Best Ever Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread

I like bananas two ways: fresh, just-turned yellow without a single brown spot, and banana bread. Before making this recipe years ago, I did everything I could to keep my bananas from ripening past their stage of light yellow perfection. I put them in the fridge–I know, I know, you think this is weird, but it works! I covered the stems in plastic wrap. I ate them like a looney in the hopes that I’d finish them before they turned and ended up in the trash (nobody wants this). But then one magical day, I discovered that I liked banana bread.

Against my better judgment in knowing how I feel about the flavor of ripe bananas, I tried some at a potluck. The lure was likely the fact that it was full of chocolate chips, but who’s keeping tabs here anyway. Well, my mind was blown. I liked banana bread? I liked banana bread! But there was one issue: this recipe was not plant based, and I wanted mine to be. So, I began the mission of creating the world’s best, chocolatiest, vegan banana bread recipe.

Through my experimentation with vegan baking, I’d found that, structurally, bananas can actually replace eggs in most baked goods. So there’s no real reason for using eggs in the batter anyway. And the butter? Always easily replaceable with oil or vegan butter substitutes. This was going to be a walk in the park. 

I started my banana bread journey by searching for the oldest, brownest, sweetest, softest bananas I could find. I was fortunate because one of my local grocers actually sold their old bananas at a seriously discounted price. I stockpiled so I’d never run out. 

After a few goes, I figured out the perfect consistency and flavor for my liking. And what’s more: this recipe is very forgiving. It pretty much always turns out delicious, even if you mess it up or experiment with ingredients a bit. Plus, it’s so easy, you can use one bowl!

The recipe calls for 3 to 4 very ripe bananas. If you’re like me, though, you are going to want to double the recipe because this treat plays a mean disappearing act. For the fat, I like to use melted Earth Balance vegan butter, but you can play around with this, as well. Maybe you only have coconut oil or canola oil in your pantry? Give it a try. I use a mix of both granulated white sugar and brown sugar. But I have even used coconut sugar in a pinch. For flavor, I add some vanilla extract. I typically use all purpose flour because it’s tried and true, but I have also incorporated healthier flours like almond or other, more nutritious gluten free options. Sometimes you have to play a bit with the ratios and cook times if you want to mix it up a little, but that’s all part of the fun. Then there’s the leavening: for this, a teaspoon of baking soda does the trick. Throw in the salt, and then fold in the chocolate chips, and you’ve got yourself a batter!

I usually prefer smaller portions, so I use a cupcake tin rather than a loaf pan. But as far as bakeware goes, I have honestly used everything from mini muffin tins to circular cake pans. Again, you’ll have some variation in the cook time, but it’s all very manageable, because the number one way I know they’re done is the delicious smell wafting through my home! Once you start to smell the bread, you know it’s almost ready, if not already there. A quick check for a cracked, golden top, and the poke of a toothpick that’s come out clean (aside from the melty, gooey chocolate chunks, of course), and you know it’s good to go. No timer necessary! But don’t worry, I’ll give you a cook time anyway. And I can truly say that in all the batches I’ve made, I’ve never really had it go horribly wrong.

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 3-4 bananas, very ripe
• 1/3 cup melted vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips (Trader Joe’s semi-sweet chips and Enjoy Life chips are all vegan)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Prepare a cupcake tin by lightly spraying with cooking oil
3. Melt vegan butter. If using a microwave, use a microwave safe container and heat by increments of 30 seconds. Stir to check for remaining solid chunks. If using the stove, melt butter in a saucepan over med-low heat. Stir and remove immediately once melted to avoid burning. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. Place peeled bananas in a large mixing bowl and mash them well with a potato masher or fork.
5. Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and melted butter. Mix well.
6. Mix in the flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir until well combined, but avoid over-mixing. The batter will be quite thick.
7. Fold in the chocolate chips.
8. Spoon batter into prepared cupcake tin.
9. Bake for 20 minutes. You should see a golden brown color around the sides and a cracked top. A toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins should come out clean (of course there will be melted chocolate chips on the toothpick, but you shouldn’t see any wet batter).
10. Remove from oven and let cool. Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• Play around with mix-in options. You can add fresh raspberries, or blueberries. Maybe try some dried fruit and nuts. Whatever flavors you like will work great in this batter.
• Remember that the smaller the bakeware, the less time in the oven, and the larger the bakeware, the more time. You should be able to smell the bread when it’s close to being done, and you should be able to see some golden brown on the edges and top, along with a cracked crust. If using a loaf pan, set a timer for 45 minutes, and do a toothpick check. If not done, bake for a few more minutes, checking on it periodically. If using a mini muffin tin, bake for about 15 minutes and perform the toothpick test.
• If using a loaf pan, spray with oil and line with a sheet of parchment paper that comes up over the sides for easy removal
• If you have too many bananas to use, you can freeze them. I like to remove the peels and slice before storing them in a freezer safe bag or container so they’re more readily usable when needed.