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Chocolate Chip Banana Bars

Chocolate chip banana bars with a soft, chewy crumb and chocolate chips throughout. The golden, slightly crinkled top bakes up with melted chips that glisten across the surface.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 230
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bananas
  • 3 ripe bananas
Butter and sugar
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
Wet ingredients
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
Chocolate
  • 1.5 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips divided

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the pan and oven
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking pan or line with parchment. Make sure the pan is ready before you mix so the batter can go in right away.
Mix the batter
  1. Beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. You should see the mixture turn paler and look aerated.
  2. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Stop once fully blended with no streaks remaining.
  3. Stir in the mashed bananas until fully incorporated. The batter should look thick and uniform.
  4. Fold in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until just combined. Stop when you no longer see dry flour.
  5. Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Distribute them evenly through the batter.
Bake and cool
  1. Spread the batter evenly into the pan, then scatter the remaining chocolate chips across the top. Aim for a fairly even layer so each bar gets chips.
  2. Bake for 18–22 minutes at 350°F until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Look for a top that is set, lightly browned, and slightly crinkled.
  3. Cool completely before cutting into bars. This helps the soft interior firm up so the slices hold together.

Notes

For the most soft, chewy texture, mash the bananas until smooth (no large chunks) and don’t overmix after adding the flour. Store bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze up to 2 months. For a lighter option, replace half of the butter with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce for a slightly less rich but still moist result.