Double Chocolate Banana Bread is the ultimate pairing of chocolate and banana ~ so rich I could have called it a cake. But whatever you want to call it, I defy you to find anything more tempting.
skip the coffee shop this and make double chocolate banana bread!
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 🙂
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 ~ this is cocoa powder that has been Dutched or alkalized to reduce bitterness. It has a darker color, and a smoother flavor than regular cocoa powders.
- sour cream
- dark or bittersweet chocolate chips
- light brown sugar
- plus all the usual suspects; flour, baking powder and baking soda, salt, butter, eggs, and vanilla.
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.
- To slice the banana lengthwise, steady the banana with your hand and carefully slice from tip to tip with a small sharp knife. Flip the banana over so the cut side is down and slice again, so you have 3 slices.
- Make sure to have a spare banana handy, just in case things don’t go well 😉
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. If you prefer a lighter chocolate you can use regular cocoa 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
- One Banana Banana Bread!
- My Favorite Banana Blondies
- Better than Starbucks Banana Walnut Bread
- Banana Cake with Spiced Vanilla Buttercream
- One Banana Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Equipment
- 9×5 loaf pan
Ingredients
dry ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup dark 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 9×5 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.
I love this recipe but my niece is dairy restricted. Do you think I could use coconut oil instead of butter and some non dairy yogurt or the like ?
That should work, but since I haven’t tried it I can’t say for sure, sorry Alici. It’s definitely worth an experiment.
I made this 3 times and I love it. The first 2 times my roommate ate my extra banana so I had to omit the banana on top. Tonight I put it on by in the finished product they had sunk into the bread. Any suggestions?
Not sure what you’re asking Lois…I think you’re saying that you added the banana slices on top and they sunk? I would make sure the slices are thin, not just a banana sliced in half.
Hi there. Can i know roughly the weight of bananas in gram as i usually get different size bananas in my place. Thanks.
A medium banana is about 120 grams.
I am just baking this cake at the moment and wondered if it freezes once cooked ( there is only my husband and myself in the house and I don’t want to be a piggy!)
My fifth star may come once I get to taste it!!!
Yes, you can definitely freeze this Janette. Let it cool completely, then wrap in plastic, and then again in foil.
I recently made this delicious chocolate banana bread – I won’t call it “Double” because I skipped the chocolate chips, but, did use Dutch processed cocoa. It was wonderful.
The finished loaf looked so impressive – a the roasted banana was an added bonus!
In the normal run of things I am not a Banana Cake fan BUT this looks YUMMO. It’s definitely a must try – all that lovely dark chocolate, I can almost taste it and the Banana on top must go all caramelly with the sugar sprinkled on it. Oh my goodness Sue!! :))
Can I count you as a convert then, Mary??
Definitely looks that way, doesn’t it?? :))
Yum, yum, this looks wonderful Sue! I love the dark black chocolate and the bananas on top are so pretty. Perfect treat to savor with a cup of tea. Pinned!
In your notes you said to use a combination of regular cocoa powder and Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. The recipe only calls for 1/3 cup, so you just would use a few spoonfuls of each cocoa powder. Are the measurements correct?
Yes, you can use regular unsweetened cocoa powder, or Hershey’s Special Dark, or a combo if you don’t want it quite so ‘black’.