Chocolate Espresso Banana Bread (Printable)

Moist banana bread meets rich dark chocolate and bold espresso for an irresistible twist on the classic loaf.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1 tsp baking soda
04 - 1/2 tsp salt

→ Wet Ingredients

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, room temperature
09 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
10 - 2 tbsp brewed espresso or strong coffee, cooled

→ Mix-ins

11 - 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

# Steps:

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 until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
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.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The espresso intensifies the chocolate without making it taste like coffee
  • It stays incredibly moist for days, unlike most quick breads that dry out
  • Everything comes together in one bowl without a mixer
02 -
  • Overmixing develops gluten and makes the bread tough instead of tender
  • The toothpick test should show moist crumbs, not come out completely clean
  • Letting it cool in the pan helps it set and prevents the middle from collapsing
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients prevent the melted butter from seizing when mixed
  • Measuring flour by weight rather than cups gives consistent results every time

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