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If you love the combination of chocolate and banana, then you need to make this Vegan Chocolate Banana bread. It's moist, tender, and bursting with intense chocolate and sweet banana flavors.
Homemade banana bread is one of my all-time favorite desserts, and sometimes breakfast. Adding chocolate just makes it even better, and this Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread has me hooked!
It was so easy to make, too... I just adapted my vegan banana bread recipe and turned it into this chocolatey creation. It's heavenly! If you love making quick bread, you may want to try my vegan pumpkin bread or this lemon blueberry bread. You can stash them in the freezer for later.
Ingredients, Notes, And Substitutions
Before you head to the full recipe below, here are some additional ingredient notes and substitution ideas:
- Ground Flaxseed + Water - It will thicken and create an egg-like consistency and help bind everything together.
- Bananas - You must use spotty, overripe bananas or the loaf will not have much banana flavor.
- Brown Sugar - Yields a moister crumb and adds a hint of caramel flavor, but cane sugar works nicely, too.
- Neutral-Flavored Oil - Grapeseed, avocado, canola, sunflower, vegetable, etc., will all work.
- All-Purpose Flour - I haven't tried it with gluten-free flour yet, but it should work with a 1.1 gluten-free variety.
- Dutch-Process Cocoa - Yields a rich chocolate flavor that complements the banana perfectly. Regular cocoa powder can be used too, just note that it will yield a lighter color and taste less chocolatey.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda - Together they yield a tender loaf with the perfect rise.
- Cinnamon + Vanilla Extract - They enhance the chocolate flavor and complement the banana really well, but they are both optional.
- Vegan Chocolate Chips - These are optional but really kick up the chocolate flavor.
- Sea Salt - this helps bring everything together, so don't skip this. You can reduce it, though, if preferred.
How to make it
Once you preheat the oven and make the batter, it's all hands-off from there. Here are step-by-step photos to show you how easy it is:
- Combine the ground flax and water in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash up the bananas using a fork or potato masher. Whisk in the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and flax eggs.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into the loaf pan, and spread out evenly using a spatula. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and bake for 55-65 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the loaf cool for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack.
Baking Tips
Here are my top baking tips to ensure success:
- If you only have whole flaxseed, you can grind the seeds in a coffee grinder. Make sure to measure the flaxseed in its ground form.
- Start checking your loaf around the 50-minute mark. You don't want to overbake or it will get dry. The loaf will also continue to cook when it comes out of the oven.
- Do not overmix while combining the dry and wet mixtures together, just stir and fold the batter gently. Overmixing causes too much gluten to develop, which can create a tough and rubbery texture.
- Lining the loaf pan with parchment paper will help prevent sticking and make removing the loaf a breeze. Here's a quick visual tutorial on how to line a loaf pan.
Storing Tips
This banana bread is delicious when fresh, but if stored properly, it'll taste just as good at a later date. Here's how to do it:
- Room temperature – It will stay good for 2-3 days in an airtight container. Place a paper towel on the bottom of the container to absorb excess moisture.
- Fridge – This isn't my preferred way to store quick bread because it tends to get slightly dry, but it will last longer than room temp. However, you can always cover a piece in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave it for 10-15 seconds to revive it. It can be refrigerated for 4-6 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer – This is my preferred way to store it, and it can be frozen for up to 3 months. I like to wrap the pieces individually in wax paper and place them in an airtight container or Ziploc. Thaw at room temperature for 15-20 minutes or place in the microwave in 10-second intervals until thawed
FAQ's
Yes, you can use frozen bananas, but you will need to thaw them first before using them. Just place them in a colander over the sink for about 30 minutes until they are softened and the excess water has drained out.
You can use dried fruit or nuts such as raisins, dried cranberries, walnuts, or pecans.
More chocolate recipes to try
For more chocolatey goodness, here are a few reader favorites you may want to check out:
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think by leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and sharing your feedback in the comment section below. It would make my day!
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Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 5 tablespoons water
- 1 ½ cups overripe mashed bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup avocado oil or any neutral-flavored oil (canola, grapeseed, sunflower, etc.)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (sub regular cocoa powder)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup vegan chocolate chips + more for topping
Recommended Equipment
- 1 Loaf Pan (8.5 x 4.5)
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Spatula
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ° F (177 ° C). Line a loaf pan (8.5 x 4.5) with parchment paper or lightly grease. (9X5 will work too).
- Combine the ground flax and water in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes. It will thicken and gel up.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash up the bananas using a fork or potato masher. Now add the oil, brown sugar, vanilla, and flax eggs. Whisk well to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet and fold with a spatula until just combined. Don't overwork the batter. The batter should be very thick. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour mixture into loaf pan, then gently spread it out evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with chocolate chips. Place on the center rack in your oven. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (check in 3 places). Small crumbs are ok, just not wet batter. Don't confuse melted chocolate for wet batter.
- Remove from oven and let the loaf cool for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack. Let the loaf completely cool before cutting. Enjoy!
Ann Green
I made this last night and had it for breakfast this morning. It’s really good! Instead of the 1/3 C oil, I used 1/4 C oat milk, with a plan to add a touch more if the batter was too thick. It was fine. The flavor is very rich and cinnamon-y. This one is a keeper. Thank you Melissa!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Ann, I'm so happy you loved it and glad it worked well with the replacement. Thanks for making it and sharing your feedback. 🙂
Sharon
This recipe is so good. I made it and husband loved it so much, I'm making it again at his request. Thanks for sharing recipes online.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Sharon, Yay, I'm so glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing wonderful feedback. 🙂
Betty
Your instuctions say In a large mixing bowl, mash up the bananas using a fork or potato masher. Now add the oil, brown sugar, GRANULATED SUGAR, vanilla, and flax eggs. Whisk well to combine." But, nowhere in the ingredient list is there granulated sugar. What gives????
Melissa Huggins
Hi Betty, I'm sorry about that. This recipe calls for just brown sugar. Thank you for catching that mistake. 🙂
Michaele
Hi Mellisa, Thanks for the recipe, looking forward to making this. I do have one question, on several recipes, I see flax and chia used as a thickener, I made that adjustment myself for a few things, I just don't know if your measurement of the flax is pre or post grinding? I've seen a recipe or 2 say which, and I just want to make sure I get this right.
Thanks you!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Michaele, you're most welcome! I measure it ground, so it's 2 tablespoons ground. I'm so glad you'll give it a try. Thank you 🙂
Annie
Delicious and easy to do!
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad you liked it, Annie! Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback. 🙂