This gluten free chocolate banana bread is a moist chocolaty quick bread that is so easy to make. Every bite of this dreamy dessert bread is filled with chocolate and banana flavors. Nobody will know it is gluten free!
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I hope you are ready to make something incredible today. This recipe is really easy, and the chocolate and banana flavors explode in your mouth! I don’t know why writing up my banana bread with cocoa powder recipe has taken me so long.
This recipe has passed the test with my gluten-free family, and I brought it out to our weekly cul-de-sac get-together. We are the only gluten-free ones on the court, but everyone is pretty used to me bringing something for taste testing. Nobody could tell this banana chocolate loaf was gluten free. No one. Kids and grownups alike all gobbled it up!
This recipe is loosely based on my popular Gluten Free Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips recipe. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
What sets this gluten free chocolate banana bread recipe apart:
- The sweetness from the ripe bananas adds a delicious layer of flavor.
- This is a double chocolate banana bread, and it tastes like a decadent dessert!
- You can make it as a loaf or in a muffin tin.
- It is freezable, so you can make a double batch and freeze a loaf.
Made Sandi’s Easy Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Bread and it was DELICIOUS!! Bought extra bananas this week just so I can make it again.”
caroline r., blog comment
Allergen Information:
This homemade chocolate banana bread recipe is gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, and oat-free. You can easily make it dairy-free with plant-based butter.
If you love bananas, try these moist Gluten Free Banana Bars or this decadent Gluten Free Pineapple Banana Bread!
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe using King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn’t mean other gluten free flour blends will not work. This means I have not tested any gluten-free flour blends. I can not guarantee the recipe will work if you use other mixes. Some blends need more moisture, so reference the photos below of the batter.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add one teaspoon.
- Milk – You can use regular or non-dairy milk. I used almond milk, but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work. I do not recommend canned coconut milk. If you use almond milk, it is good to see if your almond milk is gluten-free.
- Cocoa Powder – Several cocoa powders are gluten free. I used Anthony’s Cocoa Powder in this recipe. Be sure to read the ingredients to verify it is gluten free.
- Chocolate Chips – Use the Enjoy Life brand if you need dairy-free.
- Butter – I recommend unsalted butter.
How To Ripen Bananas:
- Place your bananas on a baking sheet and bake at 225º F for 20 minutes.
- If you are not in a rush, you can place your bananas in a brown paper bag and let them sit on the counter for a few days. (Don’t forget to close the bag!)
- You can grill the bananas. Use a knife to slit down the peel. Place the bananas on the grill. Close the lid and cook at 300º F for 15 minutes.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Step 1: Add your dry ingredients to a bowl. Whisk to blend and add the chocolate chips.
How to measure gluten free flour:
To measure your gluten free flour, I recommend using the spoon method or leveling method. In a perfect world, people weigh their flour, but most do not own a kitchen scale. Every gluten-free flour blend has a different weight, making a scale even trickier. Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour. You can also use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour.
Step 2: Add your bananas to a bowl. Use a pastry blender to mash your ripe bananas. (Trust me, this tool is magic, and it is much easier and quicker to mash bananas!)
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Add in the rest of the wet ingredients and mix them together.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Step 4: Mix the wet and dry ingredients into a semi-thick batter.
HINT: Be very careful not to overmix your batter. Mix the ingredients until they are just barely mixed. I don’t recommend a standing mixer because they tend to overmix, making your banana bread turn out denser.
📢 Sandi says: Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the moisture of the batter. If your cake batter is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
Step 5: Add your gluten free chocolate banana bread batter to a greased loaf tin. You can also line the tin with parchment paper, and I wish I thought to do this because removing the cake from the pan is so much easier to speed up cooling!
Step 6: Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top.
Step 7: Bake at 425º F for 8 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350º F. The high heat for the first few minutes allows the cake to rise better, making a nice dome top.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, depending on the size of your loaf pan.
How do you know when the chocolate banana bread is finished baking?
To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the bread. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. The banana bread must be baked longer if you see batter or crumbs.
Be sure to allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. You may also enjoy this Gluten Free Strawberry Banana Bread recipe.
Try these fun flavor variations:
- Drizzle white chocolate over the top of the loaf instead of baking chocolate chips on top.
- Add nuts like walnuts or pecans.
