This is the banana bread you have been waiting for! It’s made all in one bowl, filled with chocolate chips, and it uses up those overly brown bananas just waiting to be rescued from your fruit bowl. This banana bread recipe stays soft and fresh for several days, making this an ideal choice for an easy breakfast or tea-time snack. I use olive oil, which seals in moisture, provides healthy fats and makes it dairy-free. It’s adaptable, should you choose to throw in some walnuts or pecans, or experiment with the type of chocolate chips. A tropical version with coconut, macadamia nuts and white chocolate is outrageously good. Grab a bowl and a loaf pan, and let’s jump into this classic treat!

Baking can often be seen as a fall or winter pastime. Summer isn’t all about backyard barbecues and poolside salads. I like a cozy, warm baked good year-round! Kids home for the summer love to help make this easy, quick bread, and it’s nice to have a snack on hand for those long days. I’ve never met a kid who didn’t enjoy smashing the bananas for banana bread. A potato masher works wonders for this job!

You probably already have all the ingredients for this recipe just waiting for you in your kitchen right now. Should you come across some very ripe bananas and no time to bake, you can freeze them in their peels until you’re ready. Simply defrost them on the counter top an hour or so before baking. Personally, I really enjoy dark chocolate chips like Trader Joe’s 70% chips. You can certainly bake these as muffins, but I find slicing a thick slice of banana bread more satisfying. I keep the loaf in a cake stand or covered dish and slice as I go to protect moisture. How you choose to top your slice is up to you, but I firmly believe that nothing beats a swoosh of soft, salted butter. Peanut butter or jam could make an interesting flavor combination as well. You really can’t go wrong with spreads, but this banana bread tastes great on its own.

One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (1 loaf)

Ingredients

3 very ripe bananas (spotty to fully brown)

2/3 cup brown sugar (you can substitute white sugar but brown adds moisture)

1/3 cup olive oil (vegetable oil or melted coconut oil or butter)

1 egg

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips (I like Trader Joe’s 70% dark chocolate chips)

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×5 inch standard loaf pan. 
2. Mash bananas in a large bowl with a potato masher or forks. You can also use the bowl of a stand mixer and let the paddle attachment beat the bananas.
3. Add the sugar, egg and slowly add in the oil while whisking or mixing. White sugar can be used in place of brown sugar, but brown sugar really adds to the flavor and protects moisture.
4. Add in the flour, salt and baking soda. Gently stir together until the batter is just combined but no lumps of flour remain.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips until they are well distributed throughout the batter.
6. Pour and scrape batter into the greased loaf pan.
7. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven but allow the banana bread to cool in the pan completely. Once cool enough to handle, remove the banana bread and store in a sealed container. Do not slice it all at once. Slice off portions as you go to protect moisture.