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Got ripe bananas? This One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is made with plain yogurt and pureed bananas making it a healthier version than the original and a delicious breakfast or snack option anytime!

Two slices of chocolate chip banana bread with full loaf in background on a wooden cutting board and blue towel.

Why We Love This Recipe

If you’ve never tried bananas and chocolate, it’s one of my favorite combinations. Just like this Chocolate Banana Latte Smoothie. I love this recipe because it’s a perfect way to use overripe recipes and avoid food waste, too!

A few years ago I was gifted several cookbooks. They are the kind from different organizations or clubs where members contribute their family favorite recipes and they’re all put together into a cookbook. They provide so much recipe inspiration and in one of those is where I originally found this recipe for chocolate banana bread.

I first made this quick bread as written and my family loved it! But after baking it that first time, I quickly realized that it was full of many not so good-for-you ingredients including a lot of butter and sugar.

So I started experimenting and came up with a healthier version of this chocolate banana bread. I substituted plain Greek yogurt for the butter and reduced the amount of both the white and brown sugars, plus the quantity of chocolate chips. I also switched to mini chocolate chips so that more melty goodness was sprinkled throughout the banana bread.

I sometimes call this double chocolate banana bread because it has both unsweetened baking cocoa and chocolate chips. You pretty much can’t go wrong with extra chocolate if you ask me!

What Ingredients Are Needed To Make This Recipe?

Labeled ingredients in bowls to make healthy chocolate chip banana bread.

As you can guess, this recipe uses bananas but you’ll want to use the bananas that have a lot of brown spots on them. I remember once, my mother-in-law was ready to throw out some bananas with spots on them because she said they had spoiled.

The bananas with lots of spots are the best for banana bread because they naturally get sweeter as they ripen.

Our favorite plain yogurt is the Greek plain yogurt from Costco but you can use any brand you prefer. I like the Costco version because it’s not too tart and is also really creamy. I use it in a lot of recipes, especially smoothies and some dips too, like our favorite Loaded Baked Potato Dip.

When it comes to the cocoa powder make sure you’re using the unsweetened baking powder and not hot cocoa mix. I mention this because I have had that question come up before!

You may already have the other ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator. Otherwise they are super easy to find at the grocery store. I like to buy the mini-chocolate chips at ALDI because they are less expensive.

How to Make This Recipe

Double chocolate banana bread is made in all one bowl so that makes it extra easy!

Handheld food chopper with bananas to puree and white lid with red handle on left side.

I like to puree the bananas so they blend more evenly into the banana bread batter. Even though ripened bananas are softer and easier to mash, I love my handheld food chopper (affiliate link) to make the job extra quick. (1) Just a few quick pulls is all it takes to get it ready! You can also use a fork to mash them, a blende or food processor.

Glass bowl with flour, cocoa powder and brown sugar with blue and white towel draped on left side.

Next, I combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl (2) and then, in a small bowl, I will combine the wet ingredients—the yogurt, vanilla, banana puree, and eggs (3). I have learned that combining the wet ingredients this way first makes it a lot easier for them all to be evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Glass bowl with pureed bananas, plain yogurt and eggs and larger bowl in upper right with dry ingredients for banana bread.

Then I’ll fold in the mini chocolate chips until just blended (4) and then spread the batter into a prepared loaf pan (5).

Glass bowl with chocolate banana bread batter and mini chocolate chips mixing in and blue and white towel on left side.

Spreading chocolate chip banana bread batter into a silver loaf baking pan.

This bread takes one hour to bake. Cool it on a baking rack until it’s cool enough to enjoy (6). It’s so yummy when it’s warm but also good at room temperature—you decide!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread on a silver cooling rack with bananas, bowl of chocolate chips and blue and white towel in background.

Make Ahead Preparation Tips

There are a few ways that you can prep this healthy chocolate chip banana bread ahead of time. Start by combining the dry ingredients in an airtight container and store them up to a month in advance. Don’t forget to label it though (affiliate link) so you know what it is later (and others in your family do too).

You can also combine the wet ingredients in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator up to a day ahead.

Is this banana bread freezer friendly?

Yes! That’s another thing I love about quick breads like this-they freeze so well! Be sure that whether you are using a zip top bag or wrapping in foil that you squeeze out as much air as possible. I like to slice it before freezing so that it’s easy to grab just what we want when we’re ready to enjoy it. And don’t forget to date and label it (affiliate link).

Did you know you can also freeze whole bananas? Yep! Just freeze them in their peels in a labeled airtight container. They peels will turn brown but the banana inside is just fine to use for baking or smoothies.

More Recipes Using Plain Greek Yogurt

Substituting plain Greek yogurt is a great way to cut calories and fat in your recipes. I’ve done just that in a few of our favorite recipes like these:

Sticky Lemon Bread

Pear Walnut Muffins

Baked Potato Dip

Homemade French Onion Dip with Greek Yogurt

Healthy Lemon Cookies

I hope you’ll give some of them a try!