- Try a swirl with another bread as I did with this Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Swirl Cake.
Frequently Asked Questions:
If your banana bread isn’t moist, it could be that the gluten free flour blend was too starchy, making your bread dry. This can happen as every blend is different. If you notice your batter is thicker than the photo of the batter above, you may need to add more liquid.
This can happen if you use expired baking soda or if your oven temperature is off. It is good to check both before baking. Another reason the center can fall is if you open the oven door while the bread is baking. Try to resist the urge to check on it opening the oven door.
You can definitely bake the batter in a muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes and check with the toothpick test mentioned above.
If you love sweeter bread recipes, check out my Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread recipe too!
This recipe is the bomb! seriously the best banana bread ever made, and I have tried tons of different recipes, this one beats them all. I usually don’t comment but man, this one is good, even with small changes made to the recipe it’s still super amazing. (as in, less coconut oil and instead canola oil or no vanilla extract etc if you have run out). 10/10!”
Dani, blog comment
More Gluten Free Banana Recipes:
- Easy Gluten Free Banana Snack Cake
- Fluffy Gluten Free Banana Cupcakes
- Banana Flambé Sundaes
- Gluten Free Banana Muffins
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Bread
Equipment
- Loaf pan
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free flour blend * see note
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 bananas mashed
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ¼ cup coconut oil * see note
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg large
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
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Instructions
- Add your dry ingredients to a bowl. Whisk to blend and add the chocolate chips.
- Add your bananas to a bowl. Use a pastry blender to quickly mash your ripe bananas. (Trust me, this tool is magic and it is so much easier and quicker to mash bananas!) Add in the rest of the wet ingredients and mix them together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix the wet and dry ingredients into a semi-thick batter.
- HINT: Be very careful not to overmix your batter. Mix the ingredients until they are just barely mixed. I don't recommend a standing mixer because they tend to overmix, making your banana bread turn out denser.
- Add your gluten free chocolate banana bread batter to a greased loaf tin. You can also line the tin with parchment paper, and I wish I thought of this because it is so much easier to remove the cake from the pan to speed up cooling!
- Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top.
- Bake at 425º F for 8 minutes, then reduce the temperature of the oven to 350º F. The high heat for the first few minutes allows the cake to rise better, making a nice dome top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes depending on the size of your loaf pan.
- To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the bread. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the banana bread needs to bake longer.
Video
Notes
- I tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour blend. I am sure other blends will work, but I haven’t tested them. Some blends are starchier than others, so use my photo of the batter in the post. You may need to add more liquid.
- If your blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, add 1 teaspoon.
- To make this awesome gluten free chocolate banana bread dairy-free, use dairy-free butter and a dairy-free chocolate chip like Enjoy Life.
- I used almond milk, but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work, but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- If you can’t have coconut oil, any light oil will work well.
- This gluten free chocolate banana bread should be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It freezes really well in a freezer-safe zip-style bag.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
This bread is delicious every time. Does not taste GF. Moist and “chocolaty”
I am so glad you love this chocolate banana bread recipe, Karen. Thank you!
I love this recipe. Make it often. I am wondering if I could double the batch and bake it in a 9 in spring pan or would I need to triple the batch? I want to use this recipe for a birthday cake.
Hi Regina, I haven’t tried this, but it should be okay in an 9 inch spring form pan.
This is an amazing recipe. I baked longer than called for. The flavor is wonderful. I find GF flour grainy sometimes but this was wonderful considering it was only one cup GF flour and 1/2 coco. Thank you Thank you
I am thrilled you loved this recipe, Carolyn. Thank you!
I tried it with Reese’s peanut butter chips cause that’s all I had. It was delicious the family ate it all!
I am so glad everyone loved this recipe. I often make it in a muffin pan and freeze them so we have them all week. Thank you for coming back to leave a review!
Amazing! So moist! I used Target brand Gluten Free Flour Blend, which does indeed include Xanthan Gum. For less than $3 a bag, it’s never failed me!
I recently bought some of the Target flour to experiment with. I am so glad you enjoyed using it in this recipe!
Moist, delicious, and so easy to make!
I am so glad you loved this banana bread. Thank you!
Excellent moist bread!
Thank you so much, Cindy. Which gluten free flour blend did you use? I am so glad you loved the recipe!