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This chocolate banana bread is perfect for those that love chocolate dessert but also want a healthy twist. It’s also delicious to eat with breakfast or as a snack!
This recipe uses simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand, especially if you do healthy baking. It’s so easy to throw together!
What’s the difference between cacao and cocoa?
Cacao powder and cocoa powder come from the same source, which is the cacao bean, but they undergo different processes that affect their nutritional value and flavor.
Cacao powder is made by cold-pressing unroasted cocoa beans, which preserves the enzymes and nutrients in the cocoa bean. Cacao is often considered a superfood because it is a rich source of antioxidants, flavonoids, and other beneficial compounds. These nutrients can help to protect the body against free radical damage, reduce inflammation, improve heart health, and enhance cognitive function. Additionally, cacao is a good source of minerals such as magnesium, iron, and zinc.
Cocoa powder, on the other hand, is made by roasting cocoa beans at high temperatures, which can destroy some of the enzymes and nutrients in the cocoa bean. This results in a milder chocolate flavor and a lower concentration of antioxidants and minerals.
Do they bake the same?
Cacao has a more intense flavor than cocoa, so I recommend increasing to 1/2 cup if you are using cocoa instead of cacao.
Chocolate Lovers Banana Bread
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Breakfast, Snack
- Method: Oven
Ingredients
1 1/3 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup almond flour, packed
1/3 cup unsweetened cacao powder (see notes if using cocoa instead of cacao)
1 tsp baking soda (make sure it’s fresh, see notes)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, divided (I use Hu no added sugar choc chips)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 inch glass loaf pan with coconut oil or line with parchment paper. Parchment paper makes it easier to remove bread.
- Mash your banana well, ensuring there are no large chunks.
- In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, honey, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, cacao powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Fold 1/4 cup choc chips, saving the rest for later.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top.
- Sprinkle the rest of the choc chips on top of the batter.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean (test a couple spots in case you accidentally poke a chocolate chip in the bread since it would be melted). Time will vary if using metal instead of glass (metal heats up quicker so it may be more like 45-50 minutes).
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
- Please leave a review if you made this recipe because it helps me SO MUCH!! Thank you!
Notes
If using cocoa instead of cacao, increase to 1/2 cup.
It’s important to always use fresh baking soda for any recipe! Don’t use baking soda that is older than 1 month. When you open your container of baking soda, write the date on the container. Once a month has passed, replace the container with a new one (instead of throwing mine out, I just put it in my refrigerator because it helps keep the refrigerator smelling fresh).
