This chocolate chip banana bread recipe is my take on my mom's family recipe that's been passed down through generations! It's super moist and comes together with just 15 minutes of hands-on effort and simple ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease the bottom of a 4-well nonstick mini loaf pan (like the one linked above in the Equipment field) or 4 individual mini loaf pans.
Add the bananas to a large mixing bowl and mash thoroughly until smooth. A potato masher or a fork works great for this.
Add the remaining ingredients (minus the chocolate chips) to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Be careful not to overmix - stir by hand until the ingredients are just combined.
Finally, fold in the chocolate chips.
Fill the mini loaf pans about half to three-quarters of the way, making sure to evenly distribute the batter so all the loaves are the same size.
Bake the mini loaves for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the tallest loaf comes out clean. The loaves should be browned on top when they’re done.
Remove the mini loaves from the oven and let them cool in the pan for at least 1 hour. Then, transfer them to a wire cooling rack and cool completely before slicing and serving (or dig right in if you don’t mind not having clean slices)!
Notes
Greasing the pan: It's best to grease only the bottom of the pan as quick breads rely on the batter sticking to the sides of the pan to become tall and fluffy.Don't overmix: Overmixing the batter will cause your bread to become tough and chewy. This is why we recommend mixing by hand - it's easier to tell when the batter is just combined, and then stop mixing.Don't overfill the pan: As tempting as it may be to fill your loaf pan to the top, that'll leave you with an overflowing loaf. Make sure to only fill your pan about half way to three-quarters of the way.Set a shorter timer: It's always a good idea to set your timer about 5 minutes shy of what the recipe calls for. This way you can check your banana bread with a toothpick for doneness. It'll likely need the full time, but sometimes ovens run a little hot or cold which can lead to different bake times. Better to check early than too late!Always check for doneness: Use a toothpick to make sure your banana bread is fully cooked. Stick the toothpick all the way into the loaf and make sure it comes out clean.Pan selection: This recipe is made for using a mini loaf pan, however you can also use a full sized loaf pan, muffin tin, or mini muffin tin. Please see the post above for baking instructions for these variations!