Martha Stewart Banana-Chocolate Bread

Martha Stewart Banana-Chocolate Bread is an easy loaf made with overripe bananas, sour cream and chopped bittersweet chocolate, ready in 1 hour 15 minutes. Save this easy dessert for holiday brunch, potluck night or a cozy fall weekend, because it freezes beautifully.

Chop the chocolate by hand instead of using chips, because the mix of tiny bits and bigger chunks gives you flavor in every slice. Skip that and you get even, one-note bites with no melty pockets.

Martha's loaf uses sour cream alongside the mashed bananas, which keeps the crumb tender and moist. Her recipe also calls for a full 6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, so the loaf tastes like dessert rather than plain banana bread.

Martha Stewart Banana-Chocolate Bread

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Calories

360

kcal

A tender, moist crumb studded with melty chocolate pockets and a deep banana flavor. The loaf bakes up golden with a soft center, then cools into clean, sliceable pieces.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
  

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
  

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  

• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
  

• 2 large eggs, room temperature
  

• 1 1/2 cups mashed overripe bananas (3 to 4)
  

• 2 tablespoons sour cream
  

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  

Directions

• Prep the pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F, then butter and flour a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan. Whisk 1 2/3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt together in a medium bowl.
• Cream butter and sugar: Beat 1/2 cup room-temperature butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar in a large bowl on medium-high for 3 minutes, until fluffy. Then add the 2 eggs one at a time, beating well after each and scraping down the bowl as needed.
• Add the bananas: Beat in 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas, 2 tablespoons sour cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla. The batter will look a little loose at this point, which is fine.
• Mix in flour and chocolate: Beat in the flour mixture and 6 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate on medium speed. Stop as soon as everything is combined, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake the loaf: Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. It's done when a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
• Cool and slice: Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn it out onto a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

Tools for this recipe

• USA Pan 1-pound loaf pan, KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer, Checkered Chef cooling racks, Lindt Excellence 70% cocoa bars, 12 pack. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

How long does banana chocolate bread keep?

Wrap it tightly in plastic and it keeps for up to 3 days at room temperature. For longer storage, freeze the wrapped loaf for up to 3 months and thaw it on the counter.

Can I use chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate?

You can, but chopped bittersweet chocolate gives a better mix of tiny flavor bits and bigger melty pockets. Chips are uniform and often hold their shape, so the loaf tastes less rich.

What if my bananas aren't ripe enough?

Put the unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for 15 minutes to soften. The skins will blacken, but the fruit inside turns soft and sweet enough to mash.

Can I swap the sour cream for something else?

Plain full-fat yogurt works in the same amount, since it adds similar tang and moisture. Because the recipe uses only 2 tablespoons, the swap won't change the texture much.

What's the most common mistake with this loaf?

Overmixing the batter once the flour goes in is the usual culprit, because it makes the crumb tough and dense. Beat just until the flour and chocolate are combined, then stop.