Moist and delicious, One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is easy to make and will quickly become a family favourite. Easy to make, this bread can be in the oven in no time. The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the bread to bake.
This recipe for an old fashioned banana bread has been adapted over the years. It started as a simple banana bread recipe that has changed over the years as ingredients changed or became harder to find. And adding chocolate chips made it that much better.
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What’s Changed From The Original Recipe?
The original recipe was used by my family for over 30 years. I have made changes to the recipe several times over the years to make it better and sometimes to eliminate ingredients that were either unavailable or were things I didn’t want to serve my family.
At one point, this recipe used lard as the fat. For awhile I was making this bread with shortening. Now I make this recipe with vegetable oil or melted butter. Either one can be used.
Originally, the recipe also used brandy as a liquid. I was told it was used because it preserved the bread so it lasted longer.
The addition of nuts has also been removed because of nut allergies in our family. If you would like to add nuts into the bread, walnuts can be added for crunch.
Ingredients For One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
A total of eleven ingredients are used in this banana bread recipe.
- Bananas. To get the best flavour in this bread, the bananas need to be really overripe. Usually I purchase bananas from the reduced racks at the grocery store.
- Brown Sugar. Using brown sugar complements the bananas and adds a caramel like flavour to the bread.
- Eggs. Large sized are best for baking.
- Vegetable Oil. This can be replaced with melted butter for a richer taste.
- Flour. All-purpose flour is our go to, but I have also made this recipe with whole wheat flour and a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat. A gluten free flour can also be used in this recipe.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder. Both are used as leavening agents in this bread.
- Cinnamon. This spice adds a touch of flavour and complements the flavours of the banana.
- Salt. Table salt is used to round out the sweetness in this recipe.
- Chocolate Chips. Semi-sweet, dark, mini or your favourite chocolate chips can be used in this banana bread.
How To Ripen Bananas Quickly
To ripen bananas quickly, I place them in a paper bag with an apple or two. Some times this takes a day, other times it takes hours. It depends on how ripe the bananas are to start with.
When buying bananas, we always look at the reduced racks at the grocery store to get bananas that are already starting to get over ripe. Not all stores have these racks, we find that our local Walmart is usually a good place to get them.
There are instructions online for ripening bananas in the oven. I have not had success with this and find they become too sweet and runny, which can have an effect on the baking process of a recipe. If bananas are ripened in the oven, the amount of flour may have to be adjusted so the batter is not too thin.
Serving Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Chocolate chip banana bread can be served warm or at room temperature. It can be served with or without butter.
This bread is great with a cup of tea or coffee. It makes a great afternoon pick me up or morning snack.
Another way to serve banana bread is air-fried. Butter both sides of the bread and air fry it for 3-5 minutes to make the outside crispy. Top it with jam and/or nut butter. (One of our kids eats banana bread like this every time I make it)
Storing Banana Bread
Store this bread in an air-tight container after cooling completely. It should be stored at room temperature.
It can also be wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and frozen for up to 3 months. The bread can be sliced before freezing and slices wrapped individually so one or two slices can be taken out at a time. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil or melted butter, cooled
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 banana, over ripe, mashed, about 1½ cups
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Grease a 9 inch bread pan with butter or spray with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, brown sugar and eggs.
- Stir in mashed bananas and vanilla extract.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- Stir until just combined.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until a fork inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 5 minutes before transfering to cooling racks to finish cooling.
- Slice into 12 equal slices and serve.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
