Calling all chocolate lovers, this super moist Double Chocolate Banana Bread is about to blow your mind. It’s chocolate banana bread with chopped peanut butter cups swirled into the batter for warm and gooey pockets of delicious in every bite. Then extra chocolate cups top the banana bread for *extra* chocolate peanut butter goodness!
It’s moist and sweet enough to be a healthy dessert or indulgent breakfast + it pairs very well with a cup of coffee or cold milk! And I’m not even joking when I say I “tested” this recipe at least three times before I was able to save it long enough to photograph. It’s just too good to save!
If you’re looking for more banana recipes, be sure to check these two blog favorites! Almond Flour Banana Muffins that are moist and fluffy with gooey chunks of chocolate in every bite. PB &J Banana Bread with sweet swirls of jelly and gooey peanut butter jelly cups for that nostalgic flavor we all love!
Ingredients
Gluten Free Flour – This must be a 1:1 flour replacement, my favorite to use is Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF Baking Flour.
Almond Flour – Keeps the banana bread gluten free but also super moist and fluffy. Make sure this is fine ground almond flour and not almond meal, very important for proper texture!
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – I prefer using cocoa powder instead of cacao powder while baking, this helps achieve that rich chocolate banana bread flavor.
Baking Soda – Helps this gluten free banana bread rise and have a lighter texture.
Coconut Sugar – A refined sugar free sweetener that gives a slight caramel-esc flavor this double chocolate banana bread!
Eggs – Adds structure to the bread and helps it rise naturally while baking.
Over Ripe Bananas – Key to any great banana bread is to use *very* ripe bananas. You want them extra soft and gooey, the more brown the better!
Coconut Oil – A healthy fat that adds moisture to the bread and helps bind it together.
Vanilla Extract – Elevates the natural flavors and sweetness of the recipe.
Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups – My absolute favorite add in, these Theo Chocolate peanut butter cups add so much flavor and make this into a true double chocolate banana bread. Feel free to sub for regular chocolate chips if needed but I highly recommend these cups!
Peanut Butter – Just a bit of PB swirled on top takes this chocolate banana bread over the top. I like using a runnier natural creamy peanut butter so it easy to swirl into the batter before baking.
How To Make Healthy Chocolate Banana Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Next, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together coconut sugar and eggs. Add mashed bananas and stir until combined. Whisk in melted coconut oil and vanilla extract until well combined.
- To the mixing bowl, fold in dry ingredients just until moistened.
- Last, gently stir in chopped dark chocolate PB cups until just combined.
- Pour batter into the parchment lined 9”x 5”loaf pan. Dollop a few tablespoons of peanut butter on top of batter and swirl. Move to the oven and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove from oven and top with 2 chopped PB cups.
- Move back to the oven and bake for an additional 25 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (try to avoid inserting into a piece of chopped chocolate PB cup) Let cool then slice and enjoy!
How To Make Banana Bread Moist
The key to a good banana bread recipe is to have the perfect moist and fluffy texture, not too wet and not too dry. After all, nobody wants a dry and crumbly or soggy and dense banana bread, that’s practically a crime in the kitchen!
I’m sharing a few of my top tips to achieve perfectly moist double chocolate banana bread. Follow these guidelines and you’ll have the best healthy banana bread yet!
- Measure your flour correctly! Use a spoon to gently scoop flour into the measuring cup versus just scooping the flour straight out of the bag with the measuring cup. This keeps the flour from getting “packed” into the measuring cup which could result in too much flour. And as we know, too much flour = dry banana bread.
- Use *very* ripe bananas. It makes the bread sweeter and more banana-y plus helps to keep the bread moist. Very ripe bananas are more gooey and moist whereas less ripe bananas are more dry and starchy.
- Let the coconut oil properly melt then cool before mixing it in. If you add the coconut oil while still warm, the cool ingredients will cause it to get clumpy. When the coconut oil mixes in smoothly, it results in even moisture distribution versus the clumpy coconut oil which can create dry pockets.
Chocolate Banana Bread Muffins
While I haven’t tested this particular banana bread turned into muffins, I have with my other bread recipes. I’d suggest scooping the batter into 10-12 lined muffin tins, filling about 3/4 the way full. Then bake at 350F for 20 – 25 minutes, testing with a toothpick to confirm when done.
