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Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This vegan chocolate chip banana bread is sweet, cakey and super moist. It makes a delicious afternoon snack and tastes great served with nut butter.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread On A White Cake Stand

What could possibly be better than banana bread, I hear you ask? Well, let me tell you…

*vegan chocolate chip banana bread*

Yesterday was actually my first time ever tasting, let alone baking banana bread with chocolate chips in it. I cannot believe I went so long without it.

I’ve been really in the mood for banana bread lately but since I’ve already made regular vegan banana bread hundreds of times, I thought I’d switch the recipe up a bit by adding some chocolatey goodness. Not to toot my own horn, but it was amazing.

The inside was nice and moist but also a little bit cakey and light, which is something I had struggled to achieve when I first made banana bread.

I managed to do this by reducing the number of bananas, switching from plain flour to self-raising flour, and adding a pinch of baking powder. Perfection.

Adding in some vegan chocolate chips also gave a lovely texture and rich flavour, making it even more enjoyable.

Is banana bread vegan?

Traditionally speaking, no. Usually you’ll find that most banana bread recipes call for eggs and dairy. But because bananas act as a very simple egg substitute, there was absolutely no need to include eggs in this recipe.

This recipe uses self-raising flour so it leavens beautifully on its own without eggs. And the moisture of the bananas helps to hold it together really well, meaning you don’t get that crumbly mess you can sometimes end up with when baking eggless desserts!

And the dairy part? I simply switched dairy butter for vegan margarine. It gives the same taste, same texture, and results in beautifully moist banana bread. This vegan baking thing ain’t as hard as you might think!

How ripe should bananas be for baking?

For the perfect vegan chocolate chip banana bread, you want your bananas to be super spotty and brown. If they’re not ripe enough, a.k.a. if they are still completely yellow or green, your banana bread will lack sweetness.

On the other hand, if your bananas are completely black on the outside, they should be discarded as they may contain harmful bacteria. You want something that looks a little like this:

Two Bananas With Brown Spots On Them

Not too black, but definitely ripe and spotty.

How to ripen bananas quickly in the oven

What about those times when you don’t have ripe bananas to hand, but absolutely NEED to make banana bread this very second? If your bananas are still pale and nowhere near ready to bake with, all you have to do is pop them in the oven for a bit!

I find that baking them at 180°C (160°C fan) for around 5-10 minutes or so works best. The skin will be black when you take them out, but note that this isn’t the same as the black bananas that I just told you that you should discard. They should be brown and squishy inside. Doing this actually makes them a lot easier to mash too.

How to make chocolate chip banana bread

Step 1:

The first step for this recipe is to preheat your oven to 180°C. You’ll also need to line or grease a 2lb loaf tin.

Step 2:

Mash 200g of ripe bananas in a small bowl. Set aside for now.

Mashed Bananas In A Bowl

Step 3:

Next, cream 120g of vegan margarine and 150g of caster sugar together in a large bowl. To ‘cream’ simply means to beat air into the margarine/sugar to help the banana bread stay nice and fluffy.

Using a wooden spoon, “smear” the butter and sugar along the sides of the bowl until completely combined. Keep doing it for a little longer until it becomes fluffier and turns a pale yellow colour.

Step 4: 

Add the mashed bananas to the bowl with your margarine and sugar, as well as 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Give it all a good mix.

Step 5:

Add 250g of self-raising flour to the bowl, plus 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 125ml of unsweetened soy milk.

Fold everything together to make a thick batter. You can “fold” by tracing a figure of 8 with your spoon until everything is combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter otherwise your banana bread might end up with tough or crispy edges.

Step 6:

The most important part of chocolate chip banana bread: the chocolate chips! Add 100g of vegan chocolate chips and gently fold them in. I used Morrison’s dark chocolate chips.

Adding Chocolate Chips To The Banana Bread Batter

Step 7:

Spoon your batter into your pre-prepared loaf tin. Bake for 50-55 minutes.

How do I know when my banana bread is done?

You can check if it’s ready by inserting a toothpick or small knife into the middle. It may have a few crumbs stuck to it but it should come out clean without any batter sticking to it.

If the toothpick/knife comes out with batter on it, put your banana bread back into the oven and recheck it every 5 minutes or so until it comes out clean.

Baked Banana Bread With Chocolate Chips In It

When it’s done, leave it out to rest for around 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack until it’s completely cool. Once cooled, cut into slices and serve! And try not to eat the whole thing at once, lol!

Serving suggestions

While this dessert is delicious on its own, you can add some toppings when you serve it if you want to be extra fancy. Some of my favourites are:

  • Nut butter (cashew, almond, peanut…)
  • Dairy-free butter or margarine
  • Vegan chocolate spread (Vego is incredible)
  • Coconut yoghurt
  • Strawberry jam

Top tips:

  • Use super ripe bananas for a sweet, moist centre.
  • Freeze ripe bananas if you want to save them for baking at a later date. Defrost at room temperature before mashing.
  • Fold in the flour using a figure of 8 motion with your spoon for a light, cakey texture.
  • Mix the batter gently and don’t overmix.
  • Try using white chocolate for white chocolate chip banana bread. IChoc is delicious.
Close Up Of Slice Choc Chip Banana Bread

FAQ:

How should vegan chocolate chip banana bread be stored?

