Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare an 8″x5″ (or similar size) loaf pan by spraying it with baking spray that contains flour, or by greasing and lightly flouring it, a method that banana bread and baking guides commonly recommend to help the loaf release cleanly.
In a large mixing bowl, add the peeled ripe bananas and mash them thoroughly with a fork until completely smooth. Banana bread tutorials stress using very ripe, speckled bananas and mashing them well so you don’t end up with large chunks that affect baking and texture. Pour in the melted butter and stir until the butter and banana mixture is smooth and fully combined; one-bowl recipes specifically highlight melted butter as a shortcut that still delivers rich flavor and a moist crumb.
Stir in the sugar, lightly beaten egg, and vanilla extract until the mixture looks uniform and glossy. Sprinkle the baking soda and a pinch of salt over the surface and stir them in so they distribute evenly, a small but important step that many one-bowl banana bread methods use to avoid pockets of leavener. Add the all-purpose flour and gently stir until the batter is thick and no dry streaks remain, stopping as soon as everything is combined; banana bread and quick bread guides repeat that overmixing at this stage can make the crumb tough or dense instead of soft. Fold in the mini chocolate chips just until they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter, a technique mirrored in other chocolate chip banana bread recipes for even chocolate distribution.
Transfer the batter to your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula so it bakes evenly. If you want a prettier presentation, sprinkle a few extra mini chocolate chips on top of the batter, which is the same simple garnish recommended in the source recipe and similar blog versions. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. Many chocolate chip banana bread recipes give this same time range at 350°F and note that ovens vary, so it’s normal to start checking around 50 minutes and give it a few extra minutes if needed. If you see the top browning too quickly while the center is still underdone, banana bread troubleshooting guides suggest loosely tenting the loaf with foil for the rest of the baking time to protect the top.
Once baked, set the pan on a wire rack and let the banana bread cool completely before slicing. Storage and baking articles emphasize cooling all the way to room temperature before wrapping or cutting so the crumb can set properly and steam can escape without making the loaf gummy or soggy. When it’s cool, you can run a knife around the edge if needed, then turn out the loaf and slice with a serrated knife into thick or thin slices as you like; photos and videos of similar one-bowl chocolate chip banana breads show a moist crumb with visible banana flecks and chocolate chips throughout.