Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
A soft, buttery banana loaf with chocolate chips folded through the crumb and a generous scattering baked into the top. Makes 10 substantial slices for snacking and sharing. Batch yield: 1 loaf baked in a 23 × 13 × 7 cm tin, approximately 1 kg after cooling, cut into 10 slices. One serving: 1 slice, approximately 100 g after baking and cooling. Allow approximately 4 hours 10 minutes overall: 45 minutes for butter softening, 20 minutes of active preparation and slicing, 65 minutes of oven time, and 120 minutes of cooling. Prep_minutes includes all 185 non-oven minutes, including softening and complete cooling. Oven preheating overlaps the butter-softening period and is not counted again. There is one loaf and one oven batch, with no chilling or frosting. Baking may take 60–70 minutes; allow additional softening or cooling time if needed. Appliances: Oven; Electric hand mixer. Equipment: 23 × 13 × 7 cm loaf tin; Baking parchment; Kitchen scales; Measuring spoon; Large mixing bowl; Medium mixing bowl; Bowl for mashing bananas; Fork; Whisk; Flexible spatula; Skewer; Wire cooling rack; Serrated knife; Chopping board; Foil, if needed to protect the loaf top. Allergens: Contains wheat, milk and eggs. Chocolate chips may contain soy lecithin, so soy is a possible product allergen. Check the chocolate packaging for its ingredients and cross-contact warnings. Nutrition is estimated per one-tenth of the loaf and varies with the chocolate used. Storage: Cool completely before wrapping or sealing. Keep airtight at cool room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freeze individually wrapped slices in a sealed freezer container for up to 3 months. Thaw slices, still wrapped, at room temperature for 1–2 hours.
185 min
Prep
65 min
Cook
10
Serves
334
Calories
Macros · per serving
5g protein
46g carbs
15g fat
Ingredients
For 10 servings
- 115 g Unsalted butter
- 125 g Light brown sugar
- 2 Large eggs
- 330 g Very ripe banana flesh, peeled
- 5 ml Vanilla extract
- 220 g Plain flour
- 4 g Baking powder
- 3 g Bicarbonate of soda
- 3 g Fine salt
- 150 g Semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- 1
Cut the butter into small cubes and leave at room temperature for about 45 minutes, until soft enough to indent easily but not melted. Set the eggs out alongside it. During the final 15 minutes of softening, preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F conventional or 155°C/310°F fan, with a shelf in the middle.
- 2
Line the base and sides of a 23 × 13 × 7 cm loaf tin with baking parchment, leaving enough overhang on the long sides to lift out the loaf. Mash the 330 g banana flesh thoroughly with a fork; a few small lumps are fine.
- 3
Whisk the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together in a separate bowl.
- 4
Using an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter and brown sugar in a large bowl for 2–3 minutes, until lighter and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions. Briefly beat in the mashed banana and vanilla. The mixture may look slightly curdled.
- 5
Using a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the banana mixture in two additions. Add 110 g of the chocolate chips with the second addition and fold just until no dry flour remains. Do not beat the batter smooth.
- 6
Scrape all the batter into the lined tin and level the surface. Scatter the remaining 40 g chocolate chips evenly over the top and press them very lightly into the surface.
- 7
Bake for about 65 minutes, checking from 60 minutes; some ovens may need up to 70 minutes. The loaf should be risen and golden, with a set centre. A skewer inserted into the centre should emerge with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If you hit melted chocolate, test another central spot. If the top is becoming too dark after about 45 minutes, loosely cover it with foil and continue baking.
- 8
Leave the loaf in its tin for 15 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment. Remove the parchment and place the loaf on a wire rack for about 105 minutes more, until completely cool, including the centre. Allow longer if it still feels warm.
- 9
Cut the fully cooled loaf into 10 equal slices. The cooled loaf should weigh approximately 1 kg after baking moisture loss, giving slices of about 100 g each.
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