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Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

An incredibly moist and tender banana bread made with very ripe bananas, soured cream, and rich dark chocolate chips. This forgiving recipe is ready in under 90 minutes with only 15 minutes of active work.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 125 g unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
  • 100 g light brown soft sugar
  • 75 g dark brown soft sugar
  • 2 large free-range eggs at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 very ripe medium bananas about 300g peeled weight, mashed well
  • 60 g soured cream
  • 225 g plain flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 150 g dark chocolate chips or a chopped dark chocolate bar
  • Optional: 1 tbsp demerara sugar for sprinkling on top
  • Incredible Flavour and Texture: The very ripe bananas provide an intense natural sweetness, while the soured cream ensures the loaf is exceptionally moist and tender. Pockets of dark chocolate cut through the sweetness with a welcome richness.
  • Ready in Under 90 Minutes: From gathering your ingredients to pulling a golden-brown loaf out of the oven the whole process takes about an hour and a half, with only 15 minutes of active work.
  • A Forgiving Recipe: This recipe is quite adaptable. You can swap the chocolate chips for nuts add a teaspoon of cinnamon, or even use plain yoghurt instead of soured cream if that’s what you have on hand.
  • Ideal for Any Occasion: It’s a brilliant bake for a relaxed Sunday morning a fantastic addition to a bake sale, or a lovely homemade gift. We often make a loaf to take with us on family walks.
  • Family Tested: My children adore this loaf and always get excited when they see the bananas turning black on the counter. It always gets compliments when we share it with friends and neighbours.

Method
 

  1. Preheat and Prepare: First, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and line it with a strip of baking parchment that overhangs the long sides. This will make it much easier to lift the loaf out later.
  2. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and both the light and dark brown sugars until well combined. Beat in the two eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
  3. Add Banana and Soured Cream: Stir the well-mashed bananas and the soured cream into the wet mixture until everything is just incorporated.
  4. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and salt. This ensures the raising agents are evenly distributed.
  5. Bring It All Together: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula or large metal spoon. What works best for me is to stop mixing as soon as you can no longer see big streaks of flour. A lumpy batter is a good thing here!
  6. Fold in Chocolate: Gently fold in 125g of the dark chocolate chips, reserving the remaining 25g for the top.
  7. Fill the Tin and Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared loaf tin and smooth the top. Scatter the reserved chocolate chips and the demerara sugar (if using) over the surface. Bake for 60-70 minutes.
  8. Check for Doneness: The loaf is ready when it's dark golden brown, well-risen, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (a little melted chocolate on the skewer is fine).
  9. Cool Properly: Let the banana bread cool in the tin for 10 minutes before using the parchment paper sling to lift it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slicing it while warm can cause it to crumble.

Notes

Let the loaf cool completely on a wire rack before slicing to prevent crumbling. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.