The yummiest paleo vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread – easy, naturally-sweetened, so moist, and full of chocolate chips for a healthy snack or dessert!
Three things a person cannot have too much of: 1) ripe bananas 2) mini chocolate chips 3) banana bread recipes.
Because when the bunch of bananas you’ve been staring at for 4 days finally decides to stop teasing and go all speckle-y soft and sweet – blend a smoothie, freeze for nice cream, caramelize those coins, batch of banana bread or breakfast cookies here we come. And if there was a sign-up list for a lifetime supply of mini chocolate chips – take my money and give me a pen! And banana bread. Now that’s a near perfect food that deserves to be made every way possible. So even infinity would not be too much.
Perfect food, aye? Think about it for a minute: Bananas are good for moisture without butter/oil, naturally sweet becomes naturally even sweeter as they bake, plus they are kinda bind-y so that takes care of the whole egg issue. And bread is good for the soul.
So we love bananas + bread ALL the ways ♡
Chocolate chips in banana bread. As if that hasn’t been done a thousand times by everyone and their neighbor’s grandma’s best friend. I know, I know, I know. But that’s not the part of this story that’s meant to make you all: how have I existed so long without THIS loaf in my life?
Based on my googling, the groundbreaking (humble, I know) part of this recipe is that it’s VEGAN and PALEO. That means no eggs, no grains, no added sugar. And also (if you’ve attempted vegan/paleo nana bread before you’ll know exactly what I mean here) no death valley in the center of the loaf after it cools. We expect our lovingly made loaves to maintain their stature after baking. Only the highest of standards here.
Now I gotta tell ya, there were a few sunk-below-sea-level batches in the beginning. So to avoid that tragedy:
- Don’t mess with the flours/ratio. This recipe uses almond flour, coconut flour, and tapioca flour. You need all three to get the right texture. Just almond > too moist/dense. Skip the tapioca > crumbly mess. Just coconut > crumblier mess. It’s gotta be a team effort.
- Let it bake and cool thoroughly. In my oven it took 50 minutes, but better to err on the side of an extra five then take it out too early. If the center feels even a little mushy, LEAVE IT. And let it cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
- Measure by weight. This is one of those times where slight errors in measurement can make a difference, so I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
I’m not trying to scare you with all the warnings, I am just deeply committed to bringing you the best banana bread experience possible. Anything less would be a waste of precious mini chips.
Maybe I have been on a two slices a day streak all week with this stuff. Maybe I did take two (okay…three) breaks while writing this very post to wander to the fridge and break off a hunk. Maybe I do love it cold and three-day-old-fudgy just as much as fresh and fluffy. Maybe it is the BEST vegan paleo banana bread recipe the internet has been needing. Just putting it out there.
Try it. Be the judge. Find yourself visiting the fridge an absurd number of times in the span of 45 minutes because rich, banana sweet, chocolate-studded bread is not something that was made to be resisted. And I will be here anxiously awaiting your feedback!
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Category: quickbreads
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Description
The yummiest paleo vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread – easy, naturally-sweetened, so moist, and full of chocolate chips for a healthy snack or dessert!
Ingredients
- 3 (300-325g) overripe bananas
- 1/4 cup (60g) nondairy milk (I used almond)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 1/2 cup (275g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (60g) tapioca starch
- 1/3 cup (40g) coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup (60g) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Blend the bananas, milk, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar until smooth.
- Add the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Blend until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary (it should be very thick).
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter to a greased loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for approximately 50 minutes at 350F. It should be golden brown on top and the center should be firm to the touch. If it feels at all squishy, leave it for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. It will get more dense/fudgy with time, but still delicious.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 316
- Sugar: 11
- Fat: 20
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 7
- Protein: 9
Keywords: baking, banana, easy, healthy, paleo, gluten-free, chocolate
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This looks fantastic! I was never a sweet bread kind of person but I can’t say no to banana bread. The texture looks spot on, can’t wait to try it.
Banana bread is kind of a classic. And this one isn’t too sweet either without the added sugar, just sweet enough 🙂 I hope you do Liv, happy monday!
What can I use instead of tapiocastarch ?
Arrowroot or cornstarch will both work too!
The magic of the humble overripe banana – never ceases to amaze me! I have been craving cake-like things lately and this is moving to the top of my list. Also, is it weird that I have never bought mini chocolate chips? I wish Pascha or Equal Exchange would get on board with them. Lately I have been going the chopped dark chocolate route, especially for cookies. Dying over this video, btw. It makes me appreciate healthy banana bread in a whole new way!
