If you are looking for a healthy treat to make with those old bananas, look no further. If you are a chocolate fan, this skinny chocolate banana bread is a lightened-up, chocolate spin on the classic sweet treat. I love eating this banana bread as-is, or alongside fresh berries and whipped cream or nut butter, or some ice cream for the ultimate indulgent-tasting dessert. It’s sweet and delicious, and lightened up just enough without compromising flavor.
What makes this chocolate banana bread “skinny?”
This chocolate banana bread recipe is just lightened up a touch from a classic banana bread; let me explain how. It mostly has to do with the sugar and butter components. Traditional banana bread doesn’t involve much, aside from really ripe bananas, sugar, flour, and some other basic ingredients to make this dense, cake-like treat. Since the basis for banana bread is so simple, I didn’t find it very hard to “lighten-up” this chocolate version without sacrificing the flavor or traditional texture and overall experience of banana bread. Banana bread is such a wholesome, crowd-pleasing dish, and it’s so perfect for using up overripened bananas, which we all usually have laying around! 
How I lightened up this recipe
What I did with the sugar
- I do not use any sugar replacements here.
- This recipe uses maple syrup as a sweetening agent.
- I stretch the maple syrup by using unsweetened applesauce. The natural sweetness from the apples adds sweetness to this recipe without using more syrup.
How I incorporated butter
- I use light butter (I use this one from Land ‘o Lakes) which is essentially like a margarine.
Can I make any substitutions? You can use sugar replacements if you wish, and the macros and points would change for this recipe. I have not tested this recipe with almond flour or other gluten free flour varieties, but will update if I do! If you do not like bananas, this recipe is not for you, sorry! They are a crucial element to banana bread. 
How to serve skinny chocolate banana bread
This chocolate banana bread is a delicious sweet treat. You can either serve it on its own as a delicious breakfast alongside some eggs and fruit, or you can serve it as a snack or dessert. My favorite way to eat this banana bread is toasted with some butter, but since this is a chocolate flavored banana bread, you can serve it with a doll-up of almond butter for a nice change. You can also warm up a slice of bread and serve it alongside some ice cream, berries and whipped cream for a super delicious dessert or sweet treat.
If you love the taste of bananas in baked goods, you might also enjoy these chocolate banana muffins. They use overripe bananas as well, mixed in with high protein chocolate pancake mix. They also make a delicious snack or dessert. You can also try my original skinny banana bread with walnuts recipe.
What will I need to make skinny banana bread with walnuts?
- super overripe bananas
- It is really important for your bananas to be extremely overripe for this recipe. Mashing overripe bananas allows them to release the wet consistency we are looking for to bring this banana bread together. Overripe bananas are also really sweet and give lots of that banana flavor to this bread.
- You can store overripe bananas in the freezer, and then pull them out for whenever you want to make a treat like this one!
- light butter
- baking soda
- kosher salt
- vanilla extract
- egg
- maple syrup
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- unsweetened applesauce
- The only ingredients in unsweetened applesauce are apples. This is also sometimes branded as “no sugar added” applesauce.
- all purpose flour
- I have not tested this recipe with other flours (almond, gluten free) but plan to! I will keep you posted on how they work out!
- reduced sugar or no sugar added chocolate chips
- If you do not like sugar replacements (like me) I highly recommend these no sugar added chocolate chips from Hu. They are sweetened with dates.
- Here is a link to the chocolate chips: No Added Sugar Keto Baking Chocolate Chips – Hu Kitchen. My code STEPH saves money at checkout, on non-subscription orders only.
How to make skinny chocolate banana bread
To make skinny chocolate banana bread, preheat the oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas, add the unsweetened applesauce, melted butter, vanilla extract, maple syrup, egg, salt and baking soda, and stir to combine. Next, fold in the cocoa powder and flour. Stir in half of the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into a loaf pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Top the loaf with the remaining chocolate chips. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Skinny Chocolate Banana Bread
Equipment
- loaf pan
Ingredients
- 3 bananas, medium, extremely overripe, mashed, equivalent to 1.5 cups
- 1/4 cup light butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup maple syrup, used: Kirkland organic
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1.5 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup no sugar added or reduced sugar chocolate chips, used: 36g Hu No Sugar Added Chips
- non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Mash the bananas with a fork in a mixing bowl.
- Melt the butter. Add the melted butter, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract, egg, maple syrup, and applesauce to the bowl.
- Stir to combine.
- Add the flour and the cocoa powder. Combine thoroughly.
- Fold in half of the chocolate chips.
- Spray the loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Top with the remaining chocolate chips.
- Bake at 350F for 45-60 minutes or until set up.
- Allow to cool. and slice into 12 slices.
- To store: wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. To serve, eat plain or toasted with butter.
Notes
Nutrition
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Absolutely delicious!
At the risk of dumb question…..a slice can be very different from person to person….what width of slice equates to the points? Thanks for helping the WW newbie!
I recommend cutting it into 12 equal slices 🙂
This sounds and looks delicious. I plan on making it this weekend but quick silly question – can honey be used in place of the maple syrup? I know two different tastes but consistency is pretty much the same. Do you think it would taste good though?
This was so good! I actually cooked it in a smaller casserole dish so I could cut it like cake and eat it more like dessert. So yummy, will definitely be making again!
This is delicious. I highly recommend you try it. I love sweets and when eating thus I can’t believe it’s a skinny recipe.
I made this today and it was delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
If you haven’t tried this recipe, Insuggest you do it with your next batch of ripe bananas. I made it for the first time today in this snowy day in Dallas. My husband and I ate half of it in no time. A nice bread not too sweet like I thought it might be. And service g warm with butter…. Delicious! Thanks Steph. You are my hero.
P.S Also made your crockpot chicken soup during this cold wintery day!
This is so yummy!!! Simple and easy to make. And since I’m on WW it was only 4 points. Amazing. Thank you Steph!
This is delicious!
Really yummy. I took it out after 45 minutes and put a tester in and it came out clean, but I think I should have left it in for another 5 minutes. Mine didn’t look as airy as the picture, more dense. But…it tastes fabulous, very fudgy. An absolute treat. Every recipe I have tried has come out great. Thanks again!
My new fav banana bread recipe. It’s just so easy and delicious!
Amazing! My fiancé has a big sweet tooth and we both really loved this recipe and I’m moving it into our weekly rotation. It was easy to put together, light, fluffy, and (I hate the word but,) moist!
Another fantastic recipe. A definite crowdpleaser. Truly wonderful dessert to make!
It is delicious! I could only get 11 slices! I don’t know how you managed 12! I tried! 🤷♀️
This was so delicious- making it again tomorrow!
I don’t tolerate artificial sweetners at all. Is there a no sugar added chocolate chip on the market?
hi, yes the ones I use from Hu are sweetened with dates 🙂 I don’t tolerate artificial sweeteners either!
Love your regular banana bread but tried this for the first time and it’s even better! Thank you.
I love this! I make it nearly every other week. It hits all the chocolate notes and has kept me from choosing processed chocolate snacks. I love it warmed up or with some fresh berries on top. I add all of the Hu chips to the mix rather than top it with half of the chips; they seem to be “meltier” when they are baked into the loaf!
Absolutely delicious!!! A banana bread that is light and makes you feel like you are eating the real thing. Does not taste “skinny” at all. As always Steph knows her ingredients and does not disappoint. If you have not made this and love banana bread, This is a must try!
Moist and delicious!