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 Blueberry Bread recipe!
Ingredients to make vegan chocolate banana bread
You'll need a few common pantry staples including:
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 wonderfully in your chocolate banana bread. Brown sugar and coconut sugar contain more moisture and a slight caramel flavor which only benefits the texture and flavor of the bread. If you prefer your desserts to be less sweet, I'd recommend using coconut sugar.
A sugar replacer such as granulated erythritol and/or stevia will also work for this recipe.
Mini dairy-free chocolate chips, although you may use a dairy-free chocolate block that has been roughly chopped up.
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 helps 'tenderize' the banana bread and improves its crumb.
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.
Preparing the quick bread
This vegan chocolate banana bread is as easy to make as regular banana bread.
First, mash your bananas in a large bowl. You can mash them as roughly or finely as you'd like. However, keep in mind that larger chunks of banana will stay pale in color and be visible against the dark brown color of your baked chocolate bread. If you'd like an even color throughout your bread, I'd recommend pureeing your banana with a stick blender.
Once you've mashed your banana, add all the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Then add all 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 dense cake.
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 in a shorter amount of time.
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 may sink a little which is absolutely fine!
Serving and storing the chocolate banana bread
The banana bread is best enjoyed at room temperature or slightly warmed up. The banana bread can feel a little 'dry' or 'solid' if it's too cold because the high amount of chocolate in the bread will have solidified. Warming up a slice of banana bread will definitely soften the texture!
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 fresh, try to slice the banana bread just before you serve it (or place it in a lunchbox).
Expert tips and customizations
I'd 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.
Yes, I'd recommend using coconut sugar instead of brown or granulated sugar. I wouldn't recommend using maple syrup for this recipe as it'll make the bread too dense.
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 quick bread and banana bread recipes
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Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 2 x (~200g total) very ripe bananas
- 1 cup (250g) dairy-free milk
- ⅓ cup (85g) light-tasting vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar, optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Dry ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose plain flour, whole wheat flour or spelt flour (note 1 for gluten free)
- ¾ cup (145g) brown sugar, granulated sugar, coconut sugar or granulated sweetener of choice e.g. erythritol
- ¾ cup (130g) mini dairy-free chocolate chips, sweetened or semi-sweet
- ½ cup (50g) cocoa or raw cacao powder
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of any good quality salt
To decorate
- ¼ cup (45g) mini dairy-free chocolate chips, sweetened or semi-sweet
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.
Preparing the batter:
- Add the bananas to a large mixing bowl and mash well until it forms a thick paste. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix with the mashed banana until thoroughly combined.
- Add all of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Some lumps in the batter are fine, as long as they aren't lumps of flour or cocoa powder.
- Pour the batter into your loaf pan and smooth the surface with a spoon. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on the surface.
Baking the banana bread:
- Bake the banana bread for around 1 hour (this will depend on how hot your oven runs). If you insert a toothpick in the centre, there shouldn't be any wet batter, though some crumbs or melted chocolate are fine.
- Allow the bread to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then cool on a wire rack.
- Slice the banana bread and enjoy! The banana bread is wonderful by itself, with some vegan butter, dairy free yogurt or even with ice cream!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. However, it usually doesn't last that long!
Notes
- To make vegan gluten-free banana bread, substitute the flour with ¾ cup (120g) gluten-free all-purpose flour and 1 ¼ cups (125g) almond flour (blanched almond meal).
Nutrition
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Andrea, your recipy is delicious. I'm going to make it again soon. Is pure vengan love.
Such a great recipe. Quick & just delicious. Will be making again for sure
Aw I'm so happy you enjoyed this Daniella! Thanks for your feedback 🙂