Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This brown butter chocolate chip banana bread is the only banana bread recipe you need. Baked in a loaf tin, this makes the softest, most delicious banana bread, laced with rich dark chocolate that melts into the cake, creating little pockets of melty dark chocolate.

The brown butter leaves the cake soft and fudgy whilst giving it a nutty, caramel flavour. Along with the Greek yoghurt and two types of sugar, the moisture is well retained when baking which makes this a super moist chocolate chip banana bread. I do something make this recipe in the shape of these Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins if I want something easier to transport. They're so good.

Why you will love this recipe:

• It's the best ever banana bread recipe, simply because it's so tender and fudgy, with great depth of flavour from the brown butter.
• You can add different mix-ins, I love chocolate chips but chopped peanuts, hazelnuts or almonds would be great. Even raisins!
• I love to bake this when I have bananas going bad in the fruit bowl. The darker the banana, the better, so it's truly a minimal-waste recipe.

Ingredients

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Butter, to control the salt in the cake, use unsalted butter.

Light soft brown sugar, which contains molasses so using it results in a softer, fudgier cake as it retains moisture. It’s delicious here.

Granulated sugar, or caster sugar if you have it. Golden caster sugar also works too.

Eggs, fresh eggs make the best cakes. I use free range.

Banana, you will need around four very ripe bananas. When I have bananas going brown in my kitchen and I know they are past the point of being eaten as a snack, I throw them straight in the freezer. Just defrost when you want to bake and you have the ripe bananas you always need for a recipe like this!

Greek yoghurt, this keeps the cake bouncy and moist.

Flour, plain rather than self-raising. Known as all-purpose flour in the US.

Vanilla Extract, I like to use vanilla paste as it has the best and strongest flavour but the liquid extract works too. Avoid vanilla essence if possible as I find it has a rather synthetic flavour.

Bicarb of soda, for rise.

Salt

Chocolate chips, we love these ones and they are such a worthwhile investment as the cost is so good compared to the small supermarket bags.

Substitutions & Variations

Chocolate chips: I often use chopped dark chocolate in this recipe instead of chips as I love how they melt and you get chunks of chocolate in each bite. It's also more cost effective to chop up your own rather than buying chips. But both work! I also love to mix in nuts instead of chocolate chips (or alongside). Try with chopped almonds, pistachios, walnuts or peanuts.

Greek yoghurt: you want a soured dairy product here, yoghurt is ideal and it is something people tend to have lying around. However, you could use sour cream, buttermilk or creme fraiche if you have those instead.

How To Make Brown Butter

One of the things that makes this the best banana bread you'll ever make is the brown butter. If you don't know what brown butter is, scroll down to the FAQs for a full explanation but it just makes it so nutty and delicious. You might be familiar with how to make it but let's break it down.

If you scroll down, there is also a step by step guide to make the banana bread. The full recipe card is at the bottom of the page.

ONE: Melt the butter and keep over medium-high heat.

TWO: The butter will start foaming and bubbling. Keep stirring every so often as the milk solids will start to separate and you don't want them to burn on the bottom of the pan.

THREE: After a short while, the milk solids will be brown and toasty. It will smell nutty too. Keep stirring until the milk solids (the flecks) are dark brown but definitely not black. If they are black, you've burnt it and the banana bread will be bitter.

FOUR: Pour into your mixing bowl and leave to cool for 10 minutes. It doesn't need to be totally cooled but you don't want it boiling hot as that will scald the eggs when you crack them in.

Now Let's Make Banana Bread

Now you've browned the butter, we're ready to make the banana bread. I'm going to show you how with this step by step but as always, scroll down to the bottom of the page for the recipe card with full measurements and instructions.

FOUR: Preheat your oven to 160c and grease and line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk together the brown butter and sugars for a minute until thick.

FIVE: Mash the bananas and add to the batter, along with yoghurt and vanilla.

SIX: Crack in the eggs and whisk.

SEVEN: Once all of your wet ingredients are mixed together, gently stir in the flour, bicarb and salt.

