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Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

ByJessica Loizzo Updated on

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If you’ve got overripe bananas sitting on your counter, you know what that means – banana bread time! Not just any banana bread, although that’s so delicious, but Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread. This banana bread is next-level deliciousness due to the toasty, nutty aroma from the brown butter and the rich, smooth chunks of chocolate dispersed throughout the bread. One slice just isn’t enough!

Brown butter chocolate chunk banana bread on a cutting board, sliced.

What is Brown Butter?

I’m confident we all know what banana bread is, but do we all know what brown butter is? If you don’t, I’m here to tell you that it’s a baker’s little secret to making really, really tasty desserts. If we want to get technical, brown butter is just butter cooked until the milk solids toast and turn golden. This is done in a pan over medium heat – don’t worry I’ll show you how to do it below. Here’s a how to brown butter guide as well! The butter smells nutty, tastes rich, and adds a subtle caramel flavor that makes desserts taste amazing. It can be used in cookies, cakes, bread, muffins and even in savory recipes. A few of my favorites are Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies and this Pumpkin Ravioli with a Brown Butter Sauce. So if you’ve never made brown butter, don’t worry, today is the day! It’s absolutely wonderful in this Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Flavor – I think we can all agree that traditional banana bread is delicious. I’m going to argue that when you make it with brown butter and add chocolate chunks to it, it’s even better. The depth of flavor is so much more rich than banana bread without it.
  • Easy – If you can stir, you can make this recipe! It’s very straightforward.
  • Anytime treat – brown butter chocolate chunk banana bread can be enjoyed all year and at any time during the day. Breakfast? Snack? Dessert? Yes to all of it.
  • Great way to use ripe bananas – instead of throwing those bananas away, they get used. We love bananas in our house so I often have ripe ones. If you search through the blog, you will notice several recipes that use banana like my Banana Pumpkin Muffins and my Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting just to name a few!

Step-By-Step Instructions

First, let’s start with how to brown butter. This is the most important step in baking brown butter chocolate chunk banana bread.

Creamy butter in a white enamel saucepan, ready for cooking or baking, with a wooden-handled spatula, on a marble countertop, ideal for dessert recipes or baking ingredients.
Add butter to a sauce pan and place over medium heat.
Butter melting in a saucepan with a wooden spatula on a marble countertop with a white kitchen towel.
Cook, stirring often until the butter starts to foam.
Cream-colored pot with a creamy mixture and a wooden spatula on a marble surface, with white cloth nearby.
Once the butter foams, continue stirring. The butter will start to have a nutty aroma and brown bits will form at the bottom of the pan. This can happen quickly.
Sweet caramel sauce being prepared in a cream-colored pot on a marble countertop, with a white cloth nearby.
Once you see brown bits forming, remove the pan from the heat and immediately pour into a bowl.
Rich brown butter poured into a white bowl on a marble surface with a white linen cloth, perfect for flavoring desserts and baked goods.
The butter will have a deep caramel flavor and have a nutty aroma. Set the brown butter aside to cool.

Instructions For The Banana Bread

Creamy homemade banana pudding in a glass bowl with a black spoon, on white marble background and white cloth, dessert recipe, comfort food, sweet treat, Stuck On Sweet.
In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork.
Bright mixing bowl with eggs, vanilla, and spices for baking, on a marble surface with a white cloth.
To the bananas, whisk in eggs, sour cream, sugars, vanilla, and cooled brown butter.
Fine white flour in a glass mixing bowl with a hand whisk, ready for baking, on a white marble surface with a white cloth, ideal for cake and pastry recipes.
In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
Creamy pie filling being mixed with flour and caramel in a glass bowl, on white marble surface with a white cloth, ready for dessert preparation.
Add the bowl of dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and stir just until combined.
Creamy cookie dough with chocolate chunks in a glass bowl over a white marble surface.
Whisk is chocolate chunks.
Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan.
Rich chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream in a beige baking dish with parchment paper edges, topped with chopped dark chocolate, served on a white marble countertop with a white linen cloth.
Top with chocolate chunks and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.
Banana bread with chocolate chunks on wooden cutting board, fresh bananas and glass of milk, perfect for breakfast or snack.
The bread will be dark in color due to the brown butter and the caramelization. It’s absolutely delicious.

Tips for Success

  • Use bananas that are super ripe – like the ones you’re embarrassed to have on the counter. They bring the most sweetness and moisture.
  • Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until combined. Your bread will stay soft and tender.
  • Let the brown butter cool before mixing it in. It can be warm, but not hot, otherwise it can scramble the eggs.
  • Tent foil over top of the bread half way through baking to help the top not burn. This is super common when making dessert breads. I use this technique all the time.
  • Line your loaf pan with parchment paper. This makes it easy to remove the bread from the pan.

Final Thoughts

If you’re as banana-obsessed as I am, you’ll love really love this Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread recipe. It’s the perfect way to use overripe bananas, but it’s an even better excuse to bake something tasty. It’s great to give as a gift or make just because you want to. You’re home will smell amazing and your stomach’s will be happily full. I have to admit, it’s very, VERY good with coffee. Just saying! Enjoy!

Yield: 1 loaf

Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread on a wood cutting board sliced.

This Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread is next-level delicousness. It's got a toasty depth of flavor from the brown butter and the chocolate chunks pair so well with the nuttty aroma!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 stick + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed banana (3-4 ripe bananas)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup full fat sour cream, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (save a few for the top)
  • Flaky salt (optional)

Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease and or line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick baking spray and parchment paper; set aside.
    2. Brown the butter- place butter in a small skillet or saucepan (use non-stick if you have it). Melt the butter over medium heat. Stir often until it foams, then turns golden brown with a nutty aroma (about 5 minutes). Immediately take off the heat and pour into a glass bowl to cool, using a spatula to scrape any brown bits that have stuck to the pan.
    3. While the butter is cooling, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl until mostly smooth.
    4. Whisk in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, sour cream, vanilla and cooled brown butter. Whisk well for at least 1 minute.
    5. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
    6. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients until just combined. Then fold in most of the chocolate chips, reserving a handful to sprinkle on top. Don't overmix.
    7. Pour batter into a greased or parchment paper lined 9x5 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top along with flaky salt if desired.
    8. Bake for 30 minutes then tent a piece of aluminum foil on top and bake for another 30-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (melted chocolate is fine, but make sure there is no batter on the knife). Cool and enjoy!

Notes

Banana bread will last 2-4 days at room temperature in an airtight container.

Banana bread can be frozen for up to 2 months. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap them place in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 356Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 389mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 3gSugar: 35gProtein: 6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated. Use as an approximation only.

Did you make this recipe?

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© Jess - stuckonsweet.com
Category: Breads

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