How To Make Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with coconut oil. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl add the bananas and roughly mash with a fork. Whisk in coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and eggs.
- Slowly add the flour mixture. Whisk just until combined, then fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 to 70 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- A few crumbs are fine, you do not want to see wet batter on the toothpick. Cool bread completely on a wire cooling rack. Once cooled, remove from pan and en
How To Freeze Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
In need of mini muffins in seconds rather than minutes? The great news is that these muffins freeze like a breeze and can be reheated in less than a minute in the microwave.
Most important on the freezing front is to ensure the muffins have cooled completely before wrapping them securely in plastic wrap and storing them in a sealable plastic bag in the freezer. When the craving strikes, grab a mini muffin or two, pop them in the microwave and start snacking before your coffee has even finished brewing!
Yummy Banana Chocolate Chip Loaf
Do you often end up with overripe bananas in your fruit bowl and wonder what to do with them? Make this delicious Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Loaf – it’s delicious.
I have to say it happens pretty often in this household. I like my bananas pretty unripe, where the skin is still a little green and they are just starting to go yellow and my kids are exactly the same. So once they end up all yellow, with an odd black spot, you can guarantee they will not be touched by any of us and then. I then have several banana’s I need to find a recipe to use them in. So having a yummy healthy recipe on hand like this is a must.
The smell that fills the kitchen as this is baking is amazing and once out of the oven, I can never get the kids to wait for this to cool down before grabbing a slice. They love it.
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How Do You Know When Its Done
When you bake the chocolate chip banana bread, remember to check for doneness at about half the baking time specified in the recipe. If it is browned on the outside, but still gooey in the middle, cover it with foil to make both parts cook at the same time.
Testing a banana bread for doneness is pretty easy. Insert a toothpick or a skewer in different places of the loaf starting with the middle. If it comes out clean, it means its done.
However, since weve made it with chocolate chips it should come out with a few moist crumbs.
Healthy Chocolate Banana Bread
A healthier alternative to banana bread made with wholesome ingredients. This chocolate banana bread is moist, fudgy, delicious, and is sure to become a new family favorite!
Healthy banana bread?! is that even possible!! That was the reaction from my husband and daughters when I told them Im making a healthy chocolate banana bread. They looked at me like Im a crazy lady and smiled. Then when they tasted it, they went nuts. I swear you guys, this bread is 1000x better than any banana bread youre going to taste and no one will ever be able to tell its healthy.
I used oat flour along with regular flour and replaced sugar with honey. And because bananas are naturally super sweet, they pretty much do the job of sugar. I also replaced the oil with coconut oil and added some Greek yogurt for extra moisture and flavor.
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What Do I Do If I Dont Have Enough Bananas
If you only have 3 ripe bananas and are just short of 1 1/2 cups, substitute the rest with unsweetened apple sauce or pumpkin puree. These work great as fillers in this recipe, but not as an entire substitution.
Otherwise, if you dont have either substitution, cut the recipe in half and bake the bars in a loaf pan for about 20-25 minutes.
Tips For Making The Best Banana Bread
Have all ingredients ready to go: you don’t need to have an individual bowl for every ingredient like those Tasty videos you see on Facebook, but you should have them all out on your counter ready to mix in. This keeps the batter as fresh as possible and makes the prep go even faster! You DO want your bread ASAP, right?
Use overripe bananas: if it’s going to be the best banana bread, we need the best bananas! Bananas are a blend of starches and simple sugars. As the fruit ripens, the starches change to sugars, thus sweetening the banana and adding extra flavor to your baked goods. My favorite bananas are the ones with lots of brown spots, but still a touch of yellow on the peel.
Add ingredients in the correct order: I know you probably don’t like the idea of extra dishes to wash, but it’s well worth worth the work. Baking is a science, so it’s important to introduce ingredients in the correct order. It’s also important to work quickly because you want the ingredients to react in the oven, not on your counter! To ensure the best results:
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Use Overripe Dark Spotted Bananas
Do you know the quote in nature nothing is lost, everything is transformed?
And do you know those overripe bananas that nobody wants and always end up wasted in the bin?
Well, this is where that quote gets a real-life meaning. Believe it or not, overripe bananas are actually the best ones for this healthy chocolate chip banana bread.
Thats where the bread gets its sweetness from and furthermore, they are super healthy. Researchers in Japan conducted studies and found that they have many health benefits.
So dont let them go to waste! Turn them into a super moist chocolate chip banana bread.
The Moistest Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together the bananas, egg, oil, sugar, and vanilla.
- In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the banana mixture. Mix well. Gently fold in the yogurt and the chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until done.
