Chocolate Sour Cream Banana Bread
This super moist double chocolate sour cream banana bread recipe is an easy one-bowl recipe. Bake in regular or mini loaf pans!
This is the best chocolate banana bread ever! The crumb is soft and tender, the flavor ultra-chocolatey, and the bread is so easy to make.
Why This Recipe Works
This unbelievably yummy chocolate banana bread has its roots in one of the most popular banana bread recipes on the internet: this sour cream banana bread.
The chocolate version is a winner for many reasons:
- The batter comes together in one bowl without the need for any fussy ingredients.
- The bread gets a double dose of chocolate – cocoa powder in the batter and chocolate chips also in the batter and sprinkled on top.
- The baked bread is perfectly sweet and wonderfully moist and tender.
- The bread can be baked in one large loaf pan or three miniature loaf pans.
- The flavor gets better with time. It’s really good sliced warm…but even better after it cools and has time to sit for a bit (it’s delicious even the next day!).
Ingredients Notes
- Mashed bananas: You’ll need about 3 to 4 medium bananas for this recipe. Use bananas that are speckled for the sweetest, best banana flavor.
- Granulated sugar
- Oil: Use a neutral-flavored oil, like vegetable, canola, grapeseed, or avocado oil. You can experiment with melted coconut oil or butter.
- Eggs: Two large eggs are used in this recipe. Preferably, use room temperature eggs (although it isn’t a deal breaker).
- Sour cream: For best results, use full-fat sour cream.
- All-purpose flour: I always use unbleached all-purpose flour. This recipe is adaptable to using part whole wheat flour – I recommend using a white/soft wheat variety for best results.
- Cocoa powder: It’s best to use natural, unsweetened cocoa powder. If using Dutch-process cocoa powder, reduce the baking soda to 1/4 teaspoon and add 1 teaspoon baking powder.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Chocolate chips: I prefer using semisweet chocolate chips. Part of the chocolate chips are stirred into the batter and the remaining chocolate chips are sprinkled over the top of the banana bread before baking.
A Few Additional Tips
- This batter can easily be doubled for two loaves.
- To bake in mini loaf pans, split the batter among three miniature loaf pans (5.75X3-inches). Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, adding additional time, if needed.
- I normally don’t take the time to sift dry ingredients, but in this quick bread recipe, I find it’s important so that the flour and cocoa powder are incorporated into the batter without over mixing. I use a fine mesh strainer {aff. link}, place it over the bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and sift from there right into the batter.
I’ve been turning to this recipe every time I have bananas ripening for destruction on the counter recently. Of course, no one in my family is complaining! You’d probably be shocked to see how quickly we can devour this loaf.
If you’ve been wanting a great recipe for chocolate banana bread, I hope you’ll try this one! The sour cream in the batter – along with just the right amount of chocolate – makes this the most delicious chocolate banana bread I’ve ever had.
Chocolate Sour Cream Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ to 1 ⅓ cups (302 to 325 g) mashed bananas, about 3 to 4 medium bananas
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) neutral-flavored oil
- 2 large (100 g) eggs
- ½ cup (123 g) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (142 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (43 g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and lightly flour a 9X5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment and lightly grease.
- In a large bowl, add the mashed bananas, sugar, oil, eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract. Whisk together until evenly and well combined.
- Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add 2/3 cup chocolate chips. Stir until no dry streaks remain. Don't over mix the batter.
- Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chips on top of the batter.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the top of the bread springs back lightly to the touch and a toothpick or thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Add additional time, as needed.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a cooling rack. This bread is tasty sliced warm with those melty chocolate chips, but the flavor gets even better after it cools completely.
Notes
Mini Loaf Pans: The batter can be split among three miniature loaf pans (5.75X3-inches). Baking temperature is the same. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes; add additional time, if needed.
Sifting Ingredients: I normally don’t take the time to sift dry ingredients, but in this quick bread recipe, I find it’s important so that the flour and cocoa powder are incorporated into the batter without over mixing. I use a fine mesh strainer, place it over the bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and sift from there right into the batter.
Serving: 1 slice, Calories: 381kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 44mg, Sodium: 245mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 34g
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (adapted from this super popular sour cream banana bread recipe)
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