These Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars are perfect to make when you have overly ripe bananas! I make these in a 8 x 8-inch pan, add chocolate chips, and you have an amazing snack!
If you love banana bread, check out my Eggless Mini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, Blueberry Banana Bread, or my Maple Brown Sugar Banana Bread.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
You'll love this recipe because it uses overly ripe bananas! I had blackened bananas again this past week, from being too busy running around chasing John John that I forgot to eat my daily banana! I made Eggless Banana Waffles last week with some of the blackened bananas. Then, I made Dog Waffles, and now I'm sharing my recipe for easy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars.
These Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars are just like your favorite banana bread, but in a small little squares . They are moist, fluffy, and have all the banana bread vibes, but in a bar form. You can basically make any banana bread recipe into bars simply by changing your pan!
I used my USA Pan 8 x 8-inch pan for this recipe, but you can also use a 9 x 9-inch pan as well. That extra inch won't matter too much in this recipe, the larger pan will just result in a little bit larger and shorter bar.
Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars
Organic Salted Butter
My favorite organic butter is from Organic Valley, and next favorite is from Costco!
Organic Light Brown Sugar
I am using Homemade Light Brown Sugar in this recipe today.
Organic Bananas
Make sure your bananas are very ripe, and black almost! The blacker the better. This provides more flavor in your baked goods.
Organic Sour Cream
I use organic sour cream in this recipe, as there are no eggs! Sour cream helps create a moist cake and also give this banana bread some structure. I used Organic Valley Sour Cream in this recipe.
Organic Milk
Always use whole milk when baking. I love Organic Valley Grassmilk, as I think milk from grass-fed cows tastes better!
Organic All Purpose Flour
I used Cairnspring Mills Organic All Purpose Flour in this recipe. You can use King Arthur or even the O Organics brand from Vons, both of which I also like.
Organic Cinnamon
I use organic Korintje Cinnamon from Frontier Co-Op. Korintje Cinnamon is a specific type of cinnamon that I believe has the best cinnamon flavor. This isn't the traditional cinnamon you usually see at the grocery store, that is usually Ceylon – which I find doesn't have the best flavor. So, give my favorite cinnamon a try and I bet you'll notice a difference in your baked goods.
Organic Dark Chocolate Chips
I used organic chocolate chips from Nuts.com in this recipe. You can easily order these online, and also in bulk!
FAQ's
How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?
Bananas should be very ripe for banana bread. They should be soft, mushy, and blackened. When bananas ripen, the starches turn into sugar. This sugar is what provides more banana flavor and a more flavorful banana bread when you use blackened bananas.
Can you make banana bread not in a loaf pan?
Yes, that is exactly what I did here. I made an eggless banana bread loaded with chocolate chips and I baked this in a square 8 x 8-inch pan. You can also use a 9 x 9-inch pan for this recipe as well, they just won't be as tall. I chose the 8 x 8-inch pan so these bars would look very thick.
Can you leave out vanilla extract?
If you notice, this recipe doesn't have any vanilla extract. That is rare for a baked good recipe! However, vanilla extract is very expensive, so I like to make sure it's truly needed when I use it. And, in this recipe for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars, the bananas have so much flavor and I also add in a pinch of cinnamon so there is no need for vanilla extract in this recipe. So, this is a great recipe to make when you're out of vanilla extract!
What goes well with banana bread?
So many things! These Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars go well with a tall glass of milk. Our favorite kind of milk is Organic Valley Grassmilk, please try it if you haven't yet! These Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars also go well with ice cream, coffee, and tea.
Is it better to wrap banana bread in foil or plastic wrap?
Never wrap banana bread in foil, as banana bread is moist so it needs to be in something that is airtight. Foil is not an airtight covering, so it's not good for things that need to stay moist, soft, or chewy. You can wrap banana bread in plastic wrap as long as you do it tightly. But, my favorite way to store these Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars is in a Tupperware. It's more eco friendly, and it stays the best in an airtight container.
Why Organic
Why use organic ingredients in this recipe? You all know I’m a huge organic advocate, and I bet you may be thinking sometimes, Why would I even bother to use organic ingredients in something that is so sweet and indulgent? But, that is the exact reason why you should use organic ingredients! Sweet things need to have flavor in order to be good, otherwise they are just sweet and they don’t taste like much else. Organic ingredients are more pure than conventional ones, therefore they actually have more flavor than the non organic options. Say it with me, organic means more flavor! And not just more flavor but a more true and pure flavor. And organic ingredients are much healthier for you to eat in general as they do not contain GMOs or anything artificial. Plus, you are being environmentally friendly when you choose organic ingredients!
So, I highly recommend that you buy the best organic ingredients for this recipe! You can also shop my Amazon Storefront for all my favorite organic ingredients here. Tip – hover over each ingredient to see the name. And if you want to learn more about organic foods and the difference, read my post here on Food Labels and What They Mean.
Just like your favorite banana bread, but in a bar form. These moist banana bread bars are loaded with semi sweet chocolate chips for a snack you can enjoy any time of day.
Ingredients
1/2 cup (113 grams) organic salted butter, softened
170 grams (3/4 cup) packed organic light brown sugar
2 organic large ripe bananas
57 grams (1/4 cup) organic sour cream, room temperature
1/2 cup organic milk, room temperature
191 grams (1 1/2 cups) organic all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon organic cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
198 grams (1 cup) organic dark chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted the paddle attachment, add the butter and brown sugar and mix on low until combined and there are no chunks of butter.
- Add the bananas, sour cream, and milk and mix on low until combined.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt in that order and mix on low until combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix on low until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
- Bake for 1 hour or until the a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan completely.
- Cut into 9 bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Gluten Free — Replace the all purpose flour with 191 grams (scant 1 1/4 cups) organic gluten free flour blend.
- High Altitude — Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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