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How To Make Healthy Banana Bread Bars
These bars are so easy to whip up that you could probably make them in your sleep. Everything is mixed together in one bowl, and baked into soft banana bread perfection. Better yet, you probably already have everything you need to make them:
- ripe bananas
- natural almond butter
- vanilla extract
Theres no special technique or steps. Just mix everything together and bake!
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bar Substitutions
If you want to make these bars but dont have the EXACT list of ingredients, here are some swaps you can make:
Almond Butter This can be substituted with any nut or seed butter like cashew, peanut, or sunflower seed butter. Tahini could also work, but the bars wont be AS sweet. Whatever you choose to use, just make sure its natural and made without any added ingredients like sugar or oils.
Pure Maple Syrup If you dont have this on hand, you can also swap with honey, date syrup, or even agave. I havent tested it, but coconut sugar may also be a good option.
Oat Flour If you dont have oat FLOUR, you can just make your own by grinding whole oats in a food processor until it turns into a flour. You could also try swapping with almond flour as this is a great substitute for oat flour. But do not use anything outside of these two flours as something like coconut or cassava could completely changed the texture of these bars.
Chocolate Chips If you dont have these, they can be left out and nothing about the recipe will change. Although they do add delicious flavor! Chopped walnuts, pecans, or peanuts are also a good option. Just make sure theyre unsalted.
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How I Made This Banana Bread Moist And Healthy
I approached healthifying this recipe in the same manner I approach most recipes. I ask: where can I cut calories, saturated fat and added sugars, and where can I add health-boosting nutrients or foods. Heres what I did and recommend.
- I used canola oil with its healthy fat profile instead of butter, which is high in saturated fats. If you dont have canola oil, soybean oil is another great option. Using oil, instead of solid fat also helps maintain that moist and tender texture you love without under-cooking your banana bread.
- Folding in Greek yogurt at the end boosts moisture and tenderness too.
- Mix your banana bread by hand. Youll get out of the kitchen faster, plus you wont risk over-mixing your batter, which leads to a denser loaf.
- Use as little sugar as possible. I used 1/2 cup of sugar and find that its the perfect sweet spot between too sweet and boring. If your sweet tooth isnt as pronounced as mine, you might be able to use slightly less.
- Instead of baking with all-purpose flour, I used white whole-wheat flour, which is a softer form of whole-wheat flour. Though it doesnt contain the phytonutrients of regular whole-wheat flour, the rest of the nutrition is on par and quite good.
How You Can Personalize Your Banana Bread Even More
If you need a dairy-free banana bread recipe easy peasy. Do what my daughter does for her husband, who has a milk allergy. She swaps vanilla-flavored almond milk yogurt for the Greek yogurt and uses dairy-free chocolate chips. This healthy chocolate chip banana bread is a staple in her house too.
If you dont want to use all whole-wheat flour, use a mixture of all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour.
Dont like chocolate? That sounds crazy to me, but we can still be friends. Bake your banana bread plain or add blueberries.
Like nuts? Toss them in.
Cutting adding sugar even more? Try allulose or another low-calorie or no-calorie sweetener.
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What Makes This Chocolate Banana Bread Healthy
Traditional chocolate banana breads tend to be packed with oil and refined sugars, making them almost like a rich cake. Dont get me wrong, I love a good slice of cake, but I wanted to lighten up this chocolate banana bread to make it a wonderful snack, easy breakfast or even a healthier dessert. Heres what makes this bread more nutritious:
- Theres no oil! Thats right, this healthy chocolate banana bread is deliciously moist without having any excess oil.
- Its naturally sweetened with just ripe bananas and pure maple syrup. Dark chocolate chips add an extra touch of sweetness feel free to use whatever brand you like.
- Its gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and paleo. It just uses almond flour + cocoa powder as the dry ingredients and zero butter or other types of dairy.
- There are healthy fats! The almond flour also provides a good amount of healthy fats to keep you feeling satisfied when you enjoy the bread for breakfast or as a snack.
S To Make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- 1. Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
- 2. Mash banana in a large bowl with a potato masher or fork.
- 3. Add the eggs, maple syrup, oil and vanilla to the banana and whisk to combine.
- 4. Add the dry mix to the wet mix and blend gently with a silicone spatula.
- 5. Add the chocolate chips and gently fold in.
- 6. Transfer to a loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 55 minutes.
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Healthy Banana Bread For Breakfast Or Snack
The recipe can be oil free, egg free, and dairy free, with NO refined sugar.
