Ultimate Chocolate Banana Bread
This ultimate chocolate banana bread is the perfect balance of chocolate and banana. Every bite is a slice of heaven! So moist and soft and slightly gooey from all the chocolate chips scattered throughout the bread.
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe bananas
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup no sugar added applesauce
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips, divided
- sea salt for sprinkling on top
- non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350℉ and prepare a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray
- In a large mixing bowl mash bananas until smooth. Stir in lemon juice. (you will still have some chunks of banana)
- To bananas add butter, applesauce, sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Whisk until well combined.
- Add flour, cocoa powder and baking soda. Fold gently into wet mixture until almost combined and add 3/4 cup of chocolate chips. Fold in chips until mixture just comes together. You don't want to overmix.
- Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan, top with the remaining chocolate chips and sprinkle a little sea salt over the top.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until top is set and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Reducing calories- If you want to reduce the calories even more per slice, use applesauce in place of the butter, and reduce the chocolate chips down by 1/4 cup; 3/4 cups total.
You can also slice loaf into 10 slices bringing the calories per slice down to 280.
Add-ins-
- 1/4 cup of your favorite nuts, chopped fine. Toasted nuts give it more flavor.
- Cinnamon goes well with chocolate. Add 1-2 teaspoons with flour mixture.
- Dried fruit like cherries and apricots add a little tartness with the sweetness.