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!
I hope you are ready to make something incredible today. This recipe is really easy to make, and the chocolate and banana flavors explode in your mouth! I don’t know why it has taken me so long to write up my banana bread with cocoa powder recipe.
This recipe has passed the test not only with my gluten free family, but I brought it out to our weekly cul-de-sac get-together. We are the only gluten free ones in 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 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.
If you love bananas, you will also want to try these moist Gluten Free Banana Bars or this decadent Gluten Free Pineapple Banana Bread, too!
This is one of my favorite gluten-free flour blends for cookies, cakes, pie crust, biscuits, and muffins! (Do not use this flour blend for yeast recipes.)
Ingredient Notes:
- 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. It means I have not tested any different 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 – You can use coconut oil or vegan butter if you are dairy-free.
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.
How To Make Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Bread:
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!)
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.
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 ready?
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 must be baked longer.
Be sure to allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. You may also enjoy this Gluten Free Strawberry Banana Bread recipe.
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:
You can easily make this chocolate banana bread dairy-free. Use dairy-free butter and dairy-free chocolate chips.
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.
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
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.
I made this at home and it was incredible! Couldn’t wait to make it again. I just made it again in Sedona, AZ (altitude 4500 ft). This time it sank as soon as it came out, and it was a little undercooked. Do you know the changes I need to make to the ingredients and to cooking time at a higher altitude?
Hi Terry, I am not sure about high altitude baking, but I asked the question in my Facebook page and here are some of the comments: My cakes and cookies need to be baked at 375 not 350. What works best where I am is the 25/25 method. Bake at 25 degrees higher than the recipe – this helps the outside cook faster as it rises and the middle won’t sink in later. Also, bake for 20-25minutes less. Depending on what you’re making you can also add a little extra flour or baking soda. But for baked goods like cakes, muffins etc I add a little extra liquid and usually an extra egg and I cut back a little on baking powder or soda (so if it says 1 1/2 tsp baking soda I’ll do 1 tsp). I also bake at a slightly higher temperature so instead of 350F I’ll do 370F for the first part then drop it back down to 350F.
Hi, this recipe looks so delicious and I look forward to trying it! If I want to make muffins, what do you suggest for baking time/temp?
Hi Debbie, follow my muffins recipe for baking instructions so you get the perfect dome top. https://www.fearlessdining.com/gluten-free-chocolate-banana-muffins/
I just tried this recipe and it is amazing . It is very moist and delicious. I baked the bananas as recommended in the recipe and that was a game changer. It brings out the flavor of the bananas and the sweetness. I totally recommend this.👍
I am so glad you loved this recipe! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know. Baking the banana is definitely a game changer!
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!
You made my day. I am so glad you enjoyed it, and that coconut oil worked well in this recipe. Thank you.
This recipe is great! I brought it to my work potluck and people loved it. I told my kids its gluten free, (which usually scares them off after a nibble) but they didn’t care. They loved it and wanted more. I’m happy to oblige with a great homemade recipe. So much better than them buying/eating store bought anything!
I am so glad this recipe passed the test with so many non-gluten free eaters. You made my day sharing your comment. Thank you!
This was everything you purported it to be, Sandi! As this was my first attempt at any of your recipes, I was blown away at how delicious this chocolate banana bread is; as you suggested, I’d wager no one can tell it’s gluten free . . . but, they won’t get the chance, as it was gobbled up immediately by the gf goblins.
I do have one question: do you think monkfruit could be effectively substituted for the brown sugar in this recipe?
Again, thank you so much for doing the hard work of recipe testing, and presenting these recipes to us free of charge!
I am so glad you loved this recipe. I can’t tolerate monk fruit and other sweeteners, but I do know several of my readers do use it in my recipes. I don’t recall if anyone wrote to me about this specific recipe. If you try it, please keep me posted on how it turns out.
Just made these tonight and it turned out absolutely incredible, recently discovered I am allergic to wheat and will definitely be checking out this site for more amazing recipes!
I am so glad you loved this chocolate banana bread. My husband has been bugging me to make it again LOL. I do hope you find some more recipes to try!
This was very easy to make. Smelled amazing while it was baking! Not overly sweet. Nice texture! Yum!
I am so glad you enjoyed this bread. The level of sweetness can easily be modified if you would like it a little sweeter.
I have made this recipe twice. I made muffins instead of a loaf. They are so good. If you like chocolate and banana, you will love this recipe.
I am thrilled you all loved these muffins. I am a big fan of chocolate and banana together :-).
Love this recipe!! Easy to follow.
I can’t have chocolate so I used unsweetened carob powder and sweetened carob chips. It came out so delicious!! Moist and flavorful! My whole family enjoyed it! Definitely will make again and strongly recommended!
Thank you so much for this recipe!! 🙂
I am so glad you loved it. My kids are always asking me to make it again :-).
Excellent recipe, easy to make! This bread comes out so moist and delicious! It’s a must make.
Thank you so much, Jaki. I really appreciate your coming back to let everyone know :-).
This is a delicious recipe. My family didn’t even know it was gluten free and devoured it.
Thank you so much for coming back to let everyone know how good it is.
Oh my gosh, this chocolate banana bread is FANTASTIC!! The texture is perfect, so moist, and the pairing of bananas and chocolate is delicious. It also goes great with vanilla ice cream on top!
I am so glad you loved the recipe. I hope you come back and try more of my recipes!
I made a double batch with King Arthur flour and avocado oil. I used less than half a cup total of coconut sugar. I made muffins and little donuts and cooked them for 20 mins. They came out great with just enough sweetness for us! Thank you for sharing this!
I am so glad you loved the recipe, and it is very good to know that coconut sugar worked well. I am sure this info will help other readers. Thank you!
This was fantastic! My teenagers loved it and could not tell it is gluten free
I am so excited everyone liked my recipe. Thank you for coming back to rate the recipe and leave a comment, I really appreciate it!
Made this tonight! It was absolutely delicious😋 Great texture, moist, to die for. Thank you for sharing! And it was so easy to make.
I am thrilled you loved it, Emily. I appreciate your coming back to let us know!