Banana Chocolate Chunk Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter or spray and line with parchment paper leaving an overhang for easier removal.

Toast nuts if using: spread nuts on a baking sheet and toast in the preheating oven 5–7 minutes until fragrant; cool and roughly chop.

Mash bananas

In a large bowl, mash ~3 very ripe medium bananas with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth with a few small lumps, measuring about 2 cups.

Combine wet ingredients

To the mashed bananas add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter (cooled slightly), eggs, milk, and vanilla. Whisk or beat with a spatula until mixture is smooth and homogenous.

Combine dry ingredients

In a separate medium bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt so the leavening is evenly distributed.

Fold dry into wet: Add the dry ingredients to the wet banana mixture in two additions, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix; a few streaks of flour are okay. If batter seems very thick, add up to 1–2 tablespoons of milk to reach a scoopable but thick batter.

Reserve 2–3 tablespoons of chocolate chunks for the top. Fold the remaining semisweet chocolate chunks and optional dark chunks and chopped toasted nuts into the batter until evenly distributed.

Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Scatter the reserved chocolate chunks over the surface and sprinkle the coarse sugar if using for a pretty, slightly crunchy top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50–65 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs and melted chocolate (not wet batter). Start checking at 50 minutes to avoid overbaking.

If the top is browning too quickly before the center is set, tent the loaf loosely with aluminum foil for the remaining bake time.

Remove the loaf from the oven and let it rest in the pan on a wire rack for 10–15 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to lift the loaf out, then cool at least 30 minutes before slicing to allow the chocolate to set and flavors to meld.

Serve slices warm or at room temperature. Leftover banana chocolate loaf keeps well wrapped at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days (bring to room temperature or warm briefly before serving). For longer storage, freeze sliced pieces up to 3 months.