Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Bread

This gluten-free chocolate banana bread is deliciously decadent and easy to make. A tender chocolate banana cake, which is mainly sweetened from the natural sweetness of bananas, topped with a dark chocolate ganache. It is so good, you may just start buying extra overripe bananas to whip up another batch.

This is a great recipe when you crave banana bread but want something a little more special. Serve this chocolate banana bread on its own or warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (and some additional chocolate ganache). This is a versatile easy recipe that can be served for brunch, or afternoon tea but can also be served at a dinner party. And we can totally pretend this is healthy chocolate banana bread and have a slice for breakfast.

My pan of choice for this gluten free chocolate banana bread recipe is an 8.4”x4.5”x4.1 Pullman Loaf Pan. A standard loaf pan will work as well but I highly recommend investing in a Pullman loaf pan if you bake a lot of loaf bread/cakes.

If you love banana recipes, make sure to also check out my Gluten Free Banana Snack Cake and my Gluten Free Banana Bread Cookies (which are so much better than traditional Banana Bread)

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I tested this recipe with my own Gluten-Free Flour Blend as well as Bob’s Red Mill 1 – to 1 and King Arthur Measure for Measure. Each blend of gluten-free flours produced a delectable Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Bread with a beautiful crumb. (Gluten Free Flour blends used to test this recipe contain xanthan gum)

Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder: I highly recommend using dutch processed cocoa in this recipe for Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Bread. Dutch-processed cocoa produces richer, fudgier flavors. My go-to brands are Cacao Barry Extra Brute and Valrhona Pure Cocoa Powder. If you are looking for a better price point cacao powder I recommend Hershey’s Dutched Cocoa, Special Dark, 100% Cacao. Be aware if you use Natural Cocoa Powder in this recipe, the bread may be dry and lighter in color.

Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix: While testing this recipe for Chocolate Banana Bread I had issues with the fact that the bread did not taste "very chocolatey". Adding more Cocoa Powder dries the finished product out and adding chocolate chips makes it very messy. But adding instant chocolate pudding mix, such as Jell-O, to the banana bread batter not only increased the chocolate flavor but also keeps the chocolate banana bread moist. Jell-o Instant Chocolate Pudding and Cook & Serve (which both can be used in this recipe) are gluten-free and dairy-free. If you choose to omit this ingredient, please replace it with 25 grams of additional gluten-free flour.

Bananas: I like to use ripe, brown bananas, with a lot of brown spots but aren't mushy. You can also use frozen bananas for this recipe. To freeze bananas, just place them with their peel in the freezer. When I am ready to use them, I place them in a bowl and allow for them to thaw at room temperature. Please be aware that they will release some liquid. You may discard that liquid.

Instant Espresso: The instant espresso in this recipe brings out the chocolate flavor. It’s an optional ingredient but highly recommended. 

How to make Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Bread

This gluten-free chocolate banana bread recipe is very simple to make. Make sure all your ingredients (butter, sour cream, and eggs) are at room temperature when you get ready to bake. This recipe is written for an 8.4”x4.5”x4.1 Pullman Loaf Pan but a standard loaf pan will work as well.

• Line your baking pan: line your loaf pan with parchment paper and set it aside. Make sure to leave some overhang which will help to remove the fully baked banana bread from the pan.
  
• Sift together dry ingredients: in a medium bowl sift together the gluten-free flour, instant chocolate pudding, dutch processed cocoa powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and instant espresso (if using). Set aside.
  
• Cream butter and sugar: start out by creaming the room temperature butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. During this process, you are using the sugar to aerate the butter. This step helps with the rise of your baked goods.
  
• Add your eggs: add the eggs, one by one, and allow for them to incorporate into your butter-sugar mixture.
  
• Combine and add your dry ingredients: Make sure you sift together your dry ingredients before adding them. Please scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and mix until there is dry flour left to be seen.
  
