Chocolate Banana Bread
Updated Apr 25, 2025
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This wonderfully rustic chocolate banana bread is baked in a skillet and super moist, tender, and delicious. It’s easy to make, combining pantry staples with cocoa powder, mashed bananas, yogurt, and warm spices. Chocolate cake meets homemade banana bread!
5 Star Review
“Very tasty and, importantly, very forgiving recipe. I reduced the sugar in half, and it still tasted good. Love that it is a simple recipe with minimum ingredients. Highly recommend.” – Carol
Easy Chocolate Banana Bread Baked in a Skillet
This chocolate banana bread recipe is seriously loaded with rich chocolate and sweet banana flavor. It’s incredibly moist, thanks to the yogurt and olive oil, and the presentation is just gorgeous. I love the extra touch of sliced bananas on top! A couple of weekends ago, I had five VERY ripe bananas that needed to be used up, stat. Plus, I was (as always) craving chocolate, and my cast iron skillet was sitting there begging to be used, so that’s how this chocolate skillet banana bread came to life.
Of course, you can always bake your chocolate banana bread in a traditional loaf pan if preferred. You could even bake this recipe as banana bread muffins. For another favorite banana bread recipe, try my peanut butter banana bread (with candied bacon!) and blueberry banana bread next.
What Makes This Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe So Special
- It’s the best of both worlds. Reminiscent of my chocolate olive oil cake, those rich, fudgy flavors meet the sweet, cozy spices of banana bread, all in one! Every bite is moist, chocolatey, and melts in your mouth.
- Baking in a skillet is a fun twist that makes this banana bread beautifully rustic.
- This recipe uses simple pantry ingredients, and the batter comes together quickly. No fancy steps, no fussy techniques. Just stir, pour, bake, and enjoy.
- Because of the yogurt and olive oil, this chocolate banana bread stays moist for days. It also freezes beautifully, so you can stash a few slices away for a chocolate emergency. (We all have them. 😉)
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below are the ingredients that ensure this fudgy banana bread recipe turns out moist, flavorful, and perfectly textured. For the exact measurements and recipe details, see the recipe card further down the post.
- The Basics – These include all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract. Essential ingredients give the bread structure, help it rise, add sweetness, and round out the flavor.
- Cocoa Powder – Make sure you’re using natural, unsweetened cocoa powder since this recipe calls for baking soda. The acidity in natural (un-Dutched) cocoa powder reacts with the baking soda, which gives the banana bread a proper rise.
- Spices – Ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg add a warm, cozy flavor that pairs perfectly with chocolate and banana.
- Extra-virgin Olive Oil – Makes the bread super moist. I like extra-virgin olive oil because it has a light, mild flavor that complements the chocolate. You can swap with vegetable oil or melted butter if you prefer.
- Ripe Bananas – Overripe bananas add natural sweetness, moisture, and that classic banana bread flavor.
- Plain Yogurt – Adds moisture and tenderness to the crumb. Sour cream or Greek yogurt can be used instead.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Cooling tip. If you’re using a loaf pan, let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.
- Don’t overmix. Mix just until the dry and wet ingredients are combined. Overmixing can make the bread dense instead of soft and tender.
- Swap the chocolate chips. Feel free to use white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or even chunks of dark chocolate instead.
- Try different nuts. Walnuts are classic, but pecans or even chopped hazelnuts would be delicious too. Or you can leave the nuts out completely.
- Make it extra chocolatey. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top before baking.
- Freeze for later. Wrap cooled slices tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm gently in the microwave.
Can I Bake This in a Loaf Pan Instead?
Yes. No skillet? No problem! You can also bake this banana bread in a 9×5 loaf pan. Just know the baking time will be a little longer, about 50 to 60 minutes.
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Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a whisk or fork
- 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips, chopped, optional
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, optional
- 2 bananas, sliced in half lengthwise, for topping, optional but recommended
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with olive oil and set aside.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, light brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, eggs, mashed bananas, yogurt, and vanilla.
- Combine the ingredients. Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and fold with a spatula until just combined. If using, fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.
- Bake. Transfer the batter into the previously prepared skillet. Place sliced bananas on top of the batter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Cool and serve. Let the banana bread cool in the skillet for 30 minutes; cut and serve.
Equipment
Notes
- Using a 9×5-inch loaf pan. You can bake this banana bread in a loaf pan, but the baking time will be 50 to 55 minutes. When done, remove it from the oven and let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack and cool completely before cutting.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How To Make Chocolate Banana Bread
This really is one of the easiest quick bread recipes. You don’t even need a stand mixer. Just some mixing bowls, a spatula, and a whisk. The hardest part is just waiting for it to cool because the smell of freshly baked chocolate banana bread is pure heaven.
- Get ready to bake. Set your oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet with olive oil and set it aside. You can also use a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Separately, whisk together the olive oil, eggs, mashed bananas, yogurt, and vanilla.
- Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently fold together with a spatula until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts, if using.
- Fill the skillet. Now, pour the batter into the prepared skillet and spread it out evenly. Arrange the sliced bananas over the top, cut side up.
- Bake. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the banana bread cool in the skillet for about 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Proper Storage
- Store airtight. Cover the bread tightly and keep it at room temperature for up to 5 days, or store it in the fridge for up to a week. Honestly, it tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have had time to settle together.
- Freeze. To freeze this chocolate banana bread, remove it from the skillet and wrap the whole bread, or individual slices, with plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw the bread at room temperature whenever a craving for chocolate strikes.
Very tasty and importantly very forgiving recipe. I reduced the sugar in half and it still tasted good. Look that it is a simple recipe with minimum ingredients. Highly recommend.
This looks amazing! Love that you made the banana bread in a cast iron skillet!
My family loves banana bread, so I can’t wait to try this recipe out!
This banana bread looks incredible! I love that it’s made in a skillet- and has chocolate! YES 😀
Chocolate and banana are great together. I love that you used a skillet for this recipe. I love utilizing my skillets.
Made this with my two year old this afternoon. BIG winner!! Dense and fudgy. I used milk chocolate chips ( it’s what I had) and made them into cupcakes complete with sweet little banana slice on top of each. Baked them at 350 for 18 minutes to perfection. I popped a bite in my little boys mouth, and he went walking around the house just going, “mmm…mmmm,” like he had never had anything quite so delicious :). Thank you so much for posting!
I COULD NOT FIND THE AMOUNT OF THE INGREDENTS FOR THE SKILLET CHOCOLATE BANANA SLICE CAKE/ WHERE WOULD I FIND IT. I GOT THE INGREDIENTS THERE NO CUPS OR ANY AMOUNTS OF THE INGREDIENTS
Hi! There’s a recipe card at the bottom of the post. You just have to scroll down, past all the photos. There you will find measurements, all ingredients, and cooking temp.