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This brown butter chocolate chip banana bread is the only banana bread recipe you need. Baked in a loaf pan, 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.
Table of Contents
The brown butter leaves the cake soft and fudgy while giving it a nutty, caramel flavor. Along with the Greek yogurt and two types of sugar, the moisture is well retained when baking, which makes this a super moist chocolate chip banana bread. I do sometimes 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 flavor 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
- Light soft brown sugar – This contains molasses, so using it results in a softer, fudgier cake as it retains moisture. It’s delicious here.
- Granulated sugar – You can use superfine (caster) sugar if you have it. Golden caster sugar also works too.
- Bananas – You will need around four very ripe bananas. The darker the skins, the better.
- Flour – No special flour needed; simply use all-purpose (plain) flour in this recipe.
Substitutions and 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 yogurt: You want a soured dairy product here, and yogurt is ideal because it is something people tend to have lying around. However, you could use sour cream, buttermilk, or crème fraîche 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, though let’s break it down.
ONE: Melt the butter and keep it 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.
How to make brown butter chocolate chip banana bread
Now that you’ve browned the butter, we’re ready to make the banana bread. Here’s a quick visual guide — the full recipe with exact measurements is below.
FOUR: Preheat your oven to 356°F (180°C/160°C fan) 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 yogurt and vanilla.
SIX: Crack in the eggs and whisk.
SEVEN: Once all of your wet ingredients are mixed together, gently stir in the flour, baking soda (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.
Tips from Margie’s kitchen
- 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
Brown butter is melted butter that has been taken just past the point of melting to “brown it.” When you melt butter, you tend to get a separation of the milk solids (the white specks) and the yellow liquid (the butterfat). When you brown the butter, you toast the milk solids so they turn a golden brown, which gives the whole thing a nutty flavor. You also see this method in cooking, like in Crispy Brown Butter Gnocchi with Sage.
This loaf really is best with chocolate chips, but you could mix in chopped walnuts, peanuts, or even hazelnuts. Or it would be good without anything added in, just as a moist banana bread.
Heat the oven to 338°F (170°C/150°C fan). 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 the 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.
Yes, you could use an 8×8 inch (20×20 cm) square pan. Just bake for 30-35 minutes and then check in, as it will take less time than a loaf, though it should still retain its moist texture.
Cool the cake completely and wrap tightly in plastic wrap 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.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.
Other recipes you might like
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). Don’t miss my Mini Chocolate Tarts with Marshmallow or Applesauce Fritters. For more banana, my Banana Tiramisu is one you have to try!
Easy Baking Recipes
Banana Bread Bars
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Caramelised Banana Upside Down Cake
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Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins
If you tried this Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a comment and let us know how it went!
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 13.5 oz VERY ripe and mashed banana, 3-4 medium bananas; plus 1 more banana for decoration
- 4 oz unsalted butter, 1 stick
- 3.5 oz light brown sugar, about 1/2 cup
- 3.5 oz superfine sugar (caster sugar), about 1/2 cup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4.5 oz thick Greek yogurt, about generous 1/2 cup
- 1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- 6.3 oz all-purpose flour (plain flour), about generous 1 1/3 cups
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped, plus a handful more for sprinkling on top (or use chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 356°F (180°C/160°C fan) and grease and line a 9×5 inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Begin by browning your butter by melting the butter in a pan over medium heat. It will go from melted to bubbling loudly before going quiet and foamy. Keep stirring until it turns a light amber color overall, but the flecks are dark brown, and you can smell chestnuts. (Scroll up for helpful images on this process)
- Once browned, pour into a bowl to cool down.
- In a bowl, whisk together the melted brown butter and sugars for a minute until thick.
- Add in your mashed bananas, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla.
- Once all of your wet ingredients are mixed together, gently stir in the flour, baking soda (bicarb), and salt. Then, fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Slice the extra banana in half lengthwise and lay it 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. Let it cool completely before removing from the pan. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
Make-ahead and storage
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 plastic wrap with a layer of foil on top. Place in the freezer for 3 months. Defrost at room temperature, then store in an airtight container.More quick tips
Serving suggestion: This banana bread is delicious served as it is, or with some whipped brown butter. Or toast it lightly in a pan and serve with butter and some chopped toasted pecans. Or serve with a spoon of yogurt 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 338°F (170°C/150°C fan). 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 the oven, cool slightly, 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.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I was low on choc chips so swirled a bit of choc hazelnut spread thru the middle. The brown butter really ups the deliciousness of this banana bread! Great recipe!
This was such a delicious recipe! Made it for my friends and they were all asking for the recipe after. Definitely my go to banana bread recipe!
Absolutely delicious banana bread! Have made this several times now since discovering it in the book, and it comes out beautifully every time.
This is the best banana bread recipe I’ve ever found. Everyone who tries it asks for the recipe! Amazing texture and full of flavour!
Thank you Sophia, love hearing this!
My son and I made this recipe and it was SO good, I think the best banana bread I’ve made and super easy if you are not a regular baker like me!
Wow wow wow just made this but used a Bundt pan and baked exactly one hour. It may be the best banana chocolate cake I’ve ever had. Ever.
I have never made such delicious banana bread in my entire life. Thank you for this amazing recipe. My cousin studied patisserie and she always substitutes a bit of regular flour for buckwheat flour in her carrot cake. I thought that may work for this banana bread recipe as well. I added 1/2 cup buckwheat flour to 1 cup of regular flour (American here). I’m not sure how different it would have been without it. Either way – delicious! Thanks again!
I live in sweden and i am going to try doing some of yuors recepti. I am not so good in english any more.