Chocolate Espresso Banana Bread (Printable)

Rich, moist banana bread swirled with cocoa and espresso, studded with chocolate chips.

# What You’ll Need:

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour

02 - 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

03 - 1 tsp baking soda

04 - 1/2 tsp salt

05 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar

08 - 2 large eggs, at room temperature

09 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

10 - 2 tbsp brewed espresso or strong coffee, cooled

11 - 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper.

02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

03 - In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas, melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and espresso. Whisk until smooth.

04 - Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined—do not overmix.

05 - Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

06 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.

07 - Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs (not wet batter).

08 - Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

01 -

The espresso deepens the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee, so even skeptics will ask for seconds
This bread manages to be incredibly moist while still having that tender, bakery-style crumb that makes it feel special

02 -

Don't worry if a deep crack forms down the center, that's completely normal and actually a sign of proper rising
If the top is browning too quickly before the center is done, tent it loosely with aluminum foil for the last 15 minutes

03 -

If your bananas aren't quite ripe enough, place them in a paper bag with an apple for 24 hours to speed up the process
Let the batter rest in the pan for 5 minutes before baking to help the flour absorb the liquid evenly