This Chocolate Banana Bread is deliciously moist and the perfect healthy breakfast or snack to use up your spotty bananas. This quick bread recipe is easy to make with gluten-free flour, coconut sugar and bursting with a rich chocolate flavor. It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free.
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Healthy Double Chocolate Banana Bread
This healthy chocolate banana bread is easy to make and a delicious way to use up those spotty bananas on your counter.
It’s delicious rich, chocolatey and wonderfully moist and tender. Our family loves enjoying a tasty slice for breakfast, as a quick afternoon snack or even as a healthy dessert in place of a decadent chocolate cake. So flavorful and perfect if you’ve got a ton of ripe bananas to use up.
Recipe Ingredients
- Unsweetened almond milk: Or sub with preferred milk of choice.
- Apple cider vinegar: When combined with the almond milk will act as buttermilk to make the bread extra fluffy and moist.
- Bananas: You’ll need 3 ripe bananas. The spottier the better.
- Coconut sugar: Adds natural sweetness. You can sub with brown sugar or granulated brown sugar substitute of your choice such as golden monk fruit sweetener or brown swerve.
- Dairy-free butter: You can also sub with refined coconut oil or regular unsalted butter if not dairy-free.
- Vanilla extract
- Gluten-free flour: We like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free 1:1 Baking flour which replaces all purpose flour in many of our baked goods. You can also sub with finely ground gluten-free oat flour (Bob’s Red Mill).
- Cacao powder OR unsweetened cocao powder: Be sure to use a high quality brand for that extra rich chocolatey flavor
- Baking powder and baking soda: This combination of leaveners help the banana bread rise
- Dairy-free chocolate chunks or vegan mini chocolate chips – we like Hu’s Kitchen Gems or Lily’s Sweet Chocolate Chips. Leave out or swap in nuts if you don’t love chocolate and zucchini together.
How to Make Zucchini Bread
Be sure to read all the step-by-step instructions to see how easy this is to make!
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease an 8” or 9” loaf pan with cooking spray or oil and line with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang for easier removal.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl whisk together the milk and vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes, until the mixture curdles. Add in the mashed banana, sugar, melted butter (coconut oil) and vanilla, and mix until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cacao powder, baking powder and baking soda.
- Add the Dry Ingredients: Carefully add in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and stir / mix until the mixture is just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, being careful not to over mix.
- Assemble: Transfer the batter into the loaf pan, smoothing out the top and top with additional chocolate chips.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 65-78 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let Cool: Remove the loaf pan from the oven, and allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes. Use the parchment paper to remove the bread from the pan and cut into slices. Serve and enjoy.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Bread
- Let Bread Cool Before Slicing: If your bread hasn’t completely cooled before you slice it, it could be too crumbly. Let it cool before serving so it’s nice and firm.
- Use Very Ripe Bananas: This recipe calls for ripe bananas. The spottier the better for optimal sweetness and moisture.
Variations
Want to switch up this banana bread recipe?
- Fresh or Frozen Berries – we love adding blueberries to add some extra moisture and sweetness.
- Pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds or flaxseeds – add an additional crunch and bumps up the protein.
- Nuts. We love adding chopped walnuts or pecans
- Spread a dollop or a smear of nut butter or dairy-free cream cheese on a slice for a delicious afternoon snack or after-dinner dessert
Frequently Asked Questions
Can this chocolate chip banana bread be made into muffins?
Yes, to make chocolate banana muffins, simply divide the batter evenly into muffin pans. Or you can even divide the batter into mini loaf pans for mini bread loaves.
Storage and Freezer Instructions
How to store: You can store this bread by tightly wrapping it in plastic wrap or keeping it in an airtight container. It will stay fresh on the counter for up to 3 days. If you store it in the fridge, it will stay good for a few extra days!
How to freeze: If you want to freeze gluten free chocolate chip banana bread, we recommend wrapping it in a layer of aluminum foil followed by a layer of plastic wrap. It will stay good in the freezer for up to 2 months! When you’re ready to enjoy your frozen banana bread, just thaw it on the counter overnight before serving.
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This Chocolate Banana Bread is deliciously moist and the perfect healthy breakfast or snack to use up your spotty bananas. This quick bread recipe is easy to make with gluten-free flour, coconut sugar and bursting with a rich chocolate flavor. It's also gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free.
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk , or preferred milk of choice
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 large ripe bananas , mashed well (the spottier the better for optimal sweetness / moisture)
- 1 cup coconut sugar , or preferred granulated brown sugar of choice
- 1/3 cup dairy-free or regular unsalted butter or refined coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour , we recommend Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free 1:1 Baking flour or finely ground gluten-free oat flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1/3 cup cacao powder , or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ - ⅔ cup dairy-free chocolate chips , plus more for topping (you can also sub with preferred chocolate chips of choice if not dairy-free)
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease an 8” or 9” loaf pan with cooking spray or oil and line with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang for easier removal.
- In a large bowl whisk together the milk and vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes, until the mixture curdles. Add in the mashed banana, sugar, melted butter (coconut oil) and vanilla, and mix until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cacao powder, baking powder and baking soda.
- Carefully add in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and stir / mix until the mixture is just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, being careful not to over mix.
- Transfer the batter into the loaf pan, smoothing out the top and top with additional chocolate chips. Bake in the preheated oven for 65-78 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove the loaf pan from the oven, and allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes. Use the parchment paper to remove the bread from the pan and cut into slices. Serve and enjoy.
How to store:
You can store this bread by tightly wrapping it in plastic wrap or keeping it in an airtight container. It will stay fresh on the counter for up to 3 days. If you store it in the fridge, it will stay good for a few extra days.
How to freeze:
We recommend wrapping it in a layer of aluminum foil followed by a layer of plastic wrap. It will stay good in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you're ready to enjoy your frozen banana bread, just thaw it on the counter overnight before serving.
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