EIGHT: Then, fold in the chocolate chips.

NINE: Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Slice the extra banana in half lengthways and lay with the cut side up. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top if you like. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs. 

Cooking Tips

Brown Bananas: For this Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, you will need around four very ripe bananas. When I have bananas going brown in my kitchen and I know they are past the point of being eaten as a snack, I throw them straight in the freezer. Just defrost when you want to bake and you have the ripe bananas you always need for a recipe like this! They will go totally black if you place them in the freezer - this is fine! Otherwise, you can peel and slice the bananas. Place in a freezer bag and then defrost when ready.

Brown Butter: Don't be put off by this or think it's hard. It's super easy and the guide above has all the helpful tips and tricks to make sure you get it just right.

Frequently Asked Questions

More recipes like this one

This Moist chocolate cake is the perfect celebration cake, so is this White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake. If you want more casual recipes, try these airy and easy Sfingi doughnuts (they are Italian ricotta doughnuts but very easy) or Applesauce Fritters. If banana is your thing, my Banana Tiramisu is one you have to try!

Made this recipe and loved it?

I would love love LOVE if you could leave a review in the comments…  I love hearing what you thought, any changes you made, the stories behind what made you try my recipes. Also, if you share a photo on Instagram, please tag me @desertislanddishes, it makes my day to see you making my creations!

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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A moist, easy brown butter chocolate chip banana bread recipe that will be the only recipe you reach for once you've tried it.

• Author: margie
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: Makes 1 9 x 5 inch loaf 1x
• Category: Baking
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: British

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 380g VERY ripe and mashed banana (3-4 medium bananas) + 1 more banana for decoration
• 115g unsalted butter
• 100g light brown sugar
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 130g thick Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of sod
• 180g plain flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 140g dark chocolate, roughly chopped + a handful more for sprinkling on top (or use chocolate chips)

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 160c and grease and line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Begin by browning your butter by melting the butter in a pan over medium heat. It will go from melted to then bubbling loudly before going quiet and foamy. Keep stirring until it turns a light amber colour overall but the flecks are dark dark brown, and you can smell chestnuts. (Scroll up for helpful images on this process)
3. Once browned, pour into a bowl to cool down.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the melted brown butter and sugars for a minute until thick.
5. Add in your mashed bananas, eggs, yoghurt, and vanilla.
6. Once all of your wet ingredients are mixed together, gently stir in the flour, bicarb and salt. Then, fold in the chocolate chips.
7. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Slice the extra banana in half lengthways and lay with the cut side up. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top if you like.
8. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Let it cool completely before removing from the pan. Store at room temperature in an air-tight container.

Notes

If you scroll up, there's a full step by step guide on how to make brown butter and the banana bread too. 

To store: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.

To heat: Serving at room temperature is delicious but I sometimes like to pop a slice in the microwave to warm it through and melt the chocolate chips.

To freeze: Cool the cake completely and wrap tightly in clingfilm and then a layer of foil on top. Place in the freezer for 3 months. Defrost at room temperature then store in an airtight container. 

Serving suggestion: Delicious served as it is, or with some whipped brown butter. Or with a toasted lightly in a pan and served with butter and some chopped toasted pecans. Or serve with a spoon of yoghurt and a drizzle of peanut butter or caramel sauce. So good.

Brown bananas: You will need around four very ripe bananas. When I have bananas going brown in my kitchen and I know they are past the point of being eaten as a snack, I throw them straight in the freezer. Just defrost when you want to bake and you have the ripe bananas you always need for a recipe like this. If the bananas you have aren't ripe but you still want to make this, you can heat the oven to 150c fan/130c. Lay bananas on a tray in their skins, and place in the oven. Bake for 10–30 minutes, depending on how ripe the bananas are. Keep checking them until totally brown. Once done, remove from oven, cool slightly and then peel the bananas, mash them, and add to the recipe as stated. This mimics ripe bananas as best as possible, although a proper ripe banana is best.