To lower the oil without sacrificing moisture or taste, it packs a full one and a half cups of mashed banana into the loaf, which also sweetens the banana bread recipe without all that extra sugar and empty calories.
And though Im normally not a fan of oil-free baking, this banana bread is definitely an exception. You can easily omit the vegetable or coconut oil entirely if you prefer, and it will still turn out amazingly soft and delicious!
While many traditional banana bread recipes call for at least a cup of refined sugar and half a cup of butter or more, this lightened-up healthy banana bread recipe cuts way back on the things you dont want.
Instead, it replaces them with whole grains and good-for-you ingredients, adding extra potassium rich banana for natural sweetness.
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How To Make Banana Bread
The banana bread is super simple to make, and leftovers can be sliced and frozen for an instant breakfast or snack any time you are craving banana bread.
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir well to evenly mix and break up any clumps of baking soda or salt.
Whisk the liquid ingredients together, pour them into the mixing bowl, and stir to form a banana bread batter.
Smooth into the prepared baking pan. Press a few chocolate chips on top if your heart desires, and place the pan on the ovens center rack.
Bake for 40 minutes. After time has elapsed, keep the oven door closed and turn off the heat. Let the banana loaf sit in the closed oven for an additional ten minutes to continue cooking. Then remove from the oven.
The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out mostly clean. If yours is still undercooked, simply turn the oven back on and continue baking until fluffy and golden.
Let it cool. The taste and texture are better the next day, so I like to loosely cover the banana bread and refrigerate overnight.
Refrigerate leftovers for three to four days, or slice and freeze leftover banana bread for a month or two.
Above, watch the step-by-step banana bread recipe video
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How Long To Bake Mini Banana Bread Muffins
Once your oven hits 400°F, youre just 14 to 16 minutes away from mini muffin bliss. Similar to banana bread, its important to use the toothpick test to ensure the muffins are baked through.
While mini chocolate chips are the perfect size and flavor mix-in, feel free to skip them or swap in an alternative, such as chopped walnuts or pecans, or even additional fruit like blueberries.
Banana Bread Flour Options
This recipe is flexible! Any of the following flours will work well. I love to use white whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flourthey offer all the whole wheat nutrients, without the characteristically nutty flavor.
- All-purpose flour
- Whole wheat pastry flour
- White whole wheat flour
*To substitute oat flour, youll need to use 2 1/2 cups, for reasons elaborated in my guide to oat flour.
Want to make your banana bread with almond flour? You sure can, but its not a simple substitute, so follow my almond flour-based banana bread recipe instead.
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One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe Tips & Tricks
TIP 1: Don’t overmix your batter to help keep it nice and tender.
TIP 2: Did your banana bread come out excessively browned on the sides? Try using a glass or lighter colored metal pan. Darker metal pans can sometimes lead to uneven and darker browning.
TIP 3: You’ll know your banana bread is done when you insert a toothpick or butter knife into the center, thickest part of the banana bread and it comes out clean .
Substitute For Chocolate Chips
I use milk chocolate chips or occasionally semi-sweet as these are what the kids prefer, they are not keen on dark chocolate. But if you want to use dark chocolate chips, then feel free to make the swap.
I do not recommend omitting the chocolate chips altogether as they add to the sweetness, and as we don’t use a great amount of maple syrup, you will lose a lot of the sweetness if you omit those chocolate chips.
If you are not keen on chocolate then raisins are a great substitute, I would add in a pinch of cinnamon too if you like it to compliment the flavour.
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Forgot About The Bundle Of Bananas Sitting On Your Counter Put Them To Good Use With This Healthy Banana Bread Recipe From A Registered Dietitian
When life gives you overripe bananas, make banana bread. Thats how the saying goes, right?
While the baked good may seem like a way to turn an otherwise healthy fruit into a quasi dessert, it doesnt have to be bad for you.
With a few twists on a classic, your overly ripe bananas can be fully transformed into a healthy treat. Not only is this banana bread recipe healthy, but it even includes chocolate chips.
Whether you got too busy to eat them, totally forgot about them, or simply bought too big of a bunch, theres a good chance at least a few of your bananas ripened too fast. Realizing you dont have to throw out food or money makes banana bread even sweeter.
I love being able to repurpose food that would otherwise get tossed.
Unripened bananas are green and have a high starch content. As they ripen, they turn from green to yellow to brown, and the starch gets converted to sugar. With a lower percentage of starch and higher percentage of sugar, the flesh of the fruit sweetens.
So while they may look less appealing than their bright yellow siblings, brown-spotted bananas are extra sweet and perfect for turning into warm bread.