Chocolate Banana Bread Loaf

A soft, moist and fudgy chocolate banana bread loaf that is loaded with chocolate chips and topped with chocolate ganache. Turn this recipe into chocolate banana bread muffins for a decadent treat!

Hey guys! I know it’s been a while since I last shared a recipe. Things have been crazy busy with me and I’ve not been able to take photos of my bakes. The sandy, dusty weather really isn’t helpful either, making photography quite difficult.

I actually have a ton of new recipes that I’m excited to share in the coming days so do stay tuned! If you don’t already then make sure to follow me on any of my social media pages, or share with me your email address (just enter it in the box on the right side of this page) to receive notifications whenever I post a recipe.

Kicking off my list of ‘To Die For Must Make Right Now’ recipes is this UNBELIEVABLE chocolate banana bread loaf. You guys, I’ve been trying to perfect a banana chocolate muffin and bread loaf for ages and this has become by far one of the best banana breads I’ve ever eaten!

I have a thing for banana baked goods. I make these muffins several times throughout the month and banana cake is one of my favourite cakes so I’m thrilled to be adding this version of banana bread to my repertoire. It took me several attempts to perfect this recipe because I had a specific taste and texture in mind and I wanted it to be just right.

Chocolate Banana Bread Loaf

• Flavour: this cake loaf tastes chocolate-y with a wonderfully deep banana flavour. The vanilla extract and soft brown sugar leave a beautiful caramel-vanilla undertone too.
• Texture: the crumb is thick, super soft and moist with just the right amount of bite. Banana breads are dense in nature but this one is more like a chocolate fudge cake meets fluffy banana muffin in texture.

This recipe is super easy and uses the muffin method. Basically you just dump everything into a bowl and bake. The ingredient list is also simple and minimal. Just the usual things you need to make muffins.

Key Ingredients

• Unsweetened cocoa powder: I love a 100% natural brand of cocoa powder. We use a good amount to ensure that deep chocolate-y flavour so good quality cocoa powder is a must.
• Soft brown sugar: As with most of my muffin recipes, I love adding soft brown sugar because it gives such a nice texture and flavour. You can use either light or dark brown sugar, just make sure that it’s the soft kind.
• Super ripe bananas: Always use very ripe and spotted brown bananas when you bake. They give the cake a natural sweetness and a more intensified flavour. The crumb also changes depending on how ripe your bananas are, making it softer and lighter.
• Sour cream: To boost the moisture in the bread loaf I recommend using sour cream. It makes the crumb so moist and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Substitutions

• If you are out of soft brown sugar, you can use all white. However, I highly recommend getting your hands on brown sugar. It really does make a world of a difference.
• Sour cream can be substituted with thick Greek yoghurt. The crumb might be slightly more dense which is totally fine as we’re making a banana bread here not a sponge cake 😊.

You can totally throw in some chocolate chips or nuts, this is optional, as well as topping the loaf with chocolate ganache. I was going for a triple threat situation here but the loaf (or muffins) is just as tasty without either addition.

To make muffins with this recipe, follow the ingredients and steps mentioned in the recipe card below. When it comes time to bake, make sure to bake them at a higher temperature first then lower it to get those beautiful big muffin tops 😉. (Complete directions mentioned in the notes).

If you make this or any of my other recipes please tag me @dutchbakerblog on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter 💜. I love to see what you’re making!

Enjoy my friends.

Recipe by the dutch baker.