Gluten Free Double Chocolate Banana Bread

I love this recipe because it's not just (gluten free) chocolate chip banana bread; it's DOUBLE CHOCOLATE banana bread. This means there's cocoa powder in the batter plus a generous amount of chocolate chips, and then it's finished with more chocolate chips sprinkled over the top. Basically, if you love chocolate and bananas, this bread is for you.

I love that you can make this recipe gluten-free or not as needed; either oat flour or whole wheat flour adds a lovely dose of whole grain goodness and pairs so nicely with the mashed bananas. I always throw in a big pinch of ground cinnamon to offset the chocolate (I love the marriage of chocolate + cinnamon), though that addition is up to you. Olive oil brings a floral richness and brown sugar adds caramelly sweetness.

I caution that this is a very rich, fudgy, and decadent loaf. My oldest found it a tad too much for her, so if you like a more traditional banana bread, I recommend my oat flour banana bread or oat flour chocolate chip banana bread. For the true chocolate lovers out there, this one's for you.

Ingredients Needed

Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!

• Flour - Use whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour if you don't need to keep gluten-free. I prefer oat flour or brown rice flour for a gluten-free version.
• Cocoa powder - Always use unsweetened cocoa powder! If not, the loaf will be overly sweet.
• Baking soda
• Salt - I use fine sea salt, and table salt is fine, too.
• Cinnamon - I love a bit of ground cinnamon, which plays so nicely against the chocolate. You can leave this out if you prefer.
• Bananas - Soft, ripe, brown bananas are best here. I used 3 large or 4 medium bananas.
• Olive oil - I use extra-virgin olive oil. Swap melted coconut oil if you prefer.
• Brown sugar - Light or dark brown sugar is fine.
• Egg - I used a large egg.
• Semisweet chocolate chips - Or use chopped chocolate. I prefer semisweet chocolate so that the loaf isn't too too sweet.

Variation Ideas/Etc.

• Milk chocolate - Feel like upping the ante? Use milk chocolate chips!!
• Add nuts - I decided to keep this recipe nut-free, but if you want a bit of crunch to offset the richness of the chocolate, ½ cup of chopped walnuts or hazelnuts would be *chef's kiss.
• Coconut - I do love coconut with chocolate. Add ½ cup of shredded coconut to the batter for a bit of coconut sweetness (like in my gluten free coconut banana bread recipe).

Tips & Recipe Notes

• You can use all-purpose flour but ... Yes, you absolutely can use all-purpose flour (or a gluten-free blend like my homemade gluten free flour blend) in this recipe. But I'd like to argue for using whole grain flour here. I'm always trying to add more whole grains when possible, and you won't even notice it's there.
• Cool the loaf completely. This is a moist loaf, but it will solidify as it cools. So, let it cool completely to warm room temperature or just room temperature to make sure it slices easily.
• Make it extra. Add two teaspoons of pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for extra flavor.
• Bake as muffins. You can bake this recipe as double chocolate banana muffins by portioning the batter into a lined or well-greased muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes, then test for doneness and continue baking if needed.
• To serve: Plain, or with a big swipe of cream cheese or creamy nut butter.

Proper Storage

• Counter - At room temperature, covered or in an airtight container, on the counter for up to 3 days (if it's hot, move to the fridge after 1 day).
• Fridge - Wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container or plastic bag in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freezer - Wrap the whole loaf in plastic and foil or place it in an airtight, freezer-safe bag and store it in the fridge for up to 3 months. You can also freeze in slices in a freezer-safe bag with a piece of parchment in between each slice to prevent sticking. Thaw the bread in the fridge before serving.