The Best Healthy Double Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe

Quick breads are simple to make, delicious to eat, and so completely versatile. You don’t need to knead them, they don’t use any yeast, and you don’t have to wait for them to rise like you do with yeasted wheat breads. You can make them sweet or savory (beer bread can be made as a quick bread!) and eat them just about any time of day. Lemon poppyseed, zucchini, and pumpkin are all delicious (and classic) quick breads, but perhaps everyone’s favorite? Banana. My double chocolate banana bread recipe gives the classic version a chocolatey yet healthy upgrade.

It’s gluten-free, sweetened naturally with bananas (of course) and coconut sugar, and dairy-free, making it suitable for those with gluten and dairy dietary restrictions.

Whether you’re actively on the lookout for a new banana bread recipe or just like having a sweet snack around, this chocolate banana bread is moist, rich chocolatey perfection, not to mention nutritious—though no one else would ever be able to tell. Great with a cup of coffee in the morning or for dessert in the evening, this chocolate chip banana bread is the best banana bread to make all winter long.

This Easy Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe Is:

1. Sweetened Naturally: While you can, of course, use brown sugar in this recipe, it calls for coconut sugar, making white sugar unnecessary. The other big sweetener in this recipe? The bananas themselves, of course!
2. Gluten-Free: This recipe calls for gluten-free all-purpose flour, but you can use regular all-purpose flour if you don’t follow a gluten-free diet or aren’t baking for people with dietary restrictions.
3. Dairy-Free: This banana bread recipe is super easy to make dairy-free because it already uses coconut oil or avocado oil instead of butter. Just make sure to use a plant-based milk like coconut milk, oat milk, or almond milk, and dairy-free chocolate chips (many contain milk, so make sure to read the ingredient label!).
4. Chocolatey and Delicious: Studded with dairy-free chocolate chips and packed with rich cocoa, this banana bread is an indulgent twist on the classic recipe.

Here’s What You’ll Need to Make the Recipe

• Bananas: It probably comes as no surprise that you’ll need bananas for a banana bread recipe! Make sure you’re using overripe bananas so they’ll add plenty of sweetness, moisture, and extra banana flavor to your loaf.
• Coconut Oil or Avocado Oil: These oils help keep your batter dairy-free and add moisture and tenderness to the crumb of your bread. Coconut oil will add a bit of coconut flavor. Avocado oil shouldn’t add much flavor at all.
• Your Preferred Milk: You can use just about any kind of milk in this recipe: Oat milk, coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk, even dairy milk would be just fine. The milk brings your batter together.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Vinegar works with the baking soda to help the quick bread rise without the addition of yeast.
• Cocoa Powder: Rich and chocolatey, unsweetened cocoa powder is maybe the second most important ingredient—after the bananas. It will give every slice a deep chocolate flavor.
• Chocolate Chips: To make the recipe dairy-free, you’ll need to use dairy-free chocolate chips. If you’re not concerned with keeping things dairy-free, you can use whichever brand of chocolate chips you like best. They add further sweetness and chocolate flavor to the bread.

Ingredients

• 4 very ripe bananas (about 2 cups of mashed banana)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted (or avocado oil)
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons milk (you can use whichever type you like best)
• ¾ cup coconut sugar (or light brown sugar)
• 1 ¾ cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour (or regular all-purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup dairy-free chocolate chips (or whichever chocolate chips you like best)

Instructions

1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×4 or 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick baking spray and line with parchment paper.
2. Mash or Blend the Bananas: Mash your bananas or blend them in a blender or food processor until they’re smooth. You need about 2 cups of banana total. 
3. Mix the Wet Ingredients: Add the mashed bananas, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, oil, milk, and coconut sugar to a large bowl. Whisk or stir until well combined.
4. Sift the Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt into the banana mixture. Gently whisk or fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Be careful not to overmix, as that will make the bread tough.
5. Add the Chocolate Chips: Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the batter and gently stir to fold them into the batter.
6. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the leftover 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips over the top. Bake the banana bread in the preheated oven for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Once it’s cool, slice and serve.

Tips & Tricks

• Make sure the bananas are extra ripe: You want to make sure any bananas you’re using for banana bread are super ripe because those will make your bread sweeter and more delicious. Brown bananas are perfect for banana bread!
• Don’t mix too much: Make sure you don’t overmix your banana bread batter when you add in the dry ingredients. Doing so can make the bread denser and tough, and that’s the opposite of what you want.
• Store it right to keep it fresh: Store your chocolate banana bread in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days or wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in an airtight container or freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Nuts and nut butter: If you can tolerate nuts, consider adding about ½ cup of chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts for extra flavor, crunch, and healthy fats or swirl in a little creamy peanut butter or almond butter.
• Topping: Sprinkle some toasted pumpkin seeds on top or add a streusel topping.
• Swap the oil: Use olive oil for a banana bread that’s more like an olive oil cake (know that the flavor will come through though).
• Make it plant-based: Make your banana bread plant-based by using non-dairy milk and vegan chocolate chips.
• Mix-ins: Want to switch things up a bit? Try mixing in some shredded coconut if you can eat it, candied ginger, espresso powder (for rich flavor), peanut butter chips, or even some dried cherries.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can I make this chocolate banana bread dairy-free?

It’s simple! You just need to make sure you’re using dairy-free chocolate chips and plant-based milk. If you’re using a gluten-free flour blend, make sure to check the ingredients list in case there are any dairy products on the list. If you’re using wheat flour, you should be good to go.

Does healthy chocolate banana bread freeze well?

It sure does! Make sure you let your chocolate banana bread cool all the way before wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil and placing it in an airtight container or freezer bag. Then, freeze for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat, thaw it in the fridge, then slice and serve. You can treat this chocolate banana bread like a cake and serve it with a dollop of coconut whipped cream if you’d like.

How should I store my chocolate banana bread to ensure it stays fresh?

Once your banana bread is completely cooled, you can transfer it to an airtight container and store it on the counter at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the fridge for a little longer. You can also freeze it for up to two months—just make sure you’ve prepped it properly so it doesn’t get freezer burn.

This healthier (but still chocolatey) Chocolate banana bread is a total crowd-pleaser (and a chocolate lover’s dream). Whether you’re making it for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or a sweet treat to end the evening, the whole family is going to love it.