healthful chocolate chip banana bread;

Originally posted April 26, 2017. Updated May 31, 2024 for content and clarity.

This healthy version of banana bread requires no butter or oils! It’s still delicious and has everything you want in chocolate chip banana bread, but uses coconut milk and overripe bananas to keep the bread moist. You get all the delicious banana and chocolate flavors with plant-based alternatives.

To make this recipe vegan-friendly, swap out the honey for an alternative sweetener like maple syrup or agave.

secret to success

Do you love banana bread? Looking for a guiltless alternative? Look no further! Instead of butter or oil, use full-fat coconut milk. Sure it’s got gat in it, but it’s natural, healthy, and plant-based which makes this recipe vegan if you swap out the honey for an alternative sweetener like maple syrup or agave.

I enjoy using coconut milk in recipes, but I always seem to have leftovers. None of my recipes quite uses the whole can. So this chocolate chip banana bread is the perfect recipe to make alongside say, thai peanut chicken or bang bang shrimp so nothing goes to waste.

Sometimes I’ll make miniature loaves so I can share or freeze for future breakfasts.

secret to success

This recipe makes one large loaf of chocolate chip banana bread, but sometimes I’ll make miniature loaves. That way they’re perfect for sharing or popping into the freezer for future breakfasts. Just take a frozen loaf or slice from the freezer the night before you want to eat it, and it will be thawed and delicious by morning.

I honestly don’t think I could tell the difference in flavor between this coconut milk banana bread and a classic butter recipe. So it’s really guiltless, and the taste is still decadent. I’ve never had anyone who’s tried this recipe even ask if I’ve done something different. So why not make the swap in your own chocolate chip banana bread to make it healthier?

Make sure to use overripe bananas for that intense banana flavor.

secret to success

Make sure to use overripe bananas for that intense banana flavor. When you let the bananas ripen, the natural sweetness in the fruit brings out that banana flavor so it shines through. Once the bananas begin to have dark spots on the peels you know they’re ready. They should be incredibly easy to mash with a fork. You want medium-sized bananas. If you have large bananas, consider using 2 instead of 3 so as not to add too much moisture to the chocolate chip banana bread.

I love sprinkling the top of the banana bread with turbinado sugar, also known as raw sugar. It adds such a satisfying crunch to the top of the chocolate chip banana bread. Just add it right before baking and you get the additional texture. Regular sugar adds additional sweetness, but you won’t get that crunch unless you use the raw, big-grained sugar.

If you feel like amping up your slice into a full-fledged dessert, try adding a strawberry cheesecake sauce!

secret to success

Make sure to allow time for the banana bread to cool to allow it to set and slice easily. A slice of healthful chocolate chip banana bread is amazing on its own, but if you feel like amping up your slice into a full-fledged dessert, try adding a strawberry cheesecake sauce! Blend together ½ block of cream cheese, 1 Tbsp sugar, and 1 cup hulled strawberries and pour over a toasted slice of banana bread.

secrets to success;

Want all the best tips and tricks to make this recipe a success? Check out the blog post above to find out more!

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more recipes;

Looking for other breakfast recipes?

• Stuffed biscuits and gravy are an amazing all-in-one-bite breakfast, and you can even make your own sausage gravy.
• My favorite healthful make-ahead breakfast are these twice baked breakfast sweet potatoes.
• Another sweet fruit bread, cream cheese apple cake makes for a wonderful fresh take on a coffee cake.
• You can never go wrong with classic fluffy cinnamon rolls, or change it up and go chocolate with these s’mores cinnamon rolls.

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