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Chocolate Espresso Banana Bread

Chocolate espresso banana bread with a fudgy interior, melted chocolate chips on top, and an espresso-glazed crust. This mocha banana bread bakes up deeply dark, moist, and slice-ready in one loaf pan.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana base
  • 3 bananas Use ripe bananas, mashed.
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter Melted.
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp instant espresso powder Dissolved in hot water.
  • 1 tbsp hot water
Dry ingredients
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.33 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Chocolate chips
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips Divided: 3/4 cup for folding, remaining for topping.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and mash
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. Mash the bananas, then whisk in the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, and dissolved espresso until smooth.
Mix dry and combine
  1. Sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
  2. Fold the dry mixture into the banana mixture until just combined, stopping as soon as no dry streaks remain.
Add chips and bake
  1. Fold in 3/4 cup of the dark chocolate chips and pour the batter into the loaf pan.
  2. Scatter the remaining chocolate chips over the top of the batter.
  3. Bake for 55–65 minutes at 350°F, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Cool and slice
  1. Cool the loaf in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out.
  2. Slice only once fully cooled so the interior stays fudgy.

Notes

Pro tip: Stop mixing the moment the flour disappears to keep the loaf moist and tender. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days; freeze sliced loaf for up to 2 months. For a dietary swap, use a plant-based butter substitute and plant-based eggs if desired—texture may be slightly softer but still works well for a chocolate chip banana loaf.