I find that banana bread keeps best when stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. You can also add some paper towel in there to prevent it from going soggy too quickly. I personally think it tastes better the day after it’s been baked but it never stays around much longer than that. We always eat it right up!

Can it be frozen?

Yes! To freeze, wrap the cooled banana bread tightly with tin foil or plastic wrap. It will keep well in the freezer for 3-4 months. When you’re ready to eat, unwrap it and leave it on a wire rack at room temperature. After an hour or two, it will be thawed and you can enjoy as normal!

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

I have never tested it so cannot guarantee it will but I imagine that a gluten-free self-raising flour blend would work. You may need to add a little extra soy milk or banana to retain the moisture.

I have had success swapping regular flour for Doves Farm gluten-free blend (ratio 1:1) in some of my other baking recipes. There are, of course, many other gluten-free flour alternatives but I find that things like oat flour or buckwheat flour change the taste and/or texture a little too much for it to still taste like traditional banana bread. If you give it a go with the gluten-free blend, let me know how you get on!

Where can I find vegan chocolate chips?

Quite a lot of the dark chocolate chips you’ll find in the baking section at supermarkets are accidentally vegan. This just means that they contain no animal products but aren’t necessarily targeted at vegans. Some of my favourites are Asda dark chocolate drops, Sainsbury’s dark chocolate chips & Morrison’s dark chocolate chips (this is what I used for this recipe).

Check out this vegan chocolate guide for info about other vegan chocolate chips that may be available near you. And if all else fails, just grab a bar of your favourite vegan chocolate, cut it up and use chocolate chunks instead of chips.

Slice Of Vegan Choc Chip Banana Bread On A Plate

I hope you enjoy this vegan chocolate chip banana bread! If you give it a go, please leave me a comment to let me know what you think. Happy baking! xo

Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
5 from 5 votes
Print

Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

A vegan twist on classic banana bread, packed with dairy-free chocolate chips!

Course Dessert
Cuisine vegan
Keyword vegan chocolate chip banana bread
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 10 slices
Calories 376 kcal

Ingredients

  • 200 g Ripe bananas (with brown spots)
  • 120 g Vegan margarine
  • 150 g Caster sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 250 g Self-raising flour
  • 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon (optional)
  • 125 ml Unsweetened soy milk
  • 100 g Vegan chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C for fan ovens). Grease or line a 2lb loaf tin.

  2. Mash the bananas in a small bowl.

  3. In a large bowl, mix together the margarine, caster sugar and vanilla extract.

  4. Add the self-raising flour, cinnamon and soy milk. Mix well to make a thick batter.

  5. Fold in the chocolate chips.

  6. Spoon the batter into your loaf tin and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 50-55 minutes. You'll know it's ready when a toothpick through the centre comes out clean.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 376 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Sodium 87mg4%
Carbohydrates 48g16%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 24g27%
Protein 6g12%
* All values are an estimate only and will vary depending on the food brands used.
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Recipe Rating




Clare

Sunday 23rd of July 2023

My family adore this recipe. Perfect for lunch boxes. Easy recipe to follow and simple ingredients we always have on hand in the pantry. We love the addition of cinnamon also. Thanks Chloe.

Chloe

Monday 24th of July 2023

Thank you so much Clare! Glad you like the recipe 😄

Anna

Thursday 9th of March 2023

Hi, this recipe is different to the original one. I’ve noticed you’ve just updated it this week as I actually used it last week. Can you please post the original one in the comments as that was amazing as I don’t want to change anything. It didn’t have cinnamon or vanilla extract in. I can’t remember if the quantities of the margarine and sugar were the same either. :(

Chloe

Thursday 9th of March 2023

Hey Anna, yes I changed it to match my other banana bread recipe as I was happier with the texture and flavour of that one. Here is the old recipe:

180 g Caster sugar 110g margarine 3 medium Ripe mashed bananas 180ml Almond milk 250g Self-raising flour 100g Dark chocolate chips

1. Mix the margarine and sugar together. Add the mashed bananas and milk and mix well. 2. Stir in the flour then fold in the chocolate chips. 3. Bake in a loaf tin at 180°C for around 1 hour 10 minutes.

Frances

Tuesday 18th of June 2019

Could I double this up and make a traybake?

Chloe

Tuesday 18th of June 2019

Hey Frances! I haven't tried it myself but I'm sure it would work no problem. I would recommend baking it for a bit less time, maybe somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes. Let me know how it goes if you try it :)

Lewis

Saturday 18th of May 2019

This tastes amazing!!! I had it with my morning coffee every day for a week! ??

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