This easy recipe for Chocolate Banana Bread makes a tender, moist, and delicious quick bread that no one will guess is gluten free and dairy free. It’s a sweet and tasty bread, full of banana and chocolate flavor, that’s great for breakfast or dessert.
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It seems like no matter how fast we use up our bananas, there’s always a few that get too ripe to eat on cereal or add to smoothies. When that happens, I know it’s time to get baking.
Today, I’m sharing a recipe that combines ripe bananas and chocolate in a terrific banana bread. The unsweetened cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips add a double chocolate flavor that enhances the subtle sweetness of the bananas in this gluten free bread.
Now if you’re a banana bread purist, you’ll want to check out my tried-and-true gluten free banana bread recipe. There’s no trace of chocolate, just pure banana flavor.
One of the great things about this recipe is it’s a quick bread. A quick bread doesn’t require working with temperamental yeast or waiting for dough to rise. And the tasty results far outweigh the effort to make the bread.
If you enjoy quick breads as much as we do, check out my other gluten free quick bread recipes.
Why this Recipe Works
- The cocoa powder, butter, brown sugar, and vanilla add layers of flavor that blend perfectly with the bananas.
- Using both butter and oil gives the bread flavor and moisture.
- The combination of cocoa powder and chocolate chips adds double chocolate goodness to this banana bread.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Gluten free flour blend - I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour to make this banana bread. If you don’t have a problem with gluten, you can use all-purpose flour.
- Cocoa - Unsweetened cocoa powder. I use Hershey’s cocoa powder.
- Baking soda - The baking soda gives lift to the bread. Be sure to check the expiration date on the box to make sure your baking soda is fresh.
- Salt - Table salt.
- Bananas - Use very ripe bananas to give sweetness to the bread.
- Butter - I use non-dairy butter to keep this recipe dairy free. If dairy isn’t a problem for you, use regular butter.
- Oil - I use vegetable oil, but canola oil will also work.
- Brown sugar - I use golden brown sugar, but light or dark brown sugar will work as well.
- Egg - A large egg at room temperature.
- Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract.
- Chocolate chips - Using mini semi-sweet chocolate chips means every bite is filled with chocolate, but regular sized chips will also work. I use Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chips. Their gluten free chocolate chips are also dairy free.
How to Make Chocolate Banana Bread
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir together the mashed bananas, melted butter, and oil.
- Stir in the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until completely combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Fold in ½ cup of chocolate chips to the batter, then transfer to a greased and lined loaf pan.
- Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top of the batter.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until a wooden pick comes out almost clean.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Step By Step Instructions
(For ingredient amounts see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
Grease, or spray with nonstick cooking spray, the bottom and sides of a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Line the pan with parchment paper so the paper overhangs the long sides of the pan.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour blend, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, melted butter, and oil until combined.
Stir in the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until completely combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
Fold ½ cup of the mini chocolate chips into the banana bread batter.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top of the batter.
Bake at 350° F for 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the middle comes out almost clean. You may have some melted chocolate from the chips, but you don't want wet batter on the pick.
Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use the parchment paper to lift the bread out of the pan and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.
Slice, serve, and enjoy!
More Gluten Free Banana Recipes
- Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Banana Bread
- Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
- Banana Blueberry Bread
Gluten Free Flour Blend
Make sure to use a good quality all-purpose gluten free flour when making this banana bread. I use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 which contains xanthan gum.
Xanthan gum helps to hold baked goods together. In traditional baking, gluten in all-purpose flour acts as the binding agent for the baked good. Gluten free baking requires a replacement for the binding agent and that’s where xanthan gum comes in.
Your results may vary depending on the gluten free flour you use. I haven’t tried using almond flour or coconut flour with this recipe.
Remember to use the “spoon and level” method when measuring your gluten free flour. Simply use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and then use the back of a table knife to level off the top. Using the measuring cup to scoop the flour directly from the canister or bag can give you more flour than needed in the recipe.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
- Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour blend for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain it, try adding ¼ teaspoon to the recipe. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which contains xanthan gum.
- Grease the sides and bottom of the loaf pan, then line with parchment paper so the paper overhangs the long edges of the pan. Doing this will make it easy to remove the loaf from the pan without touching the melted chocolate chips on top.
- Be sure to check the bread, with a cake tester or wooden pick, prior to removing it from the oven. Test the bread in the middle of the loaf to ensure the thickest part of the bread is done.
Over mixing the batter can leave the bread dry and crumbly. When adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stir until just combined.
Also, overbaking can dry out the bread and leave it crumbly. All ovens are different, so check the bread at the 55-minute mark to avoid overbaking.
This gluten free, dairy free, bread will last for 2 to 3 days, at room temperature, if stored in an airtight container or zip top bag.
Yes. This quick bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. Tightly wrap the bread in plastic wrap and then in foil before placing in the freezer.
I like to slice the bread first before freezing. I wrap 2 slices of bread per package. This way I don’t have to thaw the entire loaf, if I only need a couple of slices.
Defrost the frozen bread overnight on the counter, or microwave individual slices of bread for a few seconds on medium power.
If you love chocolate and bananas, give this easy gluten free quick bread a try. It’s a rich and chocolaty banana bread that’s great for breakfast, dessert, or any time you want something sweet.
More Gluten Free Quick Bread Recipes to Try!
- Zucchini Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Bread
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
- Peanut Butter Banana Bread
- Cinnamon Bread
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, don't forget to leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I really enjoy hearing from you!
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Recipe
Chocolate Banana Bread (gluten free, dairy free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free flour blend
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large bananas)
- ¼ cup dairy free butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- ¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Line with parchment paper so the paper overhangs the long sides of the pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour blend, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, melted butter, and oil until combined. Add the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla and stir until completely combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Fold in ½ cup of the mini chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the middle comes out almost clean. You may have some melted chocolate from the chips, but you don't want wet batter on the pick.
- Cool bread in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use the parchment paper to lift the bread out of the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour blend for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain it, try adding ¼ teaspoon to the recipe. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which contains xanthan gum.
- Grease the sides and bottom of the loaf pan, then line with parchment paper so the paper overhangs the long edges of the pan. Doing this will make it easy to remove the loaf from the pan without touching the melted chocolate chips on top.
- Be sure to check the bread, with a cake tester or wooden pick, prior to removing it from the oven. Test the bread in the middle of the loaf to ensure the thickest part of the bread is done.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information provided is an estimate and will vary based on products and brands you use. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the ingredients you are using with your preferred nutrition calculator.
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