Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Double Chocolate Banana Bread ~ maybe I should have called this chocolatey concoction a cake rather than a bread, but whatever you want to call it, I defy you to find anything more tempting.  This easy quick bread recipe is the ultimate pairing of chocolate and banana.

A great banana bread knows no season, and that’s what I love about it.  It could be the day before Christmas, or the middle of a heat wave in August, when I get the hankering for a banana loaf, I go for it.  To be honest it doesn’t really even matter if I’ve got ripe bananas…I’ll use them straight from the grocery store if I have to.  But it just so happens that mid October is the perfect time to make this chocolatey version, trust me on this.  And it’s a great way to flex your baking muscles just a little bit before the starter bell rings and holiday madness begins.  Plus, you can skip the coffee shop for a week, which is never a bad thing.

This new banana bread ranks right up there with my current favorite, Roasted Banana Bread with Walnuts.  But I’ve got lots of banana breads on the blog, and I don’t want to tell you your business, so you decide for yourself.  For me it comes down to whether I’m craving nuts or dark chocolate, and dark chocolate won out this time.  

This double chocolate banana bread is a drama queen!

It’s got dramatic looks, and it’s definitely got dramatic flavor.  The dark chocolate and the mashed banana battle it out for your attention in every bite.  I can’t tell you who wins the battle, that would be cheating, but it’s a delicious fight to the finish, and I’d have to say everybody wins here.  You’re gonna love this bread :)

The sliced bananas on the top of this loaf are really tempting, which is probably why I couldn’t stop snapping pictures of it.  

How to pull of the sliced banana topping

• It’s one banana sliced down its entire length, into 3 planks.  
• The key here is NOT to use one of those squishy blackened bananas, save those for the batter, but instead use a bright yellow firm one.  
• Use a small sharp knife, and take your time.  It will slice like butter.
• Make sure to have a spare banana handy, just in case things don’t go well ;)

Enough wallowing in pretty pictures, I need to share the particulars!

Ingredients you’ll need to have on hand for double dark banana bread

• 4 squishy over ripe black bananas, plus one firm yellow one (for the top.)
• dark cocoa powder
• sour cream
• dark or bittersweet chocolate chips
• light brown sugar
• plus all the usual suspects; flour, baking powder and soda, salt, butter, eggs, and vanilla.

Tips for making the best double chocolate banana bread ~

• To get the intense deep dark chocolate in this bread I used a combination of regular cocoa powder and Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder, which is a super dark powder.
• You’ve heard this a million times before, but don’t over mix your bread, use a light hand.
• Try to use a firm yellow banana for the slices on top, if you try to slice a very ripe banana lengthwise it just won’t work.

other yummy ways to feed your banana cravings…

• Banana Poppy Seed Cake With Lemon Buttercream
• My Favorite Banana Blondies
• Better than Starbucks Banana Walnut Bread
• Banana Cake with Spiced Vanilla Buttercream
• One Banana Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

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4 from 9 votes

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Double Chocolate Banana Bread ~ it seems more fitting to call this chocolatey concoction a cake than a bread, but whatever you call it, I defy you to find anything more tempting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Yield 10 servings

Equipment

• 9x5 loaf pan

Ingredients

dry ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

wet ingredients

• 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, at rrom temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 ounces dark chocolate chips (a heaping 1/2 cup)

topping

• 1 firm banana
• 1 Tbsp raw or demerara sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray or lightly butter. I like to line it with parchment paper with long ends so I can lift it out for easy slicing.
• Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
• cream the butter and sugar for about 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times to get all the sugar and butter incorporated.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Then blend in the mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Keep scraping down those sides! (The mixture may look curdled at this stage, but don't worry, it's fine.)
• Fold in the dry ingredients until just barely incorporated, and then fold in the chocolate chips, blending until everything is just mixed and there's no dry flour left...don't over beat.
• Spoon batter into your pan and even out. Slice the banana into 3 slices, lengthwise, and arrange on the top. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for about 65-75 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out without wet batter on it.
• Let the cake cool before slicing.

Notes

Recipe slightly adapted from Bon Appétit