious!!!!A big hug from Puerto Rico!!!!!

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Amy January 9, 2011 at 12:50 am

Joy… my mom made this today after I had e-mailed her my find from some of your older posts. It was insane. Moist, chewy, GOOEY. As we stood at the counter using our fingers… my mom said she felt like she should just bathe in it. Can’t wait to share it with everyone.

Thanks for another great one!

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Jen March 20, 2011 at 9:35 pm

INSANE. Only word to describe. I even ‘healthified’ this bread by using organic spelt flour and substituting half of the butter with applesauce. 3/4 of the loaf is gone this evening, it was baked this am. I am the only one who has eaten it. Yikes. Yes, that good. THANK YOU for a great quick bread recipe. A friend just introduced me to your site and I love reading it. You are so witty and hilarious, love it:)

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Alison March 21, 2011 at 2:50 pm

I have made the chocolate banana bread from an America’s Test Kitchen cookbook, and they have you grate baking chocolate into the batter. I have to say, the cocoa powder is a lot easier!

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Jolene April 12, 2011 at 1:23 pm

Just made this today and it is wonderful. Smells heavenly while baking, and was moist and delicious, topped with whipped cream. A great after school snack–hey it’s nutritious with the bananas, right? :-)

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debbie April 30, 2011 at 6:34 pm

Delicious! I tripled it and made mini loaves in addition to one big loaf. for the mini loaf tins (eight per tin) it takes about 25 minutes to bake. thanks!

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Lauren May 4, 2011 at 9:08 pm

I thoroughly approve of this banana bread. My household has the opposite problem of yours unfortunately – bananas are the first of the fruits to be eaten and NEVER seem to get to the ‘mushy and oh so perfect for cake’ stage….I think I need to buy some and hide them

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robindana June 25, 2011 at 8:07 am

Smells delicious honeyssss!! Baking now!

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Kristen Anderson June 26, 2011 at 9:58 am

This really is more like a cake than a bread. I’m going to serve it with a berry sauce and whipped cream.

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Bailey W. July 5, 2011 at 9:11 am

Just popped this in the oven!! Used soy milk instead of buttermilk so I hope it’s not too dry.

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Hilda July 31, 2011 at 10:58 pm

I’m praying that my bananas make it through the night so that I can bake this in the morning. Today was just too hot to even think about turning the oven on. I don’t have buttermilk so I might try to make some by adding lemon to whole milk. I can hardly wait!

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Berenice August 10, 2011 at 8:16 pm

wait 20 minutes!? yeah right….I have a burned tongue to prove my impatience but it was sooooo worth it…chocolatey goodness yummmmmmmmmmm! Thanks Joy, you know exactly what a girl needs.

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Stephanie August 16, 2011 at 5:11 pm

I’m going to attempt to make muffins instead of a loaf to reduce baking time. Hope it comes out okay!

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Anna Eloise October 6, 2011 at 8:52 pm

I Love it. :3
Made it for baking class, my teacher gave me an A.

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