Chocolate Chip Banana Bars are a simple & delicious ripe banana recipe that’s even better than banana bread! Great for breakfast, lunch and even dessert! Check out all the 5 star reviews- everyone raves about this easy banana bars!
Shared nearly 100,000 times on social media, this is the perfect banana recipe! See the 5⭐️ reviews below!
Best recipe to make when you have Ripe Bananas on the counter!
This recipe for Chocolate Chip Banana Bars is my favorite banana recipe ever. They are delicious, filling, and perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack or as dessert. I love that they have a ton of bananas in them. I like to bake a batch, cut them into squares and freeze them individually for when we’re on-the-go!
Why You’ll Love these Chocolate Chip Banana Bars
- Perfect use for ripe bananas! You’ll need 4 or 5 for this recipe, depending on the size. Tell me I’m not the only one who buys bananas week after week for them to disappear lightning fast. Then suddenly that stops…and you’ve got nearly a whole bunch on the counter ripening at an alarming rate. Ha!
- They’re easier to make than banana bread. Bakes faster & for some reason when they’re cut into squares everyone eats them faster than slices of bread. I’ve heard it time and time again!
- So incredibly versatile! Swap out some oil for applesauce. Use 1 less banana. Add in oats. Or peanut butter. Since posting these 5 years ago, I’ve made so many revisions! They’re all amazing!
Banana Chocolate Chip Bar ingredients
Here’s what you need to make our Chocolate Chip Banana Bars:
—BANANAS: 5 very ripe bananas (about 1 2/3 cup) – yes, you can use frozen bananas! Once you’re ready to use the frozen bananas, thaw them out slightly, then peel them and place the bananas in a bowl. Once they’re fully thawed, drain out the liquid and proceed with the recipe.
—SUGAR: You’ll use just 3/4 cup brown sugar. I opted to use brown sugar in place of white sugar as it’s sweeter due to the addition of molasses. Adds great flavor too!
—OIL: You need 1/4 cup oil for the banana bars. Canola, vegetable or coconut oil work the best. I’ve even gotten comments from people who’ve swapped out the oil for applesauce with great success!
—MILK: We add 1/4 cup milk for moisture. I most often use almond milk, but any type of milk except soy milk works well. (I find soy milk doesn’t bake well!)
—EGGS: You need 2 eggs for this recipe.
—DRY INGREDIENTS: You’ll need 1 3/4 cup flour. I regularly swap out all-purpose flour for whole wheat! You’ll also need 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp cinnamon for flavor and leavening.
—CHOCOLATE: We added 1 cup mini chocolate chips to the recipe in 2 parts. You’ll mix half into the batter and the other half you’ll sprinkle on top before baking. Adds just the right amount of sweetness!
How to make Chocolate Banana Bars
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 15×10.5″ pan with non-stick spray.
Peel bananas and mash well. Stir in brown sugar, oil, milk and eggs until combined.
Add in dry ingredients and stir. Fold in 1/2 the chocolate chips.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle remaining chips on top. Bake 18-22 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool completely and cut into squares.
Yields 24 bars.
I like to make a batch, then cool, cut and freeze in individual baggies. Since they’re filling, they make a wonderful snack, breakfast or school lunch addition.
How can I ripen bananas quickly?
Ripe bananas are used in banana bread because they have a stronger, more pronounced flavor. There are several ways to help bananas ripen faster so that you can make banana bread. Here are my preferred methods:
- Ripen bananas in the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place bananas peel and all on the parchment and bake for 30-40 minutes, until peels are black & shiny. Let cool 1 hour and proceed with banana bread recipe.
- Ripen bananas in a paper bag. If you have more time, place bananas in a paper bag with an apple. Fold and secure closed. I usually leave bananas like this for a full day, then proceed with the Banana Nut Bread recipe.
How to make Healthier Banana Bars
There are several things you can swap out in this recipe to make them healthier. Here are some ideas:
- I use brown sugar instead of regular granulated sugar to add more sweetness with less sugar. That being said, you can decrease the sugar to 1/2 cup. Just make sure you’re using VERY ripe bananas to add sweetness there.
- You can replace half or all of the oil with applesauce. I’m more of a fan of using half coconut oil and half applesauce, personally.
- Use almond or cashew milk in place of regular milk.
- Add in 2-3 TBSP of ground flax! No one will notice and it gives an added boost of fiber.
- Add veggies!! Seriously. Check out my double chocolate version of this recipe. I added cocoa powder and tons of ground spinach. No one can taste the difference and if you blend the spinach small enough (blending it with the coconut oil helps) you can’t see the difference either.
CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BARS
Ingredients
- 5 very ripe bananas about 1 2/3 cup
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup oil any type- I use coconut
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¾ cup flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips divided
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 15×10.5" pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Peel bananas and mash well. Stir in brown sugar, oil, milk and eggs until combined. Add in dry ingredients and stir. Fold in 1/2 the chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle remaining chips on top.
- Bake 18-22 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely and cut into squares. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I’ve made several revisions to this incredible recipe! Here are my favorites:
➡➡➡ I added Peanut Butter. These Peanut Butter Banana Bars have more flavor and protein! Use smooth or crunchy, depending on what you like.
➡➡➡Double the Chocolate! I mean, adding more chocolate is always a good idea. These Double Chocolate Banana Bars are dark brown due to the cocoa, so I took the opportunity to sneak in some blended spinach too! THEY NEVER NOTICE!
➡➡➡Like Cheesecake? I made two different versions to satisfy you! Here’s a Cream Cheese Frosted Banana Bars and this one, Cheesecake Banana Bars has a swirl of sweetened cream cheese baked into it!
➡➡➡Bring on the fruit! Bananas pair well with so many other fruits, so I made a Blueberry Banana Bars recipe, Strawberry Banana Bars and added some citrus with these Orange Banana Bars. YUM.
Can you use frozen bananas in banana bars?
A lot of people freeze overripe bananas to use them later on in banana bars. It’s a simple way to amass a collection of ripe bananas to use in this recipe. you don’t even have to peel the bananas prior to freezing! Once you’re ready to use them in this banana bars recipe, thaw them out slightly, then peel them and place the bananas in a bowl. Once they’re fully thawed, drain out the liquid and proceed with the recipe.
Can you freeze Chocolate Banana Bars?
Yes! I freeze these banana bars often! My favorite way to freeze them is to cut them into 2″-3″ squares and place in a small baggie. Place all of the individual baggies in a larger ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Then you have individual servings of chocolate chip banana bars that are perfect for an on-the-go snack or school lunch! You can also freeze a half pan of these banana bars. Instead of baking in a 10×15 pan, bake them in 2 quarter bakers sheets or 9×13 pans. Simply cool fully, then cover with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 weeks.
Are banana bars gluten free?
My traditional recipe for chocolate chip banana bars does contain gluten, however you can substitute a gluten-free flour blend or use almond flour instead. If you swap out regular flour with almond flour, just add a rounded teaspoon of baking soda instead.
Fantastic cake-like banana bar recipe for when you have ripe bananas that need to be used up! Perfectly spiced with a bit of cinnamon & studded with chocolate chips, these banana bars are amazing!
JC says
Just made them for the first time and they’re delicious! Do they need to be stored in the fridge or
Are they ok to sit out?
Alison says
We love to freeze them wrapped individually but if you don’t want to freeze them, then put them in an airtight container in the fridge. Glad you are enjoying them!
Hilary says
Very yummy! I added a small amount of dried, unsweetened cranberries to the recipe. Took 25 minutes altogether.
Alison says
Hilary, love the addition! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Taruna says
Can this recipe be prepared without egg
Jessica says
I’ve never tried it without egg!
Monse says
This so funny because I just going to look for recipe with bananas and besides I made breads and had extra bananas and next week I see this recipe , so thank you
Alison says
Glad this one popped up for you! It’s one of our very favorites!
Chris says
Mine tastes good but came out spongy.
What did I do wrong?
Jessica says
They’re supposed to be fluffy tasting- is that what you mean? Like a muffin? If so- you got it right! These aren’t dense bars.
Jennifer says
Question: do these come out chewy? Or more like a muffin? Just wondering what the texture should be like… they look delicious!
Jessica says
They’re more like a muffin!
I. S. says
We only had four large bananas, but otherwise followed it to the letter! It was amazing!! I followed her pan size recommendation and the timing was exact and it was cooked perfectly!
Alison says
We are obsessed with these at our house and love when others enjoy them too!
KK says
WOW this was delicious and super moist! Thank you so much for sharing! I will definitely be making this again!
Alison says
So happy you enjoyed this one!
Claudia Lamascolo says
These bars are so moist and yummy I cant wait to make them again they flew off the table!
Denay DeGuzman says
We loved this easy delicious recipe for chocolate chip banana bars! Our family made them last night, and they were so darn good!!!
Bonnie says
I made these today. I only had about 3/4 cup of chocolate chips left so I added chopped pecans to make up the difference. They came out perfect in a 9×13 pan… although a bit thicker. The consistency was more cake like than I expected but still delicious.
