Description

This Triple Chocolate Banana Bread is a moist and rich treat that combines the natural sweetness of ripe bananas with three types of chocolate: cocoa powder, melted dark chocolate, and chocolate chips. It’s a perfect indulgence for chocolate and banana lovers, featuring a soft, tender crumb with a chocolatey depth enhanced by brown sugar, sour cream, and a hint of vanilla. This recipe bakes to a perfect golden loaf garnished with fresh banana slices and milk chocolate chips for an extra delicious finish.

Ingredients

Scale

Bananas and Garnish

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 extra banana, sliced (for garnish and filling)

Dry Ingredients

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

Chocolate Components

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup dark chocolate, melted
¼ cup milk chocolate chips (for topping)

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Instructions

Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. For the easiest removal, line the pan with parchment paper.
Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set this mixture aside to ensure even distribution of leavening agents and cocoa powder.
Prepare the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas until smooth. Add the melted unsalted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract, whisking everything together until fully combined. Finally, stir in the sour cream or Greek yogurt to add moisture and richness.
Combine the mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep your bread tender. Then fold in the melted dark chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips evenly throughout the batter.
Assemble the loaf: Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Layer the sliced bananas evenly over this first layer, then pour the remaining batter on top. Smooth out the surface before garnishing with extra banana slices and sprinkling milk chocolate chips on top for an attractive and tasty finish.
Bake: Place the loaf pan into the preheated oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Use a toothpick inserted in the center to check doneness — it should come out with a few moist crumbs. If the top of the bread browns too quickly during baking, loosely cover it with foil for the last 15 minutes to prevent burning.
Cool & serve: Allow the banana bread to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. This cooling step helps the bread set and makes slicing easier.

Notes

Make sure bananas are very ripe for maximum sweetness and moisture.
Avoid overmixing the batter to keep the bread light and tender.
If you don’t have sour cream, Greek yogurt works just as well as a substitute.
Line the loaf pan with parchment paper for easier bread removal.
To prevent the top from burning, tent with foil if browning too fast.
To intensify the chocolate flavor, use high-quality cocoa powder and dark chocolate.
Allow the bread to cool completely for the best texture and flavor.