Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Recipe

Are you craving something sweet and comforting? There is nothing quite like the smell of sweet banana bread baking in your oven. This Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread recipe combines the perfect blend of sweet, ripe bananas and rich, melty chocolate chunks, creating a decadent treat to go with your coffee, tea, or a tall glass of milk.

This banana bread is crisp on the outside and moist and spongy on the inside. Paired with oversized chunks of chocolate it becomes irresistible!

Chocolate Chunk vs. Chocolate Chips

Chocolate chunks are larger than chocolate chips (also known as chocolate morsels) and are rectangular in shape. While you can use chocolate chips in this recipe, we highly recommend using chocolate chunks. The larger, squarish pieces that melt beautifully and create pockets of rich, gooey chocolate throughout the banana bread. You can even get creative by mixing in a variety of different types of chocolate shapes and flavors — chunks, chips, disks, in dark, milk, or even white chocolate!

Tips for Perfect Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread:

Don’t Overmix: When combining the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, stir until just incorporated. Overmixing can cause the banana bread to become dense and tough by activating the gluten.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Allow your eggs and butter come to room temperature for a smoother batter that bakes evenly.
Have Patience: Every oven is different, so make sure to check the banana bread with a toothpick after 50 minutes of baking. For most ovens, this recipe will take about 1 hour to fully bake. If the toothpick comes out mostly clean, with a few moist crumbs, it’s done!
Use the Right Sized Pan: Use a 9 x 5 inch Loaf Baking Pan. A smaller pan will spill over the top and be uncooked inside. A larger one will produce a drier bread. 9 x 5 is the sweet spot of sizes for this recipe.

The ingredients you’ll need for the chocolate chunk banana bread recipe

2 bananas
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup ( 1 stick) butter, melted, plus extra to coat a 5 x 9 inch loaf baking Pan
1 tablespoon light olive oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons dark rum or imitation rum
2 cups flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
6 to 8 ounces of chocolate chunks (Semi-sweet or dark)
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar)

How to make Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

In a large bowl, mash the bananas until smooth using a fork.
Stir in the sugars.
Add the melted butter and oil.
Mix in the eggs, one by one.
Pour in the orange juice, butter milk, vanilla extract, and rum.
Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir until smooth. Don’t over mix as this can toughen the dough.
Last, stir in the chocolate chunks.
Pour in buttered 5 x 9 inch loaf baking dish. Make sure it’s not the smaller pan, it will affect the baking time.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the banana bread comes out clean.
Allow the bread to cool before taking it out of the pan.

As you can see, the bread has risen nicely in the pan.

Using a sieve, sprinkle the powdered sugar on top.

Serve warm with a generous dollop of whipped cream on the side. Add a little extra powdered sugar if desired.

If chocolate and breakfast are a combination you love, then you have to try my Chocolate Chip Pancakes.