This recipe for the best ever Chocolate Chip Banana Bread has been around for so long that sometimes I forget just how good it is. When people lose their minds over it, I have sometimes thought, “What’s the big deal? It’s just banana bread.” But it really is that good!
The secret is the sour cream. It’s a total game changer! Sour cream makes this bread so moist and soft, almost cake-like. And the addition of tiny chocolate chips makes it the best banana bread ever!
A slice of this warm, chocolatey banana bread just tastes like home.
What’s in this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy banana bread:
- all-purpose or gluten-free flour
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- ripe bananas
- eggs
- sour cream
- miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
- vanilla extract
- salt
- baking soda
I have made this recipe a million times with gluten free flour. There are amazing gluten free flour blends out there these days!
You can use many of them in a one-to-one ratio with no other modifications to a recipe. Not like a few years ago when we had to add the xanthan gum separately!
My favorite gluten free flour for baking is Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour.
How to Make this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Be sure to set out three separate bowls before starting on this recipe – small, medium and large. You will need all three, but the good news is you won’t need a clunky stand mixer. So cleanup is pretty easy.
- Small bowl: mash up the bananas and sour cream
- Medium bowl: whisk the flour, baking soda and salt
- Large bowl: beat the butter, vanilla, eggs and sugar
Using a mixing spoon, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the banana mixture into the wet ingredients.
Mix as few times as possible, because the more you mix, the tougher the bread will be. The chocolate chips go in last – and don’t forget to sprinkle some extra on top!
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?
There’s no such thing as overripe bananas when it comes to baking! Unless, of course, they’re getting moldy. In that case, throw them away. But even if the banana peels have black spots and they’re totally mushy inside, it’s all good. Bake away.
If you’re dying to make this super moist chocolate chip banana bread but your bananas aren’t ripe yet, put them in a paper bag and fold over the top. If you have any other ripe fruit or veggies in the house, put them into the bag too. This will speed up the ripening process.
How to keep this banana bread moist
Air is the enemy of moisture. The more air your banana bread is exposed to, the higher the chances are that it will dry out. I like to wrap this chocolate chip banana bread in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and then place it into a freezer bag or airtight container.
You also want to keep the whole loaf intact for as long as you can. Cutting it onto slices will expose it to more air. When stored this way, it should stay nice and moist for days!
Can you freeze banana bread batter?
You can definitely freeze banana bread batter. It’s a great way to have freshly baked bread in less time. Freeze your batter in the loaf pan that you want to bake it in. Wrap it super tightly in plastic wrap, and then place the loaf pan into a freezer bag.
Always defrost frozen batter in the refrigerator for the best results. Trying to defrost it at room temperature will result in a tough bread once you bake it.
How to Serve the Best Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Is there anything better than a warm slice of banana bread? No, there is not.
And although this banana bread is still moist and delicious at room temperature, a quick 20 second zap in the microwave is really a game changer. It’s Mini Me’s favorite weekday breakfast.
Can nuts be added to this banana bread recipe?
If you’d like to add nuts like walnuts or pecans to this recipe, go for it! Just replace 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips with 1/2 cup of your nuts of choice.
I can’t wait for you to try this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. It’s a great recipe to share with family and friends. And when you make it, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more quickbread recipes, try these:
For more gluten free bakes, try these:
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
- Healthy Banana Nut Muffins
- Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Cream
The Best Ever Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups all purpose or gluten free flour
- 3-4 ripe medium-sized bananas
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate morsels + more for sprinkling on top alternately, 1/2 cup chopped nuts + 1/2 cup semisweet morsels
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, beat butter, vanilla and sugar with a handheld electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs.
- In a small bowl, mash bananas and sour cream together with a fork.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda.
- Using a mixing spoon, blend flour mixture into the creamed mixture alternately with the mashed bananas. Fold in the chocolate chips/nuts. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 1hr 10min or until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack at least 20 minutes before removing from pan.
Haven’t tried it yet but I am going to use a spice cake mix the two eggs and the one stick of butter. To that I will add two or three bananas and the sour cream and the chocolate chips and the nuts. I used the first three ingredients all the time for cookie bars. I melt the butter. To this I add you know nuts or chocolate chips or whatever. One good one is a white cake mix and use peppermint.
Sounds yummy, Dot!