Getting that first slice when the warm loaf comes out of the oven..SO GOOD! It is hard to resist a second slice… My family loves banana bread, zucchini bread, or rather any type of baked bread. So I keep trying variations such as this Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Bread or Chocolate Zucchini Bread that I had shared recently. These breads are easy to make with ingredients you might have at home. Vary the addition to the bread such as mango, raspberry, blueberry, pumpkin, etc.
Healthy Whole Wheat Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe
While I like having both walnuts and chocolate chips in my banana bread, my daughter loves an excess of chocolate chips in hers. This gave me the idea to come up with a recipe for a clean-eating-friendly Banana Bread, with double the chocolate. It’s hard to believe that such a sweet, chocolate filled banana bread could be so healthy! This recipe uses whole wheat flour, maple syrup, and avocado oil, which all add to the nutritional value of this bread. Serve this bread at breakfast, as a snack, or as dessert! To make this banana bread, it is important that your bananas are ripe and have brown spots all over. The browner they are, the better it is as they will add to the extra flavor of the recipe. I use white whole wheat flour in this recipe, which works great as a substitute for all-purpose flour in most baking recipes.
How to make Double Chocolate Banana Bread?
All you need is one loaf pan, two bowls and an oven!
Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease a 9×5 loaf pan. If you’d prefer, you can use parchment paper to line the loaf pan instead. In a bowl, mash the banana. The smoother the consistency, the smoother the bread’s consistency. Add all the wet ingredients into the bowl with bananas – yogurt, oil, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix till everything is well incorporated. In a separate bowl, add all the dry ingredients, and mix. Fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients with a spatula. Be careful to not over mix here! Add in most of the chocolate chips; save some to put on top of the bread after you pour it in the pan.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and evenly spread the rest of the chocolate chips on top. It’s already looking delicious! Bake for 40-45 minutes; use a toothpick to test whether the bread is done inside. Then remove from the oven, let it cool, slice, and enjoy the warm, chocolate-y goodness!
Tips to make Moist Chocolate Banana Bread
Make sure your bananas are ripe when making this recipe because brown bananas are sweeter than the green ones. Mash the bananas well if you want a smooth and moist banana bread, or you can leave them a bit chunky too. You can use agave syrup in place of maple syrup. It is best to have all the ingredients be at room temperature before you start mixing. Once you have added the dry ingredients, do not mix too much. Just fold in the flour gently. I have used semi-sweet mini chocolate chips for this banana bread recipe, but you can use normal sized chocolate chips as well. To keep your banana bread moist, wrap it in a plastic wrap and store it on your kitchen counter or in the refrigerator.
How to store Banana Bread?
If you are going to enjoy the banana bread over 2-3 days, you can keep it in plastic wrap or an airtight container on the counter. This is the most realistic option, since it will probably be devoured as soon as it is ready to eat!
Can you freeze Banana Bread?
Yes! Banana Bread can stay frozen for up to 3 months. Store the whole loaf, or cut it into slices before freezing in a Ziploc bag or freezer wrap. When it’s time to enjoy the bread, take it out and let it come to room temperature before eating. You can also pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds to get that oven-fresh taste. Banana bread is a favorite in my household, so I have come up with quite a few variations! If you enjoy this one, be sure to check out my recipes for Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, Banana Bread Pudding, and classic One-Bowl Banana Bread. I hope you enjoy this sweet treat! Happy cooking!
