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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This is the best ever gluten-free banana bread! It's moist, tasty, and naturally sweet! The chocolate chips take this banana bread to the next level, it's so delicious!
Mar 26, 2020 | Joy McCarthy

I've been making this delicious, moist, addictive recipe for years and only recently shared it in Little Food Lovers: Healthy Snackers (a free ebook). Since I've been home a lot more these days because Vienna is off school like everyone's kids I've been baking a LOT more. I made this the other week and realized that I haven't actually shared this recipe on the blog. Yet, it's a banana bread recipe I make more than my Buckwheat Banana Bread , Earl Grey Banana Bread and the Bountiful Banana bread combined.

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chocolate chip banana bread

The reason this recipe is so beloved is that it tastes exactly like white flour banana bread -- as in it's as moist, tasty, naturally sweet and as perfect as the less healthy version your grandma probably made you when you were a kid (bless all banana-bread making grandmothers!).

This banana bread is very deserving of the title: Best Ever Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Okay, I know this is high praise but I can't help myself but get excited when I make a totally gluten-free and nut-free, nourishing recipe that everyone in my family loves (even people who don't like healthy food, haha!). 

Here's the recipe video so you can follow along and then the recipe card below. Most of my videos going forward will pretty much always have a special guest as long as Vienna is out of school due to the current pandemic. 

This recipe is:

  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Kid-friendly
  • Rich in protein, fibre, iron, potassium, magnesium and B vitamins.

Here's the recipe card.

Desserts
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Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup brown rice flour*
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 bananas mashed**
  • 1/4 cup real maple syrup***
  • 1/3 cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 eggs, whisked
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Topping: Sliced bananas, shredded coconut or chopped walnuts
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a standard size loaf pan well or line with parchment paper.
  2. Combine the coconut flour, brown rice flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix together.
  3. In a separate bowl combine the bananas, oil, maple syrup and eggs together. (Make sure the melted coconut oil isn’t too hot otherwise it will cook the egg when you combine everything.)
  4. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and combine well. Fold in chocolate chips.
  5. Pour the mixture into loaf pan. Sprinkle with coconut and decorate with banana slices. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a fork inserted comes out clean. You may want to cover the bread the last 10 minutes with some tin foil to prevent it from burning.
  6. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

*You can sub any other flour for the brown rice flour, except more coconut flour because then you have to change the liquid ingredients since coconut flour absorbs so much moisture.

**Can't eat bananas? You could sub 1/2 cup applesauce instead.

***You can omit the maple syrup, but add a non-dairy or water for liquid in place of the 1/4 cup syrup.

Now if you decide to add more chocolate chips than I have recommended in my recipe, no judgement here, you do you ;) It is also lovely with walnuts, but I wanted to create this as nut-free for all the kiddies who have nut allergies. 

chocolate chip banana bread

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Stay healthy friends!

Joy xo

98 Comments
Roz   •   March 27, 2020

Hi Joy. Do you think I could use almond flour instead of the rice flour? If so, how much should I use? I really want to try this recipe. Thank you.

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   March 27, 2020

EMILY   •   March 27, 2020

Would flax eggs work? Looks amazing!

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   March 27, 2020

Colleen   •   March 28, 2020

This is delicious. I used all purpose flour in place of brown rice flour. This will be a weekly treat. The biggest challenge is not to eat it too quickly.

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Joy McCarthy   •   March 28, 2020

Helen Milic   •   March 30, 2020

Hi Joy, Thank you for this recipe. Just to give you a laugh, I appreciate the warning to not add the eggs after melting the coconut oil but I should have thought of not adding the coconut oil to frozen bananas 🤪Hope you’re staying calm and peaceful during this time! Be well, Helen

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   March 30, 2020

Sandra Wong   •   March 30, 2020

I made this today with my daughter. Replaced the brown rice flour with all purpose flour because that’s what I had. Also added chopped pecans. It’s amazing. So moist and delicious. Definitely saving this recipe to make again.

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Joy McCarthy   •   March 30, 2020

Frédérique F.   •   March 31, 2020

Hi Joy, I see that in a lot of recipes you use Maple syrup. Is there a particular reason you use it ? (apart from being from Canada of course :-)) Here in NZ Maple syrup is pretty expensive and I was wondering if I could replace it with something without losing the benefit it brings? Would honey do? (Hubi is a beekeeper). Thank you for your help.

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   March 31, 2020

Shazia   •   March 31, 2020

Hi joy . Can I replace coconut flour with buckwheat flour ?

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Joy McCarthy   •   March 31, 2020

Patsy Brown   •   March 31, 2020

Can you use almond flour? Thank you. Pstsy

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   March 31, 2020

Sondra Gatien   •   March 31, 2020

Can I use gluten free flour blend instead of brown rice flour ?