• Mix in Mashed Bananas and Sour Cream: Place your ripe bananas in a separate bowl and use a fork to mash them up. Add them with the sour cream to your batter and mix until incorporated.
  
• Transfer to loaf pan: transfer your gluten-free batter to your prepared loaf pan and use a spatula, spoon, or small offset to smooth it out evenly
  
• Preheat your oven and bake: Preheat your oven to 350F for at least 20 minutes and allow the dough to rest at room temperature. Once your oven is preheated, bake your gluten free bread for 55-70 minutes or until a tester (like a toothpick) comes out clean. The baking time does depend on your oven temperature as well as which loaf pan you are using.
  
• Cool: When your gluten-free chocolate banana is fully baked, remove it from the oven. Allow your bread to cool for at least 20 minutes in the loaf pan before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
  

Dark Chocolate Ganache Topping

While this gluten-free dark chocolate banana bread is delicious as is, the dark chocolate ganache topping does take it to the next level. Every chocolate lover's dream come true.

To make the chocolate ganache topping, bring the heavy whipping cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Alternatively, you can also heat the heavy whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave.

Pour the cream on top of the dark chocolate and a pinch of salt. Allow for it to sit for a minute. The heat from the heavy cream will melt the chocolate. With a spoon begin to stir the melted chocolate into the cream. Continue to stir until smooth and glossy.

Allow for the dark chocolate ganache to sit for a few minutes before pouring it over the fully cooled banana bread (which has been removed from the loaf pan). The ganache topping will need a few minutes until it is set and you can cut the bread.

You may skip the ganache topping and top the chocolate banana bread with extra chocolate chips while it is still warm.

Difference between Dutch-processed and Natural cocoa powder

My choice of cocoa powder for baking is dutch processed since it gives baked goods a richer and fudgier flavor as well as a darker color.

Natural cocoa powder is ground cocoa powder in its pure form. It doesn’t undergo further processing which leaves the cocoa a light, chalky brown color with a bitter taste to it. Natural cocoa powder is generally paired with baking soda (which is alkali) in recipes. Because cocoa beans are naturally quite acidic, baking soda will trigger the chemical reaction that causes lift and lightness in your final bake.

Dutch-process cocoa powder, discovered by a Dutch chocolate maker, on the other hand, is made by soaking cocoa beans in an alkali solution which neutralizes the acidity and cuts a bit of the bitterness. This results in a product that is darker in color and less bitter flavored.

Black cocoa powder is a style of Dutch-process cocoa powder that – because of heavy, repeated processing- is extremely dark in color (think Oreo cookies). If you are looking for this deep dark color, I recommend giving the black cocoa powder a try. I love replacing 5-10 grams of dutch processed cocoa powder with black cocoa powder in my baked goods.

FAQ for Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Bread

How long will this gluten free chocolate chip banana bread last?
If stored in an air-tight container at room temperature, this gluten free chocolate bread should last up to 5 days. I never had any stick around longer than a day or two. You may also freeze it in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 3 months.

Can I add chocolate chips or nuts to this banana bread?
Yes, you can add up to 100 grams of finely chopped chocolate, chocolate chips, or nuts such as walnuts or pecans to the batter along with the mashed bananas and sour cream.

Can I make this recipe with All Purpose Flour?
Yes. Replace the Gluten-Free Flour with 140 grams of All-Purpose Flour.

Can I freeze my gluten free chocolate banana bread?
After you cooled your loaf completely, you can either freeze it by the entire loaf, the half loaf, or by the slice. Personally, I prefer freezing it by the slice since then I can just grab one slice, defrost it at room temperature and enjoy. Wrap each slice in plastic and place it in a ziplock bag. Freeze up to 3 months.

Can I substitute the sour cream with yogurt?
Whole fat greek yogurt would work the best here since it's closer to sour cream.

What is a Pullman loaf pan?
A Pullman loaf pan is a rectangular-shaped pan with straight sides which allow loaf bread, like this delicious quick bread, to rise taller without collapsing.