Nellie says
Great idea to add pecans!
Karri Fernandes says
I am planning on making this tonight. I would like to add walnuts to the ingredients. If I do, does the recipe need to be modified?
Jessica says
No need to modify anything- I’d just add about 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts. YUM.
Carmella says
If I use almond flour and substitute sugar and sugar free chocolate chips does the calorie count change at all? I’m diabetic and I use swerve substitute sugar and I use sugar-free chocolate chips.I know bananas have a lot of carbs. But I didn’t know if you took him to the account using almond flour and sugar free chocolate chips and substitute sugar.
Jessica says
I’ve not made all the changes you’re describing, so if you try it, it’ll be an adventure! I do recommend Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour blend as opposed to just almond flour.
Ck says
Hi! Can you use avocado oil for the oil portion?
Jessica says
I don’t have a lot of experiencing baking with avocado oil; let me know if you try it!
Renee says
These turned out great! I had 4 bananas and an 11×16 cookie sheet, baked 14 minutes. Perfect! I also subbed chocolate chunks for mini chips as that’s all I had on hand. I’m rarely successful at baking good banana bread but these were a delicious version, so soft and moist!
Nellie says
So glad you enjoyed them!
Hayley says
Delish! I only had a few Choco chips so I dumped those in and added some sweetened coconut flakes. I used the 9×13 pan for 23 minutes and they were perfect!
G3 says
Made this today and they turned out amazing:) . Followed the recipe to the T except I had only 4 bananas so added an extra egg. My toddler daughter loved them that she ate 3 at once 😁. Will be making these more often whenever i have ripened bananas. Thank you for the recipe .:)
If I make these in a 9 by 13 pan as u suggested , should i split them into two batches to have the same thickness ? Also what time would u suggest ? Thanks
Jessica says
So glad you liked them!! Yes, if you want to bake them in a 9×13, you’ll have to divide the batter into 2. Or you can bake them thicker- add 10-15 minutes to the bake time and check for doneness!
Lisa says
This recipe looks delicious! Unfortunately, when I made it, my bars came out very dark brown and mushy (they never set). I swapped in almond flour, and used a rounded tsp of baking soda to compensate. I used the recommended 11×15 pan size and baked at 350 for 30 min. I then turned the oven down to 305 and baked for 20 more min, covered with tin foil, but they still never set. I’m now left with a gloopy mess, although they do taste good. Any suggestions for what I may have done wrong?
Jessica says
I honestly have no clue- they just never cooked?? I’ve made these bars in SO many ways and haven’t ever had that happen. : (
Vicky Mason says
I think it may be the almond flour substitute as I just tried with almond flour and also dark brown and was more of a moist pudding than a cakey texture. They still taste yum but don’t have form. Also followed all of the substitutes and used the extra tsp baking soda. Wonder what we did wrong?
Nellie says
Definitely sounds like it was the almond flour. I’ve only tried it a few times, but every time I use almond flour as a substitute, recipes just don’t turn out very well.
Kerri says
I made these bars today but they came out raw. I even cook them longer than the recommended back time. I used all the whole wheat flour and canola oil.
Jessica says
I’m super confused! I’ve literally made these dozens of times with all whole wheat flour and have never had them be raw. Not sure what happened, but clearly something went wrong!
Natalie says
Cool completely is optional right??? 😜 This recipe was quick & delicious! I used 4 very ripe bananas (one went missing during production,
ha!) and slightly less chocolate chips & it was perfect. Thanks for sharing!
Nellie says
I have a hard time waiting for things to cool down before eating them too! No judgement here!😉
Laura Coblentz says
Delicious! Had a bunch of ripe bananas and wanted to try something other than banana bread. These are so good I’ve got to leave the kitchen or I’d keep eating them!
Alison says
I have the same problem Laura! Glad you love them!
Leilani says
I made these tonight and I think I would now rather eat these than banana cake. Perfect bite size, nice and moist and chocolatey. Perfect for kids lunchboxes, my son loves these! Thanks will definitely make them again.
Alison says
We feel the same way at our house, Leilani! I’m so glad you and your son are enjoying them!
Alicia says
I’ve made this a few times now and shared with family and neighbors and everybody raves about them also worked well with nutella when i didn’t have any choc chips
Nellie says
Love the idea of adding Nutella!
Aja says
Went to make these tonight and realized we were out of regular chocolate chips. Just happened to purchase white chocolate chips the other day. So made the swap and they are delicious!
One question, do they need to be refrigerated after?
Nellie says
I’ll have to try white chocolate chips sometime! Nope, no need for refrigeration – they can just be stored at room temperature.