This easy Chocolate Chip Pecan Banana Bread is the best banana bread recipe ever. It's an incredibly soft, moist quick bread packed with sweet bananas, rich chocolate chips, and crunchy pecans. The chocolate chip and pecan topping is irresistible, but you can also mix them into the batter, go with all nuts or all chips, or skip them entirely. You can also use frozen bananas!
For more delicious banana bread recipes, try my Banana Zucchini Bread or Banana Bread with Pancake Mix. Or make a quick batch of Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins!
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🎥Video: How to Make Chocolate Chip Pecan Banana Bread
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This delicious old fashioned banana bread recipe with pecans and chocolate chips is hands-down the best I've ever had. It's super soft and moist, loaded with banana flavor, and a really easy recipe to make in one bowl. Add the pecans and chocolate chips on top, mix them into the batter, or do a bit of both.
❤️You're Going to Love This
- Perfect recipe for soft, moist banana bread without butter
- Simple recipe for one bowl banana bread that stirs together in minutes
- Easy banana bread recipe with simple ingredients -- you can also use frozen bananas
- Beautiful and delicious pecan and chocolate chip topping -- or mix them in, up to you!
Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients.
- Bananas. You'll need 2 cups of mashed bananas, about 4 medium bananas. Use dark brown overripe bananas. Frozen bananas (thawed, mashed, and strained) also work.
- Oil. This banana bread without butter stays soft and moist thanks to oil. Use a neutral option like canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil.
- Brown sugar. Brown sugar adds moisture and rich molasses flavor to banana bread. I use dark brown sugar, but light brown sugar works too.
- Eggs. Use room temperature eggs to help them blend cohesively into the batter.
- Sour cream. Sour cream makes this banana bread exceptionally moist. Be sure it's at room temp. Plain full-fat Greek yogurt also works.
- All-purpose flour. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off. Scooping can pack in too much flour, making the bread dry.
- Mini chocolate chips and pecans (as toppings or mix-ins). Pecans and mini semi-sweet chocolate chips add great flavor and texture. Use them as toppings, mix them into the batter, or do a little of both. For toppings, use a total of about ⅔ cup, which is about all that will fit on top. For mix-ins, stir in up to 1 cup. Mini chips work especially well since they provide more even coverage on top and in the batter and are less likely to sink when mixed in
How to Make Chocolate Chip Pecan Banana Bread
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas, keeping them a little chunky. For frozen bananas, thaw, mash, and strain off the liquid.
Step 2: Stir in the oil and sour cream, then the baking soda and salt, then the sugars, beaten eggs, and vanilla extract.
Step 3: Mix in the flour and stir until just combined. If mixing in chocolate chips and pecans, add them now, up to one cup total.
Step 4: Pour batter into a 9x5-inch loaf pan lined with parchment (for easy removal without disturbing the chocolate chip topping, if using). Otherwise, spray with nonstick spray.
Step 5: If topping with chocolate chips and pecans, sprinkle them in an even layer on top of the batter.
Step 6: Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 55-65 minutes. If needed, tent with foil toward the end if it starts to get too brown. Cool 10-15 minutes in the pan, then remove from pan and cool on a wire rack to cool completely.
✅Expert Tips
- Room temperature eggs and sour cream make for smoother mixing and a well-blended batter.
- Use up to 1 cup mini chocolate chips and/or pecans in the batter, or ⅔ cup as topping (the most that will fit). You can also mix some in and sprinkle the rest on top.
- If topping with chocolate chips. line the pan with parchment for easy removal without disturbing the topping -- they stay soft when warm.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, or the internal temperature reaches 200-205°F.
Storage & Freezing Tips
- Storage: Store banana bread at room temperature for 3-4 days, wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container. For loaves with chocolate chips on top (or to prevent sticking in general), wrap in parchment paper first to protect the top of the bread, then plastic. Get more banana bread storage tips here.
- Freezing: Cool completely, then wrap the loaf, partial loaf, or slices in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. For loaves with chocolate chip topping or to avoid sticking, wrap in parchment first. Place in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
FAQs
Yes. In fact, you should. Overripe bananas are ideal for banana bread. They should be very brown or even black in spots, but not moldy or smelly. If they have an off odor, mold, or the fruit flies, toss them.
Yes. You can substitute the butter in banana bread with oil. A good rule of thumb for adjusting a banana recipe that calls for butter is to use a 3:4 ratio when making the substitute. If the recipe calls for 1 cup of butter, replace it with ¾ cup of oil.
Yes, frozen bananas work great for banana bread. Let them get very brown or black, then freeze them unpeeled. When ready to use, thaw at room temperature or microwave at 50% power for 3-4 minutes until soft. Mash and strain off the excess liquid before using to prevent the bread from becoming too dense or heavy. The mashed, strained bananas should have the same appearance and texture as fresh overripe ones.
Yes, you can use white sugar, brown sugar, or a mix of both. Brown sugar adds moisture, a rich molasses flavor, and a darker color. Dark brown sugar gives the most flavor, but light brown sugar works well too.
More Easy Banana Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Chip Pecan Banana Bread (without Butter)
Ingredients
- 2 cups mashed banana about 4 medium bananas
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup brown sugar light or dark
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 beaten eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- ⅓ - ½ cup chopped pecans *depending on if using as a topping or mix-in, see notes
- ⅓ - ½ cup mini chocolate chips *depending on if using as a topping or mix-in, see notes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x5 inch bread pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray. **See notes.
- Lightly mash bananas in a large bowl. Keep the banana a little chunky. For frozen bananas, thaw, mash, and strain off the liquid.
- Stir in the oil and sour cream, then the baking soda and salt. Add the brown sugar, white sugar, beaten eggs, and vanilla extract, and stir until combined.
- Add the flour. Stir until just combined, do not overmix.If mixing in chocolate chips and pecans, add them now, up to one cup total.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan. If topping with chocolate chips and pecans, sprinkle them in an even layer on top of the batter.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean or the internal temperature reads 200-205 on an instant read thermometer. Tent with foil toward the end if it appears to be getting too brown.
- Cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan on a wire baking rack. Remove the loaf from the pan and place on the wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Room temperature eggs and sour cream make for smoother mixing and a well-blended batter.
- *Use up to 1 cup total mini chocolate chips and/or pecans in the batter, or ⅔ cup as topping (the most that will fit). You can also mix some in and sprinkle the rest on top.
- **If topping with chocolate chips. line the pan with parchment for easy removal without disturbing the topping -- they stay soft when warm.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, or the internal temperature reaches 200-205°F.
Maria says
Can I use oat flour or almond flour for this banana recipe?
Thank you
Cara Lanz says
Hi, Maria, I haven't tested this recipe with oat flour or almond flour, so I can't speak to how well either of those substitutes will work. Please let me know what you try and how it turns out! Thank you, Cara