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This Paleo Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread is sweetened only with bananas for a guiltless treat that tastes just like traditional banana bread! This is an easy recipe you’ll come back to again and again. This paleo banana bread is also gluten-free, grain free, and sugar-free.
**2017 Update** This recipe has been a favorite since it’s initial publishing in August of 2014 – I’ve made it SO many times, always to rave reviews, and I know so many of you love it too! This well-loved recipe deserved some new photos, so it got a makeover!
Of course, the recipe remains the same as when it was originally published, as does the original post text below. If you haven’t tried this one yet…what are you waiting for?!
I originally was not going to post this recipe on Bakerita, not only because I already have way too many banana bread recipes on this site, but also because 80% of them include chocolate in some way. Oops. #sorrynotsorry
But…after I made it, and it got devoured within mere hours, with everyone having no idea it was grain-free and no sugar added (besides the chocolate), I decided it needed to be posted. And YEAH, you read that right – this banana bread has NO sugar added.
Because THIS banana bread is sweetened only with bananas. Of course, I ruined the sugar free thing by adding chunks of chopped chocolate (so much better than chocolate chips guys – try it), but who can resist big melted chocolate chunks in their banana bread?!?
Leave the chocolate out though (or make your own batch of paleo chocolate), and this stuff is totally paleo-friendly, grain-free, gluten-free, no sugar added, soy-free…I can’t think of any more “frees” but I’m sure it totally could apply to more diet categories too.
I was eating slivers of this banana bread with some of the chocolate coconut almond butter that I used in the recipe as well. It was so beyond good, guys. The banana flavor comes through better than most recipes I’ve made, and they also add so much moisture and keep the bread super tender. The touch of cinnamon adds that extra bit of warmth too. SO good.
I absolutely love how guilt-free this stuff is while tasting so insanely decadent. AND – it’s easy. I hate when quick batters take forever to come together, so it makes me happy that this one doesn’t take more than a few minutes of measuring and stirring ingredients together. No need to worry about overmixing either, since there’s no gluten in this recipe!
Paleo Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Recipe
This Paleo Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread is a standout, even among all my other banana bread recipes. Since I posted this recipe back during my senior year of college, it’s been made countless times in my kitchen, in my sister’s kitchen, and in hundreds (maybe thousands?) of your kitchens! Tons of you have let me know that it’s a staple for you and your familys. I believe my favorite way to enjoy a slice is warmed up for about 15-20 seconds in the microwave, either plain or with a tiny bit of almond butter drizzled on top…swooooon!
If you’re one of the folks that haven’t yet tried this Paleo Banana Bread, I think it’s time to change that! You’re going to love this moist, flavorful, just-sweet-enough banana bread. Get the recipe below, get to baking, and enjoy each and every bite.
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Paleo Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 4 bananas, 2 ½ cups mashed or 575 grams
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup 140 grams almond butter, or any nut butter of your choice
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup 75 grams coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- 6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (see Notes for recommendation to keep 100% Paleo)
Instructions
- Grease one 9"x5" loaf pan (or 8"x8" square pan, which is what I used) and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a large bowl or mixer, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, coconut oil, vanilla extract and nut butter until fully combined.
- Add the coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt to the wet ingredients and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes if using a square pan, and 50-60 if using a loaf pan. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean, and when you press down lightly on the loaf, it should spring back, not stay indented. If a toothpick comes out clean but the loaf isn't springing back, keep it in the oven until it does to ensure it's baked through.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for about 1/2 hour. Flip out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Want more banana bread?! Try these other outrageously delicious banana bread recipes…
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Paleo Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread
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And it’s not quite banana bread…but I think you’ll love this Banana Bread Pecan Almond Butter!
I made this banana bread today and my kids loved it! I went to cut a slice to put in my daughter’s lunch and discovered that it had turned green! Not all the way through, but about half of the loaf is green. The only thing I changed was substituting seed butter for nut butter so I could send it to school. Has this happened to anyone else?
Hi Vicky! So glad you liked the banana bread. Don’t worry about the green – that’s a reaction from using sunflower seed butter. Something in sunflower seed butter reacts with baking soda and baking powder and causes it to turn green as it cools. It’s totally safe though, just a little alarming when you’re not expecting it. Enjoy!
