Chocolate Chip Banana Bars are moist, rich chewy dessert bars made with real bananas. Filled with banana flavor and melted chocolate morsels!
Ripe bananas are the perfect ingredient for so many amazing desserts. While delicious Banana Bread is a go-to for a lot of us, it’s also fun to mix things up with a different tasty treat. This Bar Recipe is a delicious new way to enjoy banana flavor.
This Chocolate Chip Banana Bars recipe is the perfect easy dessert to bring to a potluck or serve to your family after dinner. It’s an easy recipe that you can make in just less than a half-hour. Keep in mind that it does make a fairly large batch of banana bars, but they keep well and make a delicious snack to enjoy throughout the week. So, you don’t have to worry about waiting for some big occasion to make them.
The combination of bananas, brown sugar, cinnamon, and just a few simple pantry ingredients makes the basic banana bars for the base of the recipe. Then adding mini chocolate chips to the batter and over the top makes more decadent chocolate banana bars.
If you want even more rich flavors for these delicious Banana Chocolate Chip Bars, you can add your favorite toppings. Serving them with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream or a dollop of Whip Cream always tastes amazing. If you’re a real chocolate lover, you can even drizzle some Hot Fudge on top.
How to Make
- Prep time: Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees for the baking temperature. Prep your baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Banana batter: Peel the banana skin from the bananas, and put them in a mixing bowl. Use a fork to mash the bananas well. Add the brown sugar, oil, milk, and eggs and stir until it’s mixed with the bananas and smooth. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until just combined. Finish by folding in chocolate chips.
- Baking time: Spread batter into the baking dish. Then sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips evenly over the top. Pop the rimmed baking sheet in the oven to bake for 18-22 minutes. You’ll know it’s done baking when a toothpick inserted in the center of the Banana Chocolate Bars comes out clean. At that point, take them from the oven, and let them cool completely before slicing them into Chocolate Chip Banana Squares.
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FAQs for Chocolate Chip Banana Bars
To ripen bananas quickly, place them in a brown paper bag and fold the top of the bag closed. The bananas will release natural gas as they ripen, which helps speed up the process. You can also place the bananas in a sunny spot or near a heat source (like your oven) to encourage ripening.
Yes, you can use frozen bananas in banana bars, just thaw them first until they are soft enough to mash. Keep in mind that the texture of the bars may be slightly different if you use frozen bananas, as they tend to release more moisture than fresh bananas when they are thawed. This could result in a slightly moister or softer texture.
Yes, you can double the recipe to make a larger batch of chocolate chip banana bars. Simply double all of the ingredients and bake the bars in a 9×13-inch pan or a large sheet pan. The baking time may need to be adjusted slightly, so keep an eye on the bars as they bake and add additional time as needed.
Yes, you can make these bars into muffins. Simply divide the batter evenly among muffin cups lined with muffin liners and bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Key Ingredients
- Bananas: For any banana recipe it’s best to use very ripe bananas. Not only do bananas give the bars a wonderful banana taste, but they also give them a chewier texture and have a natural sweetness that’s just delicious.
- Milk: A bit of milk adds a little more moisture to the bars for a tender and fluffy texture, and also contributes to their flavor. You can use any kind of milk including low fat or non-dairy milk since the recipe doesn’t use a large amount.
- Coconut Oil: When it comes to the oil, you can really use whatever kind you like best for baking. Coconut oil tastes amazing and it’s a little healthier than typical oils, so that’s why it was chosen for this recipe.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is a popular spice for banana desserts. The warm, woodsy spice balances the sweetness of bananas and just a bit is needed to bring a lot of flavor.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds sweetness and helps to create moist, tender bars. It has a rich, caramel-like taste that blends perfectly with the banana and warm cinnamon flavors.
- Eggs: Eggs help to bind the ingredients together and contribute to the structure of the bars. They also add richness and flavor to the bars.
Can I make Chocolate Chip Banana Bars ahead of time?
Yes, these chocolate chip banana bars can be made ahead of time. Once the bars have cooled completely, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature, in the fridge, or the freezer. If you are storing the bars in the freezer, you will want to wrap them individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place them in a sealed bag to keep them fresh. When you are ready to serve the bars, simply remove them from the refrigerator or freezer and allow them to come to room temperature, or warm them slightly in the oven.
Variations
- Easter banana bars: You can make these delicious banana treats to serve for Easter. Simply replace the chocolate chips sprinkled on top with Cadbury mini eggs for an adorable and delicious holiday dessert.
- Spices: The ground cinnamon in the recipe does a great job balancing out the sweet flavors and complimenting the banana. For more warm spices try adding ground nutmeg, ginger, cloves, or allspice or Pumpkin Spice Blend.
- Vegan: If you want to make Chocolate Chip Banana Bars vegan-friendly, there are a few important changes to make. Firstly, you’ll want to replace the dairy milk with almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, or your favorite milk substitute. For the eggs, you can use ¼ cup of applesauce for each egg, or flax eggs. The only other ingredient you’ll need is dairy-free chocolate chips, which you can usually find in grocery store baking aisles.
- Healthy dessert swaps: There are lots of healthy dessert alternative ingredients if you want to make the banana bars a little healthier. Try replacing the sugar with coconut sugar or honey. You can also substitute the white flour with wheat flour. Or, if you want to make the Banana Bars gluten-free use almond flour, or other substitutes, just keep in mind not all substitutes are one to one and may need additional raising agents or moisture.
- Other Mix-Ins: Some suggestions are nuts, dried fruit, or additional types of chocolate such as white chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate.
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How to Store
- Serve: Cool bars completely before you cut them into squares to serve so they cut cleanly. You also want to cool before covering to prevent moisture build up.
- Store: If you have leftovers, you can keep them in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can store the bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: Freeze bars on a baking sheet for 1 hour before storing them in an airtight storage container with parchment paper between each layer or wrap them individually with plastic wrap or foil. They’ll stay good for 3 months. Bring to room temperature to enjoy.
Ingredients
- 5 very ripe bananas , about 1 2/3 cup
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup oil , any type (we used coconut)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips , divided
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 15×10.5" pan with non-stick spray.
- Add the bananas to a large bowl, mash well.
- Stir in brown sugar, oil, milk, and eggs until combined.
- Add in dry ingredients and stir.
- Fold in ½ the chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle remaining chips on top.
- Bake 18-22 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool completely and cut into squares.
At what step do you add the bananas?
Thank you for bringing this to my attention Charles. It’s the first step! I have updated the recipe. Add your bananas to a large bowl, mash well and then follow the steps in the recipe!
What is a CUP OF FLOUR? can we have proper measurements please?
Hi Sally, On the recipe card underneath the heading, “Ingredients” you can click on the word metric to assist you with measurements outside of the US. Hope that helps!