Chocolate Sour Cream Banana Bread
This super moist double chocolate sour cream banana bread recipe is an easy one-bowl recipe. Bake in regular or mini loaf pans!
This is the best chocolate banana bread ever! The crumb is soft and tender, the flavor ultra-chocolatey, and the bread is so easy to make.
Why This Recipe Works
This unbelievably yummy chocolate banana bread has its roots in one of the most popular banana bread recipes on the internet: this sour cream banana bread.
The chocolate version is a winner for many reasons:
- The batter comes together in one bowl without the need for any fussy ingredients.
- The bread gets a double dose of chocolate – cocoa powder in the batter and chocolate chips also in the batter and sprinkled on top.
- The baked bread is perfectly sweet and wonderfully moist and tender.
- The bread can be baked in one large loaf pan or three miniature loaf pans.
- The flavor gets better with time. It’s really good sliced warm…but even better after it cools and has time to sit for a bit (it’s delicious even the next day!).
Ingredients Notes
- Mashed bananas: You’ll need about 3 to 4 medium bananas for this recipe. Use bananas that are speckled for the sweetest, best banana flavor.
- Granulated sugar
- Oil: Use a neutral-flavored oil, like vegetable, canola, grapeseed, or avocado oil. You can experiment with melted coconut oil or butter.
- Eggs: Two large eggs are used in this recipe. Preferably, use room temperature eggs (although it isn’t a deal breaker).
- Sour cream: For best results, use full-fat sour cream.
- All-purpose flour: I always use unbleached all-purpose flour. This recipe is adaptable to using part whole wheat flour – I recommend using a white/soft wheat variety for best results.
- Cocoa powder: It’s best to use natural, unsweetened cocoa powder. If using Dutch-process cocoa powder, reduce the baking soda to 1/4 teaspoon and add 1 teaspoon baking powder.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Chocolate chips: I prefer using semisweet chocolate chips. Part of the chocolate chips are stirred into the batter and the remaining chocolate chips are sprinkled over the top of the banana bread before baking.
A Few Additional Tips
- This batter can easily be doubled for two loaves.
- To bake in mini loaf pans, split the batter among three miniature loaf pans (5.75X3-inches). Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, adding additional time, if needed.
- I normally don’t take the time to sift dry ingredients, but in this quick bread recipe, I find it’s important so that the flour and cocoa powder are incorporated into the batter without over mixing. I use a fine mesh strainer {aff. link}, place it over the bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and sift from there right into the batter.
I’ve been turning to this recipe every time I have bananas ripening for destruction on the counter recently. Of course, no one in my family is complaining! You’d probably be shocked to see how quickly we can devour this loaf.
If you’ve been wanting a great recipe for chocolate banana bread, I hope you’ll try this one! The sour cream in the batter – along with just the right amount of chocolate – makes this the most delicious chocolate banana bread I’ve ever had.
Chocolate Sour Cream Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ to 1 ⅓ cups (302 to 325 g) mashed bananas, about 3 to 4 medium bananas
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) neutral-flavored oil
- 2 large (100 g) eggs
- ½ cup (123 g) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (142 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (43 g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and lightly flour a 9X5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment and lightly grease.
- In a large bowl, add the mashed bananas, sugar, oil, eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract. Whisk together until evenly and well combined.
- Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add 2/3 cup chocolate chips. Stir until no dry streaks remain. Don't over mix the batter.
- Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chips on top of the batter.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the top of the bread springs back lightly to the touch and a toothpick or thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Add additional time, as needed.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a cooling rack. This bread is tasty sliced warm with those melty chocolate chips, but the flavor gets even better after it cools completely.
Notes
Mini Loaf Pans: The batter can be split among three miniature loaf pans (5.75X3-inches). Baking temperature is the same. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes; add additional time, if needed.
Sifting Ingredients: I normally don’t take the time to sift dry ingredients, but in this quick bread recipe, I find it’s important so that the flour and cocoa powder are incorporated into the batter without over mixing. I use a fine mesh strainer, place it over the bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and sift from there right into the batter.
Serving: 1 slice, Calories: 381kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 44mg, Sodium: 245mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 34g
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (adapted from this super popular sour cream banana bread recipe)
Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Delicious and easy! Will make this again.
Delicious and so moist! I cut the sugar down to 2/3 cup, used whole wheat flour, and added walnuts. I’m not sure there will be any left by the time my family gets home 😉
Thanks for the review and including how you changed it up, Ann!
I made a double batch and it was absolutely demolished (meaning eaten quickly by the family ). The chocolate chips on the top were a perfect touch! Will definitely make again.
Thanks for taking the time to let me know this was a hit, Robyn!!
