Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread

5 from 8 votes

Fluffy vegan chocolate banana bread which is rich, moist and delicious! This quick bread is loaded with dairy-free chocolate chips, is easy to make and comes together in one bowl.

Alternatively, if you prefer a more traditional vegan banana bread, check out my Vegan Banana Muffins or Vegan Banana Blueberry Bread recipe!

Overhead image of banana bread with 3 slices cut out showing texture.

Ingredients to make vegan chocolate banana bread

You'll need a few common pantry staples including:

Flatlay of ingredients for vegan chocolate banana bread.

Ingredient notes

Ripe bananas. The riper the bananas, the sweeter your banana bread will be!

Granulated sugar, brown sugar or coconut sugar. All of these sugars will work well in your chocolate banana bread. Brown sugar and coconut sugar contain more moisture and a slight caramel flavor which only enhances the texture and flavor of the bread. If you prefer your desserts to be less sweet, use coconut sugar.

A sugar replacer such as granulated erythritol and/or stevia will also work for this recipe.

Mini dairy-free chocolate chips or roughly chopped up dairy-free chocolate.

Cocoa powder or raw cacao powder. I prefer cocoa powder for a classic chocolate taste. Raw cacao powder will still work but imparts a slightly bitter flavor when baked.

Vinegar is optional but makes the banana bread extra tender.

Even though this chocolate banana bread is egg-free, you definitely don't need any egg replacers!

A complete list of ingredients, quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Tips for preparing the quick bread

This vegan chocolate banana bread is as easy to make as regular banana bread!

First, I recommend mashing the bananas as finely as possible. The bread will definitely work with roughly mashed bananas but any larger chunks of banana will appear like little pale dots against the dark brown color of your baked chocolate bread!

After that, just add the wet ingredients and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined!

I mixed my batter by hand, using a spatula. You can use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer. However, be careful you don't over-mix the batter as this will create a banana bread.

Four image collage showing how to make batter for the chocolate banana bread.

Baking tips

The banana bread takes around 1 hour to bake, depending on how hot your oven runs. If you use a longer loaf tin, your banana bread will bake quicker.

If you insert a toothpick into the middle of your bread, it should have no cake batter on it, though melted chocolate is fine. Remember that this bread is LOADED with chocolate so it's inevitable for some chocolate to be on your toothpick. Alternatively, if you press the middle of the loaf, it should bounce back.

When you remove the banana bread from the oven, it might sink a little which is absolutely fine!

Two image collage showing a hand sprinkling chocolate chips on unbaked bread and final baked bread.

Serving and storing the chocolate banana bread

The banana bread is best enjoyed at room temperature or slightly warmed up. Due to the high amount of chocolate in the bread, the bread can feel a little 'solid' or 'dry' the day after. However, if you warm up a slice, the banana bread will be softer!

For an indulgent dessert, serve a slice of warm banana bread with ice cream!

I'd recommend storing the bread in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge. To keep the bread as moist and fresh as possible, try to slice the banana bread just before you serve it.

Vegan chocolate banana bread on cutting board with slice cut out revealing rich texture.

Expert tips and customizations

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

I recommend substituting the all-purpose plain flour with a combination of gluten-free all-purpose flour and almond flour (blanched almond meal). You can see the exact quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Can I make refined sugar-free banana bread?

Yes, I recommend using coconut sugar instead of brown or granulated sugar. I don't recommend using maple syrup for this recipe as it'll make the bread too dense.

Can I add anything else to this banana bread?

Yes! You can also add:
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and make this recipe more similar to classic banana bread
- white chocolate chips
- walnuts or pecans

More vegan quick bread and banana bread recipes

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