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Healthier Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 1 loaf
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 large very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, avocado oil, melted coconut oil, or melted butter
  • 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour, whole wheat flour, oat flour, or all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup chocolate chips, plus extra for topping

Method
 

  1. Step 1: Prep the Pan
    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
    Leave a little parchment hanging over the sides. Later, you can lift the bread out easily instead of doing that awkward pan-flip situation over the counter.
  2. Step 2: Mash the Bananas
    In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are fine. They give the bread a homemade texture.
    If your bananas were frozen, thaw them first and drain off extra liquid. Too much liquid can make the center heavy or wet.
  3. Step 3: Mix the Wet Ingredients
    Add the eggs, Greek yogurt, maple syrup or honey, oil, and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture looks smooth and glossy.
    It may not look glamorous yet. That’s normal.
  4. Step 4: Add the Dry Ingredients
    Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir gently with a spatula until you don’t see dry streaks.
    Don’t overmix. Once flour meets liquid, too much stirring can make banana bread dense instead of tender. Competitor recipes often call this out because it’s one of the most common banana bread mistakes.
  5. Step 5: Fold in the Chocolate Chips
    Fold in most of the chocolate chips, saving a small handful for the top.
    If you want the chips to stay more evenly scattered, use mini chocolate chips. They’re tiny but mighty.
  6. Step 6: Bake Until Set
    Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips over the batter.
    Bake for 45–60 minutes. Start checking around 45 minutes. The top should be golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
    If the top browns too fast, loosely tent it with foil.
  7. Step 7: Cool Before Slicing
    Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then lift it onto a wire rack.
    This is the hard part. It smells amazing, and yes, you’ll want to cut it right away. But if you slice too soon, the crumb can tear or turn gummy. Give it time to settle.