Test Kitchen’s Favorite Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread Recipe

This Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread is a moist and classic recipe, which is made with overripe bananas and tangy buttermilk. It’s the ultimate comfort food recipe, a foolproof quick bread ready in about an hour and a half.

Test Kitchen’s Favorite Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread Ingredients

A classic combination for a perfectly moist and flavorful quick bread.

• 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 overripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ½ cups)
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• ⅓ cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

How To Make Test Kitchen’s Favorite Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread

A step-by-step guide to this wonderfully moist and easy-to-make bread.

1. Prep Oven, Pan, and Dry Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Brush a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter and dust it with flour, tapping out any excess. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and cinnamon for 30 seconds.
2. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, mashed bananas, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Mix the Batter: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the banana mixture into it. Stir with a spatula until the batter is mostly combined but a few dry streaks of flour remain.
4. Add Chocolate and Bake: Add the chocolate chips and continue stirring just until they are evenly distributed and no dry flour remains. Be careful not to overmix.
5. Bake and Cool: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Recipe Tips

For the most moist, flavorful banana bread every time.

• How do I get the most moist banana bread? Using very ripe, brown-spotted (or even black) bananas is the number one secret. They are much sweeter and provide more moisture. Using frozen and thawed bananas, as the recipe suggests, is a fantastic trick as the freezing process breaks down their cell walls, making them even mushier and more flavorful.
• Why use buttermilk? Buttermilk is a classic Southern baking ingredient that adds a wonderful, subtle tang to balance the sweetness. Its acidity also reacts with the baking soda to help the bread rise and become tender.
• How to prevent the bread from being tough? Be very careful not to overmix the batter once you add the flour. Mix only until the ingredients are just combined. A few lumps are perfectly okay. Over-mixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can result in a dense, tough bread.
• Can I make this into muffins? Yes, absolutely. This batter will make about 12-15 standard-sized muffins. Line a muffin tin with paper cases, fill them about two-thirds full, and bake at 375°F for about 20-25 minutes.

What To Serve With Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread

Simple accompaniments for this sweet and comforting loaf.

This delicious bread is a treat all on its own, but it’s especially wonderful:

• Served warm with a generous spread of salted butter
• Toasted for breakfast with a smear of peanut butter
• With a cup of hot coffee or a tall glass of cold milk
• As a dessert, topped with a scoop of vanilla or coffee ice cream

How To Store Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread

Keeping your loaf fresh and moist.

• Room Temperature: Once completely cooled, store the banana bread wrapped in parchment-lined foil or in an airtight container at room temperature. It will stay moist and delicious for up to three days.
• Freeze: This bread freezes beautifully. Let it cool completely, then wrap the whole loaf or individual slices tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. It can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature.

Test Kitchen’s Favorite Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread Nutrition Facts

An estimated guide per slice.

• Calories: 350 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 55 g
• Protein: 6 g
• Fat: 13 g

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Gluten-Free Peanut Butter-Banana Waffles Recipe
• Banana Whoopie Pies Recipe
• Bananas Foster Milkshake Recipe