So true, bananas are just incredible. Ha it’s funny you are craving more baked cake things just as the weather is warming up. Although I guess I am too…but maybe that’s because I still ate ice cream all winter long😂 Ooh I just made cookies with a chopped up chocolate bar for chunks and those big melty pockets you get that way…SO GOOD. But mini chips make me happy too, kinda infuse every bite and make the whole loaf taste chocolatey😋
Banana bread is always best enjoyed loaded with chocolate chips! It looks delicious Nat!
Or chunks, I’m open to either😊 But absolutely yes!
What can a i use instead of almond flour?
The almond flour is pretty essential here, you could try a different kind of nut flour like cashew or pecan but I haven’t tested it personally. Or maybe try one of the other recipes I linked to in the recipe notes!
This is officially my favorite banana bread recipe!!! ❤️ Willow and I made this today and she’s a fan because there aren’t any pockets of mashed banana to be found 😂😂 We’re currently going through a phase where she likes banana flavor, but there can’t be any visible traces of it. Crazy kid. So this blender method is a big thumbs up 😆 We’ve tried a few paleo-vegan banana bread recipes and this is the first one to not sink in the middle! Haha!!! And no wet/mushy centers! Just perfect! I absolutely love that there’s no added sweetener in this because over ripe bananas are super sweet on their own. And the almond flour + tapioca starch + coconut flour is our favorite paleo all purpose blend! And obviously you won us over with the addition of chocolate chips 😉 we didn’t have mini chips on hand, but I could definitely see how they would be better…more chocolatey bites! Love this recipe, my friend!! XO ❤️❤️ Happy weekend!
★★★★★
Lolol I love hearing the weekly updates on what Willow is and isn’t eating😂 She certainly keeps things unpredictable (aka difficult). I actually used to hate those pockets of banana too, but now I kinda love them I’m just too blender crazy to not use it for everything. I was totally trying to mimic the BRM paleo blend because I love that stuff too, but holy $12 a BAG😜 I’m so happy you didn’t have any issues with sinking, I tested it many times, but I still worry since vegan/paleo loaves tend to do that so very easily😬 Hehe YAY!! Thanks for trying it out and letting me know how it went❤️ Happiest of weekends to you too! xoxo
Can this be made without the chocolate chips?
Sure, I just made a loaf that way actually! But it’s not very sweet without them, so you may want to add 1/4-1/2 cup coconut sugar 🙂
I made this and it was gone in a flash! Its so delicious and moist. I smeared some ghee on it and had no regrets about it. My husbands comment was “It’s not just good it’s Ding Dang Delicious!” I’m making a double batch again today. Taking one loaf to my daughter and keeping the other for us. Thanks for all the delicious and healthy recipes you so amazingly create. It is so inspiring!!
Disappearing at record speed is what I like to hear! Bahahaha I love your husband’s feedback–priceless😂 I am so so happy you enjoyed it, and I hope your daughter does too!
So sorry I’m behind on your posts! Look at you doing all these coconut flour recipes now! What a thick and luscious looking banana bread! Lots and lots of chocolate chips are so perfect for this banana bread. I can’t believe you didn’t add any sweetener! Other than the chocolate chips. I’m guessing the bananas are super sweet?? You know I’m not a banana fan so I don’t know how sweet the overipe ones are. I’ve made a banana cake but it’s just one banana so it definitely needed sweetener. I just love how healthy it is and how packed with natural stuff you got going on here! Absolutely a guilt-free banana bread snack! And I also love how thick you cut those slices, nice and sturdy! Now wimpy bread slices here…who wants that, gimme the big ones, ha!
Do not worry about that at all, Brandi! Ever. I mean I appreciate you commenting on such a banana heavy recipe period lol😂 I did use some very mushy ripe bananas, but really it’s those semi sweet chips that bring most of the sweetness. Yes yes, I remember that cake! Like the honorary lone banana recipe on your site lol. This loaf is definitely not as dessert-y as that, but yes perfect for a snack😊 Thanks girl!
Hello Natalie! I used digital scale as you recommended, and my dough became extremely dry and crumbly (in its raw state). I had to add a lot of milk to reach the consistency of your batter. After watching your video I realized, that the volume of your dry ingredients was more less in cups than in case of grams. Pls check, if the measurements are correct – cups vs. grams and not milliliters. We in continental Europe are using grams and not cups.