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Joy McCarthy   •   April 1, 2020

Lindsay Grinevitch   •   March 31, 2020

Delish!! I tried this today :)

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Joy McCarthy   •   April 1, 2020

Fatima   •   April 1, 2020

Thank u soo much! I always get excited when I see an email from you:) I would love to do this wonderful recipe but 4 eggs is too much! I have an allergy to eggs.. can I add just 2 and substitute the other two with flax meal?! Thx again and God Bless!

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   April 2, 2020

Liesje   •   April 1, 2020

Love this recipe! I used raisins instead of chocolate chips and it’s so moist and perfect! I’ll be making this for my school lunches, whenever that happens again! Thanks for the joy, and great recipes!

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Joy McCarthy   •   April 2, 2020

Grace B.   •   April 3, 2020

Hi Joy I made this loaf yesterday. Its delicious. I had to freeze half so as not to eat all of it. Thanks

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Joy McCarthy   •   April 4, 2020

Tami   •   April 9, 2020

Could I use just almond flour in this recipe?

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   April 9, 2020

Sarbani Biswas   •   April 9, 2020

Made this banana bread and it is really amazing. Moist and not overly sweet which I am not a big fan of. Thank you.

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   April 9, 2020

Katie R.   •   April 13, 2020

I love this recipe and have made it several times since the Little Food Lovers ebook came out! I have to cook mine for about 45 minutes, but my oven could be on its way out. My 5-yr old daughter loves watching the videos with Vienna helping. :)

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Joy McCarthy   •   April 14, 2020

Karen   •   April 14, 2020

WOW!! This is the best gluten free banana bread I've ever made! It was easy to make

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Joy McCarthy   •   April 14, 2020

Marilyn   •   April 18, 2020

This recipe is fantastic. I used tapioca flour and almond flour and it turned out amazing. It was light and moist. Amazing -Thanks! Marilyn

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   April 20, 2020

Emily   •   May 1, 2020

Just made this banana bread and it's delicious! Your Chocolate Chip Tahini cookies are another favourite in our home! Thanks for healthy but decadent recipes!

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   May 2, 2020

Karolina   •   May 4, 2020

Delicious banana bread! One of your best baked goods recipes. I prefer baking with a combination of brown rice flour and coconut flour rather than coconut flour alone. I added pecans as per reader’s suggestions. The only thing I regret is adding unsweetened chocolate chips vs sweetened chocolate chips. It was probably healthier but somehow did not blend as well with the other flavours. Thank you for this excellent recipe :)!

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   May 5, 2020

Diane   •   May 8, 2020

This recipe is delicious and easy to make. I’ve made it twice and both times areas where there are bits of banana turned green the day after baking. I used aluminum free baking powder. I put the bread in the fridge so I can’t imagine mold could develop that quickly. Any explanation for the green areas?

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   May 8, 2020

Diane   •   May 8, 2020

It still tastes delicious. Because I’d heard of the baking powder being a possible cause I checked my container again. It’s the brand I usually buy but it looks like this time I grabbed one that is not marked as aluminum-free. This would be a possible explanation then. I love this bread and definitely want to make it again. Thanks for the recipe!

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   May 9, 2020

Paulina   •   May 8, 2020

Hi! What can I use instead of maple syrup? Honey? Should I use the same amount? Thanks!

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Joy McCarthy   •   May 9, 2020

Kari   •   June 9, 2020

Joy I just wanted to say thank you for this wonderful recipe!! I make it weekly and my three boys love it. It never lasts long in our home. Yet another family favourite recipe from you.

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   June 9, 2020

lisa   •   August 24, 2020

I love this banana bread! I was wondering if I could use all brown rice flour instead of coconut flour? Thanks i truly enjoy all your recipes 😊

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Joy McCarthy   •   August 25, 2020

Sandi   •   October 21, 2020

Good am. I wanted to make this recipe today and I wanted to know if I could replace the choc chips with blueberries? Thanks so much.

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   October 21, 2020

Lynn   •   October 27, 2020

I made these into muffins and they were a hit with my granddaughter! Thank you!

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   October 28, 2020

Shami   •   December 22, 2020

Made this for the first time this weekend and it is delicious! Came out beautifully. I used Bob's 1:1 Gluten-free flour instead of brown rice flour.

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Joy McCarthy   •   December 22, 2020

glenn cain   •   December 22, 2020

thanks,joy for the recent banana bread recipe.i will try it soon Merry Christmas.

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Joy McCarthy   •   December 22, 2020

Rukshana B.   •   December 27, 2020

This was the best banana bread I’ve ever had!! It’s sooo moist and soft it almost had the texture of a bread pudding the first time I tried it. I think the centre didn’t fully set, not sure why? The 2nd time I tried it it was more firm. Thanks for this recipe I’ll be making it again and love it!

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Joy McCarthy   •   December 27, 2020

Charlotte   •   December 27, 2020

Could I make this into Muffins instead of loaf?

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   December 28, 2020

Rebecca K.   •   February 20, 2021

100% my go to recipe for banana bread. I omit the chocolate chips, but it’s still 10/10!

