This Chocolate Banana bread is deliciously cozy and decadent, you won't believe its healthy! Made with whole foods and natural ingredients, this recipe is easy to make. It’s a little spin on my healthy banana bread that's been a reader favorite recipe for years!
What's better than banana bread...Chocolate Banana Bread of course! Fun fact, my healthy banana bread recipe was the first recipe I shared online back in 2021 and is a big reason we're all here today! You've all loved the recipe for years, so here I've put a little twist and made it a rich, decadent yet still healthy chocolate banana bread. I mean who wouldn't love a lovely warm loaf of chocolatey goodness especially when straight from the oven, yum!
What makes it healthy is that it's made with whole foods instead of the classic ingredients, being more nutritious. Trust me when I say, you wouldn't even taste the difference. This means no plain flour, no butter and no sugar, yep it's sugar-free! It's naturally sweetened by the ripe bananas along with honey for a little extra sweetness. As with most of my other baking recipes, I also opt for oat flour made by blending rolled oats instead of regular flour such as my lemon blueberry bread and even pancakes!
This recipe is nutritious to enjoy for breakfast or morning tea with a cup of coffee or tea, or you can enjoy it for dessert with a cheeky scoop of vanilla ice cream too. My favorite part are the melted bits of melted chocolate chips in the middle mmmm.
Table of Contents
Recipe Highlights
- Crazy Delicious: Moist, delicious, rich and decadent!
- Healthier Recipe: Using whole foods, so no butter, flour or sugar
- Easy Steps: Simply mix in a large mixing bowl and bake!
Ingredients and Substitutions
This recipes comes together with two simple parts - the wet ingredients and dry ingredients:
Wet Ingredients
- Ripe bananas are the key for the best tasting banana bread. The browner and the more spotty the better, even black is best! Overripe bananas add so much natural sweetness and moisture and can be easily mashed with a fork
- Eggs help bind the mixture together and add extra richness. To keep it egg-free, you can try and substitute with chia eggs or flax eggs but I haven't tested this myself
- Pure honey adds natural sweetness and my preferred sweetener when baking. You can try light brown sugar if you prefer
- Coconut oil keeps the texture soft and moist and my preferred oil rather than using unsalted butter
- Milk, I’ve used almond milk, but dairy milk or oat milk works well too for the added liquid. Greek yogurt or sour cream could also be added but I haven't tested this
- Vanilla extract adds a lovely aroma and subtle flavor to baking recipes
Dry Ingredients
- Rolled oats are blended to make oat flour and are always my go-to when baking healthy recipes rather than using all purpose flour which is traditionally used. Feel free to substitute with gluten-free oats if needed
- Unsweetened cacao powder adds the rich chocolatey color and flavor of course and is also high in antioxidants. Unsweetened cocoa powder can also be substituted for a smoother flavor
- Mini chocolate chips are folded into the batter with a little sprinkle on top too. This adds that extra chocolatey goodness with melted bits in the middle. I love adding dark chocolate chips, you can also chop up regular chocolate into small pieces too
- Baking powder helps the loaf rise in the oven. Baking soda can also be added for an extra lift
- Good pinch of salt balances sweetness and brings out the chocolate flavor
How to make Chocolate Banana Bread
Learn how to make an easy chocolate banana bread that's rich, decadent and perfect to enjoy anytime of the day. Follow my simple steps below (note quantities are listed in the recipe card below)
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. Peel and mash overripe bananas in a large bowl with a fork
Step 2: Add eggs, milk, melted coconut oil, honey, and vanilla - whisk until smooth
Step 3: Whisk in the cacao powder until fully combined
Step 4: Blend rolled oats into fine oat flour, stopping to shake the blender so it grinds evenly
Step 5: Add oat flour and a pinch of salt into the wet mixture and mix until no dry spots remain. Then fold in mini chocolate chips and baking powder with a spatula
Step 6: Line a loaf pan with parchment paper (8.5 × 4.5 inches / 21cm x 11.5cm in size) and pour in the batter, tap to level and sprinkle more chocolate chips on top
Step 7: Bake for 50–60 minutes, testing doneness with a toothpick. It should come out mostly clean and could have a little melted chocolate on it. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes
Step 8: Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10–15 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Overripe bananas are mandatory! They will add the sweetness and moisture - the more brown and black the better
- Whisk wet ingredients first, then stir in dry ingredients to avoid over-mixing the batter
- When blending the oats, ensure to shake the blender in between to make sure you create a fine flour consistency without bits of whole oats - work in batches if needed
- Always fold in the chocolate chips and baking powder at the very end
- Ensure to cool the banana bread twice before slicing - once in its loaf tin and a second time on a wire rack to keep the texture intact and avoid crumbling
Storage Instructions
- Store at room temperature wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap for up to 2-3 days in cooler months. In summer months, its best to store in the fridge
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week
- Reheat in a toaster oven, air fryer or microwave until heated through if you prefer to eat it warm
- Freeze for up to 1 - 2 months, preferably individual slices, then thaw at room temperature or reheat in the oven
FAQs
Many traditional banana bread recipes aren't very healthy due to their high sugar and butter quantities. Here I've made a healthier recipe using natural whole foods
Ensure bananas are ripe and don't over mix the batter. Also measure the dry ingredients correctly and stir them through, and don't over bake the bread
You can, however ensure to use low speed so the batter doesn’t get over mixed, which will make a dense banana bread
Yes I love adding chopped walnuts or pecans for a little crunch and extra flavor
More Healthy Baking
More Bread Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your photo on Instagram so I can share the love!
Recipe
Chocolate Banana Bread (Healthy Recipe)
Video
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 3 medium over-ripe bananas - the browner the better
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup pure honey
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ cup milk - I've used almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats - or oat flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cacao powder
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips - plus more for garnish
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Good pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. Peel and add the overripe bananas to a large bowl and mash with a fork - you should have about 1 cup of mashed bananas
- Add the eggs, milk, melted coconut oil, honey and vanilla and whisk together
- Add the cacao powder and whisk through the wet ingredients
- To a blender, add the rolled oats and blitz to create a fine oat flour - give it a shake in between to ensure there aren't any whole bits of oats (work in batches if needed)
- Add the oat flour and a good pinch of salt and stir through, ensuring there aren't any dry ingredients left at the bottom of the bowl
- Then add the mini chocolate chips and baking powder and fold through with a rubber spatula
- Line a loaf tin with parchment paper (8.5 × 4.5 inches / 21 x 11.5 cm in size). Pour in the batter and gently tap on the benchtop and flatten the top. Sprinkle the top with extra chocolate chips and lightly press them into the batter
- Bake for 50-60 minutes - checking the middle with a toothpick to confirm its cooked. It should come out mostly clean and could have melted chocolate on it, but not have any wet batter
- Remove from the oven and allow it to sit in the loaf pan for 10 minutes to set. Then transfer to a wire cooling rack and remove the parchment paper. Allow it to cool for at least 10-15 minutesSlice and serve your delicious chocolate banana bread with a cup or tea, coffee or milk and enjoy!!
Arya says
I made this chocolate banana bread this morning with my 6- and 8-year-old, and we loved it! It was so simple to make and turned out delicious. My 8-year-old, who usually doesn’t like bananas or oats, decided to give it a try and ended up having three slices! We’re so excited to make the donuts next week. My kids love your recipes, Ayeh!
Ayeh Manfre says
So happy to hear you and your kids love it so much yay!!!