Hi Krisztina! I measure each ingredient in cups (volume) and grams (kitchen scale). We don’t use milliliters here so I never use that as a metric, plus since it is volume as well it can be easily converted from the cup measurements. I have had many readers make this one already successfully and made it 4 times now myself, so I am almost positive the measurements, both grams and cups, are correct as written 🙂
Hey Natalie! I love all your recipes! I didn’t have a scale so I used measuring cups – I know you mentioned that you recommend using a scale.. However, after I mixed the dry ingredients in I realized that I needed to add more milk to make it smoother.
I am replying to this particular post because someone had commented that your cups to grams measurements were off. If you look at 1/4 cup almond milk it says 60 grams. Then when you look at 1/2 cup of tapioca starch it says 60 grams as well. If I look up 1/4 cup it is equivalent to 32g. Is it because one is a liquid and one is a dry ingredient? Anyways, thank you for all of your wonderful recipes! I will buy a scale in the future.
Yes so every ingredient is going to have a difference cup to grams conversion since you are going between a weight and volume measurement! Dry ingredients tend to be lighter, so fewer grams per cup as opposed to wet ingredients. Does that make sense? Baking with a scale is SO much more precise and less cleanup, cannot recommened it enough 🙂
Hi Natalie,
I have two questions if you don’t mind. First I would like to know a substitute for coconut sugar and I haven’t found any chocolate chips where I live, soo.. what are possible substitutes for the chocolate chips? Maybe a chopped chocolate bar? But what %?
Thanks!!
Hi Juliana! Any granulated sweetener will work in place of the coconut sugar, personally I think brown sugar would be more flavorful than cane sugar. You can make this without the sweeter and just the bananas for sweetness, I do that all the time, but it’s not as sweet as you may be expecting. And yes, chopped chocolate will work. Any percentage cacao you like really, but I like around 70-80%. Hope that helps!
If I don’t have chocolate chips, can I add coconut sugar to sweetened it? How much do you think I can add?
Sure! I’d go with about 1/3 cup😊
I can’t even give this one star it was terrible did not rise and not at all sweet. I just wasted money on the expensive flour used. Will not even try anymore of your recipes
Sorry it didn’t work out for you, this is actually one of my faves I’ve made it tons of times😕
I made this exactly the way you wrote it. Weighed everything. It turned out perfectly!
★★★★★
Woohoo! I am so happy it was a success🤗 Thanks for the feedback and enjoy the rest!
One of the best banana chocolate chip recipes I’ve made! I made them into muffins and baked for 25 minutes. I was out of apple cider vinegar so I used lemon juice and that worked just fine. They are a great snack and filling so you only need one to keep you going until your next meal.
★★★★★
YAY!! That is wonderful to hear, I am so happy you liked the recipe Renee🤗 And good call on the muffins, they bake better that way and are perfectly snack sized too. Thanks for the feedback!
This was amazing I made this for easter and my family killed it before the main course started. I didnt have enough almond flour so I used half almond half oat flour as I was making a double batch and it came out fantastic. Only took 35mins in the oven maybe because it wasnt a loaf pan more like a 9×9. But overall one of my favorite recipes I’ll save forever 😋
Ah that is so good to hear, I am thrilled everyone loved it so much!! And great to know the half oat + half almond combo worked too. Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback, Ryan 🙂
Gosh this recipe is good!! My bread turned out beautifully today. I was out of coconut flour.. so substituted with brown rice flour.. my food processor had just blended some sunflower seed butter too.. so a little of this went into the mix.. oh and left out the chocolate chips.. my oh my it was delish! Thank you for sharing so many beautiful recipes that actually work. So moist! I also love your quinoa bread. It’s just divine!
★★★★★
Ohmygoodness!! Your version sounds wonderful, I especially love the sound of some sunflower seed butter in there😋😋 I’m really happy you liked it, thanks for the feedback and have a wonderful weekend Heidi!
Hi! What size loaf pan? 9 by 5 or 4 by 8?
Mine is 9×5″ and that’s what I would recommend!
Amazing 😍Do you know if I can freeze the dough? Its delicious!!
I don’t recommend freezing this batter. Freezing dough works for things like cookies, but something that needs to rise a lot like this and is more of a batter than dough it will not bake the same. Sorry!