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   February 21, 2021
Rebecca K.   •   February 22, 2021
Joy McCarthy   •   February 22, 2021

Cecilia Moorcroft   •   March 15, 2021

I've been experimenting with this recipe and I've hit on a perfect combo for me. I used almond flour instead of brown rice flour, half maple syrup and half full fat coconut milk for the liquid, raisins instead of chocolate chips and I added a touch of vanilla. It turned out moist and just the right amount of sweet for me AND my husband. I made a batch last week replacing all the maple syrup with coconut milk which was fine for me but I caught my husband sprinkling coconut sugar on a slice. ;)

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Joy McCarthy   •   March 16, 2021

Marzia D.   •   May 9, 2021

Absolutely yummy! I love your recipes. So easy to meke - Thank you!

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   May 9, 2021

Lauren   •   July 23, 2021

Hi Joy, could I modify this recipe to make muffins instead of bread? What would you suggest? Thank you!

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Joy McCarthy   •   July 27, 2021

Catherine   •   January 13, 2022

This is the best banana bread EVER! I am shook. Thank you Joy

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 17, 2022

Jules   •   February 4, 2022

I made these into muffins for my kiddos! I used 2 frozen ripe bananas and omitted the maple syrup. I also used half whole wheat flour, replacing the rice. Baked for 30 min at 350 and they turned out beautifully! I also only had 3 eggs but it worked! :)

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Joy McCarthy   •   February 4, 2022

Andreea   •   March 3, 2022

This recipe is a family favourite! Delicious and easy to make every time! I have a picky 2yo and a 3yo and I feel great feeding them this knowing it’s made with great quality ingredients. I sub rice flour for almond flour and it comes out great. Also, love Joy and her content! Seeing her Instagram posts brings comfort and kindness and mindfulness to my day.

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Joy McCarthy   •   March 4, 2022

Margaret J.   •   March 15, 2022

This is the best banana bread! Thanks for such a great recipe. I use walnuts instead of chocolate chips and it's so yummy!

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Joy McCarthy   •   March 16, 2022

Vanya   •   March 19, 2022

Omg, it turned out so heavenly delicious! I actually had only 1 banana so I had to substitute with 1/4C apple sauce for the 2nd banana in the recipe. I used grape seed oil instead of coconut oil (just didn’t feel like melting the coconut and the grape seed oil says it is lower on saturated fats). I also added some chopped walnuts in the batter. Decorated with slices of frozen banana… lol (like I said I only had 1 fresh banana handy so I had to think outside the box). Thank you for the recipe! It will be a keeper.

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Joy McCarthy   •   March 21, 2022

Cristina   •   March 25, 2022

Hi Joy, Could I put 3 bananas instead of 2?

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   March 27, 2022

Luana   •   March 27, 2022

How long is it suppose to bake for? In your video you said 35 minutes but on the blog it says 50-60 mins

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Joy McCarthy   •   March 30, 2022

Laureen   •   August 23, 2022

I just made this banana bread for about the 100th time…it is our favourite! I actually haven’t made any other banana bread recipe in ages. Thanks for your great recipes and healthy advice!

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Joy McCarthy   •   August 24, 2022

Candise Arima   •   September 18, 2022

Yummy…How much blueberries if no Bananas?

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Joy McCarthy   •   September 19, 2022

Maureen   •   November 21, 2023

I wish there was a way to upload a picture. I was so excited to make this. I followed the recipe as written and set timer to bake for 50 minutes @ 350. Thank goodness I checked it at 35 minutes. It was brown on top and sides are very dark, almost burnt looking. I haven’t cut into it yet because I made it for Thanksgiving. It looks really dry but I’m hoping it looks better inside. Next time I’ll set time for 30 minutes and see how it looks! Smells good!

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 22, 2023
Maureen   •   November 22, 2023
Joy McCarthy   •   November 24, 2023

Elissya   •   January 8, 2024

My family eats a lot of bananas and this is the perfect recipe to repurpose the ones that get bruised. I always double the recipe as well as triple the bananas and that fills a large rectangular cake pan plus a mini one to share. Flax or chia eggs both work great. I just learned that chia seeds are more bioavailable when soaked in ginger bug so I did that tonight and it's my new favorite. The ginger complements the other spices but it's very subtle and tastes extra clean. The chia seeds give it a more moist and fluffy texture, less grainy and dense like ground flax. Although I still love both versions. Tonight I switched the maple syrup with an equal amount of turbinado sugar as well as that same amount of water. The kids will love the sweetness but I prefer mine less sweet so I think I could have used half as much or possibly just omitted it. It was getting brown at the edges before it was done so I covered it with a cookie sheet for the last ~15 minutes and that was perfect! Total cook time was about an hour and the top has an even, beautiful golden color.

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 9, 2024

Cindy   •   January 21, 2024

Looks amazing! Im.making this today!

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   January 22, 2024

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