This chocolate chunk espresso banana bread is very soft, moist and packed full of flavour. It’s perfect for a mid morning or afternoon snack with coffee for a delicious energy boost.
This is a simple banana bread recipe taken to a new level with the flavours of coffee, chocolate and cinnamon.
I’m always looking for different ways to jazz up my usual banana bread recipe (as perfect as it is sometimes a change is nice) and I wondered if the addition of coffee and chocolate would be a good idea. It was a very good idea.
I’m always experimenting with different flavours when I bake, and not all of them make the cut. This one passed on the second test with flying colours.
Turns out that bananas, coffee, chocolate and cinnamon are a match made in heaven. If you’re a fan of coffee bakes and banana bread, do give this a try and let me know what you think! But I’m pretty sure you’ll LOVE it.
Love coffee flavoured bakes? Then you need to know about my delicious Mocha swirl sticky buns (SO GOOD) and my classic coffee and walnut cake.
ingredient list for making chocolate chunk espresso banana bread
- 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder or coffee (I used Nescafe gold blend espresso powder)
- 2 tablespoons boiling water (to make the coffee)
- 200g (1 1/4 cups) plain (all purpose) flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon adds a lovely warmth to banana bread and complements the chocolate and coffee flavours really well.
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 100ml vegetable or sunflower oil keeps the cake lovely and moist. If you prefer to use melted butter, then absolutely go for it.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 150g (3/4 cup) soft light brown sugar
- 350g (about three or four) very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
- 150g dark or milk chocolate chunks or chips. I prefer to use a bar of good chocolate and chop it up, but chips are also fine.
equipment you’ll need to make this recipe
- baking parchment to line the tin, or a loaf tin liner
- Two mixing bowls – one large, one medium
- A wooden spoon, a whisk and a plastic spatula
how to make chocolate chunk espresso banana bread
- Mix the coffee with the just boiled water, stirring well to mix. Set aside to cool down.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt together.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, vanilla extract, eggs and brown sugar. Use a whisk to break up any large lumps of sugar.
- Stir in the cooled coffee and mashed bananas.
- Pour the mashed banana mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir lightly until all the ingredients are just combined and the flour has disappeared into the batter.
- Fold in the chocolate chunks. Using a plastic scraper, scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure the batter is evenly mixed together. Pour the batter into a lined loaf tin.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake emerges clean.
- Place the tin on a wire cooling rack and let the banana bread cool completely in the tin.
baker’s tips for success
- Make sure your bananas are really over ripe – the less appealing they look to eat, the better!
- When making banana bread, it’s important to not overmix the batter. You just need to lightly mix the wet and dry ingredients together until they are just combined. Over beating the batter can make your banana bread tough and rubbery – not the effect you’re looking for!
- It can be difficult to tell when banana bread is fully cooked in the middle and the bake time will depend on your own oven. I would advise checking it after about 55 minutes – if a skewer insterted in the cake emerges with batter clinging to it, get it back in the oven and check every 5 minutes.
storage advice
This banana bread will keep in an airtight container for four to five days. I wrap it in baking parchment and a layer of foil to lock in the moisture and keep it as fresh as possible.
can i freeze espresso chocolate banana bread?
Yes! To freeze, wrap the whole banana bread or slices in double layers of cling film and tin foil or freezer bags. Store in the freezer for up to three months.
more recipes to use up overripe bananas
- peanut butter cup banana bread
- banana and coconut muffins
- banana coconut and passionfruit cake
- chocolate chip banana Nutella muffins
- banana nut cake with salted caramel sauce
- best ever banana bundt cake
Banana chocolate chunk espresso bread
Banana bread is taken to a brand new level with a shot of coffee and a generous amount of chocolate. If you love chocolate and coffee, you'll definitely approve of this banana chocolate chunk espresso bread!
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder or coffee (I used Nescafe instant espresso powder)
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
- 200g (1 1/4 cups) plain (all purpose) flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 100ml vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 150g (3/4 cup) soft light brown sugar
- 350g (about three or four) very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
- 150g dark or milk chocolate chunks or chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160Fan/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin or use a loaf tin liner.
- Mix the coffee with the boiling water until smooth. Set aside to cool down.
- Place the flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
- Place the oil, vanilla extract, eggs and brown sugar in a medium mixing bowl and using a whisk or wooden spoon, stir well to combine, making sure to break up any large lumps of sugar. Stir in the coffee and mashed bananas.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, mixing lightly until well combined and no flour streaks are visible. Take care not to overmix the batter. Fold in most the chocolate chunks (keep a few pieces for the top). Using a plastic scraper, scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all of the batter is evenly mixed together.
- Pour the batter into the tin and place the reserved chocolate chunks on top. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake emerges clean.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 176Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 310mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 12gProtein: 4g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.