Three overripe bananas, a handful of chocolate chips, and about ten minutes of your time — the oven does the rest. This is the loaf that makes your whole house smell like home.
The single most important variable in banana bread isn't your flour or your oven — it's the bananas. You want them almost embarrassingly ripe: black-spotted, soft, fragrant. That's where all the sweetness and moisture live. Under-ripe bananas give you a dense, bland loaf. If yours aren't ready, toss them on a sheet pan and bake at 300°F for 15–20 minutes until the skins are black and they're soft through.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a standard 9×5 loaf pan — butter works, but a light coating of nonstick spray gets into the corners better. Set it aside.
Peel your 3 bananas into a large bowl and mash them with a fork until mostly smooth — a few small lumps are fine and actually give the bread character. Pour in the ⅓ cup melted butter and stir until everything is well combined.
Add the ½ cup brown sugar, 1 beaten egg, and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir until smooth. Then add the 1 tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt, and 1½ cups flour. Stir gently until just combined — you should still see a few streaks of flour.
Don't overmix — that's the fastest way to turn banana bread into a brick.Fold in the ½ cup chocolate chips with a spatula — just a few turns. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and scatter a generous handful of extra chips across the top. Press them in gently so they don't roll off during baking.
I always save about a third of the chips for the top. It makes the crust look absolutely stunning when they melt and get that crackly, slightly caramelized edge. That's the kind of detail that turns a good loaf into one people remember.
Bake for 50–60 minutes. Start checking at 50 minutes — insert a toothpick or thin knife into the center. It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. If you see wet batter, give it another 5 minutes.
Every oven lies. Trust the toothpick, not the timer.Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. This is the make-or-break moment for patience — let it cool completely before slicing. Cutting it warm collapses the crumb and you'll get a gummy center. Give it at least 30 minutes.
When banana bread comes out of the oven, the starches are still setting and steam is trapped inside. If you cut it open while it's hot, that steam escapes all at once and the structure collapses — giving you a sticky, gummy texture in the center. As it cools, the crumb firms up and the moisture redistributes evenly throughout the loaf. Patience here is the difference between good banana bread and great banana bread.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. It actually gets better on day two as the flavors deepen and the crumb becomes more tender.
To freeze, wrap individual slices in plastic, then foil. They'll keep for up to 3 months. Reheat a frozen slice in the toaster — treat it like a secret breakfast hack.
Day-old slices, slathered with salted butter and toasted in a hot pan until golden on both sides? That's not leftover banana bread. That's French toast's cooler, more spontaneous cousin.