Easy, quick, and great for meal prep! Store extra muffins in an airtight container or storage bag then freeze for later. Let thaw overnight or reheat in the microwave/oven for a tasty and warm muffin!
How to Store Double Chocolate Banana Bread
*If* you can manage to save a few slices for later, I suggest storing leftovers in an airtight container with a paper towel on top to absorb any excess moisture. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the fridge for a week. You can also freeze a few slices for a quick breakfast or sweet treat!
For more delicious bread recipes, check out these healthy recipes with a citrus kick to them. Perfect for breakfast, a snack, or even a sweet treat to end a meal!
Orange Zucchini Bread is fluffy and bursting with fresh orange flavor. It’s the perfect spring and summer time loaf to use up extra zucchini and sneak some greens into your diet!
Cranberry Orange Bread that’s moist, fluffy, and just sweet enough to compliment the tart bite of cranberry and zing from fresh orange zest. The glaze on top takes the flavor over the top and adds an extra sweetness that’s just SO good.
If you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you, and it also helps other people find this recipe when they search online for the BEST EVER Double Chocolate Banana Bread 🙂
Ingredients
- 1 cup GF flour must be a 1:1 flour replacement*
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅔ cup coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2⅓ cup very overripe bananas mashed (~5 medium or 4 large)
- ½ cup coconut oil melted and cooled
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 ea Theo Chocolate double chocolate peanut butter cups (divided) 4, 2-packs, rough chopped
- 2 tbsp natural creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Next, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together coconut sugar and eggs. Add mashed bananas and stir until combined. Whisk in melted coconut oil and vanilla extract until well combined.
- To the mixing bowl, fold in dry ingredients just until moistened.
- Last, gently stir in chopped dark chocolate PB cups until just combined.
- Pour batter into the parchment lined 9”x 5”loaf pan. Dollop a few tablespoons of peanut butter on top of batter and swirl. Move to the oven and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove from oven and top with 4 chopped pb cups
- Move back to the oven and bake for an additional 25 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (try to avoid inserting into a piece of chopped PB cup.). Let cool then slice and enjoy!
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Absolutely a favorite in my baking rotation! Moist,,flavorful, and not overly sweet. It freezes very well, too.
Love to hear that!!! Thanks for leaving a review! – Casey
This recipe is awesome 🤩
So glad you loved it!! – Casey 🙂
What can I substitute for the bananas ? I’m out of bananas?
Since this is a banana bread recipe, I don’t suggest making this recipe if you don’t have ripe bananas!
Can I use hersheys special dark cocoa instead of regular cocoa powder? I’m a dark chocolate fan, lol. 😊.
Yes that should work no problem! Hope you love this recipe!! – Casey 🙂
If I am using all-purpose flour instead of gluten-free should I do 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose or 1 cup of all-purpose and 3/4 cup of almond?
I haven’t tested this recipe with all-purpose flour, but if I were to try, I would do 1 cup of all-purpose and 3/4 cup of almond flour! – Casey
This is so delicious!! I made it as laid out in the recipe, just omitted the peanut butter and subbed the peanut butter cups with chopped Theo’s dark chocolate and Enjoy Life chocolate chips. The texture is amazing, it’s not too sweet, and the rise on it was perfect. The perfect way to use up my 36853467 super ripe bananas! This will be my dessert tonight (and tomorrow, and the next day)… Thanks again, Casey!
Thank you for leaving such a sweet review, Tori! So glad to hear you loved the recipe and were able to make it work without the peanut butter – it’s just as delicious as a chocolate banana bread!! Hope you can find some other recipes you love on my site too 🙂 – Casey
I liked the recipe as it is very easy to make but you didn’t mention any subs for the Theo chocolate peanut butter as I’m allergic to peanut. Anyway I used regular chocolate chips and it turned out very good but not too sweet as my husband expected. I also subs the coconut oil for avocado oil as I ran out of coconut oil. Can you please mention some subs for the peanut butter and chocolate for this recipe?
Hi Felicia! You could sub an almond butter cup from a brand like Unreal Chocolate instead and then add almond butter swirls on top! Like you mentioned, chocolate chips would also be another great substitution 🙂 Hope this helps!
– Casey