Chocolate Espresso Banana Bread
This delightful quick bread combines rich cocoa, robust espresso, and sweet bananas, perfect for brunch or dessert gatherings.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp espresso powder
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil Can substitute with coconut oil for a vegan option.
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 pieces eggs (room temp)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream Can substitute with dairy-free yogurt.
- 1 cup ripe bananas (mashed) Use bananas with plenty of brown spots for maximum flavor.
Add-ins
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips Plus a few extras for topping.
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Plus a few extras for topping.
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour For dusting chocolate chips.
- ¼ piece banana (cut into 2 long thin slices)
- 1 tsp granulated sugar To sprinkle over banana slices.
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a loaf pan by greasing it or lining it with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and espresso powder until well combined.
- In another bowl, mix the olive oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and eggs. Beat until smooth, then stir in the vanilla extract, sour cream, and mashed bananas.
- Gradually add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Fold just until no floury bits remain. Be careful not to overmix!
- Sprinkle the dark and semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter. Toss a little bit of flour with the chocolate chips to help suspend them in the batter.
- Transfer the batter into your prepared loaf pan and arrange the banana slices on top. Sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over the banana slices and top with a few extra chocolate chips.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 55-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about ten minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Chocolate Espresso Banana Bread is great on its own or can be enjoyed with a pat of butter, honey, vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream. For optimal freshness, store it wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze slices for up to 3 months.