Has anyone tried to freeze this? How was it after defrosting? It does taste amazing! :)
I just made these with sunbutter and they’re delicious! My little ones and I each wolfed down our first slice and went back for seconds, thank you!
So glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing, Jessa!
Wow! This bread was so yummy, and I didnt even notice a hint of coconuty flavor! I subbed peanut butter for almond butter and it worked perfectly. This is definitely a keeper, thank you!
This bread is absolutely amazing!! Just made it now and I’m stuffed but keep picking at it because I am blown away at how tasty and decadent this is. I would easily take this over traditional banana bread any day! So happy I found your website… I have already made the Paleo chocolate chunk cookies and the raspberry crumble bars. Nobody I share these with can believe any of these desserts are Paleo :) I finally had to comment and thank you for bringing these extremely simple but delicious recipes online. You are very talented!
Thank you – you’re too sweet! Making me blush over here. I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the treats, and that what I always try to do – simple, delicious, “wouldn’t know they’re healthy” recipes – so it’s so great to hear you’ve had that experience. Cheers to delicious heathy recipes! :D
Yes, you certainly accomplished that! I am all for healthy recipes that taste this amazing. Your recipes are truly wonderful as they are, not just wonderful for ‘being healthy.’
Also I meant to say I made the cranberry crumble bars – those are so addicting! :)
Hi Rachel, this looks amazing and I’m thrilled to have found your site! I’m going to pull this together this afternoon for a party and have everything except coconut flour. Would it be OK to substitute with almond flour? Many thanks :-)
Hi Jasmine – unfortunately, coconut flour is one of those ingredients that doesn’t substitute well because it’s unique in that absorbs a lot more moisture than other flours. This bread would need a lot more almond flour to hold together. I’d recommend grabbing a bag a coconut flour, it’s relatively inexpensive and since you typically need a little bit, it will last a while. Sorry, hope this helps!
Thanks so much, Rachel! I have a rule about not substituting when I’m making a recipe for the first time so I ran to Trader Joe’s shortly after posting to grab some coconut flour. I’m so glad I did because OMG this bread came out SO great! I made it for my nephew’s birthday and he just loved it. Thank you for a fabulous recipe and blog. Looking forward to trying all your wonderful recipes :-)
Yay, I’m so glad you loved it Jasmine!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you :) hope you love any and all of the recipes you try!
Well mine tastes revolting lol. No idea where I went wrong. Made paleo chocolate chunks n they tasted awful on their own really strange tasting n once in the bread even worse :-(
Hi Louise. Was it the bread that didn’t turn out, or the chocolate chunks? I’ve made this bread tons of times (as have readers) and haven’t had anything go wrong. If it was the chocolate chunks, could one of the ingredients have been off? That recipe is pretty straightforward and they should definitely not taste strange. Feel free to respond back or email me if you want some help figuring out what went wrong.
It was the chocolate I think. It tasted of pure cocoa n the bread turned out rather strange too. I bought all fresh ingredients for it so shouldn’t have been off. Only thing I can think is I’ve put too much cocoa in it
This recipe is amazing!!! The first time around I did it in the loaf pan and while it tasted fine, the bottom was soggy while the top was burned. My oven cooks a bit hot, so this time around I’m using the 8×8 method. I also made my own chocolate chunks with your recipe and WOW!!! I can’t stop eating them! Better than a bag of M&M’s for sure! Cannot wait for this “loaf” to come out of the oven tonight!
Yay, so glad to hear you like the chocolate chunks! I hope the 8×8 pan works better for you, and that you love the bread this time around. You could try cooking it on a lower temperature (maybe 25 degrees lower) to help it cook more evenly if it’s still a problem. Enjoy, Kristin!
YUK ~ FYI the cocoa powder trick does not work without adding sweetner!! :(
Hi Suzanne – I’ve created a specific recipe for a “double” chocolate version of this banana bread found here. If you’re using sweet, very ripe bananas, you shouldn’t have to add any extra sweetener!
yum!