This bread is delicious and worth every calorie! Thank you, Mel. Really good.
Cindy, Parkville, MO
Very happy you loved it, Cindy!
A. MAZ. ING!! I can’t even describe how good this is! So tender and chocolaty! Might be my new go-to for using our brown bananas.
Thrilled you liked this so much, Vicky!
I’m so excited I had a caregiving client with many ripe bananas giving me the opportunity to make this scrumptious recipe today. It’s perfectly delicious. I barely let it cool and couldn’t resist cutting us a little piece. My 93 year old client loves it. So do I. His delight is having something like this to put vanilla ice cream on every night. He is looking forward to his snack of ice cream and chocolate banana bread tonight thanks to this awesome recipe! You did it again Mel! Thanks
Oh, that’s so fun to hear!
I would choose this over a slice of chocolate cake! Sooo good
Agreed! Glad you enjoyed it!
Amazing recipe! My boys loved this after school!
I made this with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream because that’s all I had on hand. I also added 1/4 cup less sugar than called for and think I could do just 1/2 a cup! Totally sweet enough. I made these in small loaf pans and had enough batter for four small pans.
Thanks for including your adaptations, Rikki!
I too had some bananas ripening for destruction. Subbed yogurt for sour cream, used KA gluten free flour, omitted the chocolate chips (bc teenage “mice” got into my stash in the pantry). Made 18 muffins. Baked for 16 minutes. Hopefully there are some left when the kids get home from their last day of school. 😉
Oh my gosh, dying at the “teenage mice” – haha. Thanks for the report back and thrilled it worked out well gluten free!
Yum, we devoured this! I will be buying bananas just for this.
Even the banana haters in the family happily went back for more! Day 2 post-baking here with still great flavor & texture. Thanks, Mel!
Awesome!
Got this in my email and it was motivating! I used three large bananas and did a small loaf and 12 muffins. I made it as is and it was easy and delish!
Thanks for the report back! Really glad it worked out as muffins and a mini loaf.
We had ripe bananas– I threw this together in only 10 minutes and it is absolutely delicious. I used full fat Greek Yogurt in place of the sour cream. My daughter said, “so it’s healthy now.” Ha! My family of 5 has already eaten half the loaf, and it came out of the oven less than an hour ago. Another win by Mel!
Yay, thanks for the comment and review, Nicole! And I mean, I don’t disagree with your daughter. More protein, right? 😜
So yummy! Made these into muffins this this morning for breakfast and my picky four year old ate three in one sitting! Definitely a win at our house! For anyone wondering about making them into muffins I followed the recipe exactly but made them into 20 regular sized muffins. Baked at the recommended temp of 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes! 🙂
Thank you so much for adding details on baking these as muffins, so helpful!
Yummmm! I have this bread in the oven now and it’s starting to smell amazing! I made it for my kiddos’ after-school snack, buuuuut… it may not last that long. 🤓
Haha, no need to report back if your kids ended up seeing this bread or not!
These look and sound awesome, it’s just mu husband and I (empty nesters) Can these be baked in muffin tins. Thanks for all the great useable recipes
Hi Lynn! I haven’t made these as muffins but because they work well in mini loaf pans, I bet they’ll work great as muffins.
Bananas ripening for destruction 😂 I am making this for sure – thank you for sharing!! Will be sure to rate it once we’ve tried it, although I feel like I could rate it 5 stars right now based on the pictures and your description alone 😋
😉😉
Woke up, checked my email and I knew exactly what we were doing for breakfast. I cut the sugar to 3/4 c and replaced sour cream with plain Greek yogurt and it was delicious! Just as I expected from Mel. I made 3 small loaves and it did take 30 minutes to cook which surprised me because my oven tends to cook hot. Still turned out great. Thanks Mel!
Kayla! YOU ARE AMAZING! Thanks for making this recipe so quickly and for taking the time report back. Kinda wish I had been at your house for breakfast -yum! 🙂
Could I substitute buttermilk for the sour cream in this recipe?
Hi Maia, I haven’t tried that, but I think it should work ok. The batter will be thinner (because buttermilk is thinner than sour cream), but I think it stands a good chance of working.
Is there a non-chocolate version of this recipe?
Yep! Right here: https://get-fitter.news/sour-cream-banana-bread/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Could I make these as mini muffins? What temp and how long?
Hi Carolyn, I haven’t tried this particular recipe as mini muffins, but other banana bread recipes I have on my site convert well to muffins and mini muffins. I’d recommend same baking temperature and check them right around 10 to 11 minutes.
Have you tried this with butter instead of oil?
I haven’t, but melted butter should work fine. It’ll change the texture of the bread a little bit, but I don’t think in a negative way.