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 recipe!
Best ripe banana recipe ever
This recipe for Chocolate Chip Banana Bars is my favorite banana recipe ever. Chocolate Chip Banana Bars are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or a snack! They are delicious, filling, and your whole family will love them. 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!
I’ve made these tasty treats for years and our family can’t get enough! They’re perfect for a snack, but I also like to eat them for breakfast. They’re chock full of bananas and I use whole wheat flour to make them more filling. I know the addition of cinnamon may seem a little different, but I encourage you to try it. It adds just a nice pop of flavor.
I’ve recently made a couple variations on this recipe! You’ve got to try our Double Chocolate Banana Bars as well as our Peanut Butter Banana Bars
How to make Healthy 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.
–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.
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.
Chocolate Chip Banana Recipe 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.
–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 Chip Banana Dessert 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.
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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Have more ripe bananas? Here are our favorite RIPE BANANA RECIPES:
- Banana Cream Cookies
- Banana Split Milkshakes
- Chocolate Chip Banana Cake
- Banana Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Nutella Banana Muffins
- CAST IRON BANANA BREAD
- STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE BANANA BREAD
- BANANA ORANGE BARS
- PINEAPPLE BANANA BREAD
- PEANUT BUTTER BANANA BUNDT CAKE
- SOUR CREAM BANANA BREAD
- STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE BANANA BREAD
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 Chip 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 baked 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!
Shiloh says
I had 6 bunches of bananas to use up since our shopper thought I wanted 6 bunches…not 6 solo bananas :). I just made this and it is amazing. I used cinnamon chips instead of chocolate chips since I had an open bag of them, and also Truvia brown sugar instead of regular brown sugar. Everyone in my house loves them. Also, 18 minutes was exactly enough time for them to cook. To quote my husband, “these are dangerous to have around!” Awesome recipe, super easy, and delicious. Thanks so much!
Nicole says
Stories like that are why I fear adding fresh produce to my shopping orders haha, but I’m so glad you loved these! Cinnamon chips sound like a wonderful variation!
Tk says
What if I don’t have baking soda but have baking powder
Nicole says
According to Google, you’d need 3 times the amount of baking powder to replace the baking soda but the results would still be different so I’m not sure if it’s really worth the risk. If needed, you can freeze your bananas until you do have baking soda to use.
Deanna says
Just made this, I added some vanilla and shredded coconut and they’re amazing! Thanks for sharing the recipe 😀
Nicole says
Ah that sounds incredible! I love coconut.
Ally says
You don’t happen to live in PA do you?
Ally says
Sorry if that came out weird. It’s meant for Shiloh. I work at a grocery store and we had a customer complain about their order stating they wanted so many bananas (forget the exact number) and got a whole bunch of bunches instead. Maybe it just happens often with online orders! LOL
Shiloh says
I just came back to this recipe to make it again and saw you responded – I actually DO live in PA, right outside of Philadelphia. It was a Target order that gave me 6 bunches instead of 6 bananas! Hasn’t happened again since and I noticed they now sell bananas by item and not by pound when ordering online!
Amanda G says
These bars are my go-to when I have extra bananas!! Much easier to cut than bread. I’ve been making them since spring ‘20. I substitute cinnamon apple sauce for the oil ❤️
Nicole says
Thank you for being a loyal recipe lover 🙂 Your substitutions sound great too 😉
Sunshine98 says
I used some alternatives in this recipe like in the place of brown sugar, I used cane sugar and honey and for the flour, I used semolina and wheat flour with the usual flour. It turned out really well! Thankyou for this recipe.
Nicole says
Thank you for letting us know what worked for you 🙂
Tina says
These were a great hit!! My Family loved them. Will be making this again. Thank you for sharing these!!
Nicole says
so glad to hear that your family loves these bars!
Sri says
Just finished the last square of my first batch of these absolutely delicious banana squares. My family simply loved them, and the best part was that my sister who hates ripe bananas loved them the most! Used just one egg, swapped the oil with butter, used a little less sugar and sprinkled roasted peanut chips on top and they still turned out cakey and yum!!! Thanks so much for the recipe! Trying the spinach one next – my husband hates spinach!
Nicole says
oh that sounds delicious!
Laura says
I’ve tried lots of recipes to use up my frozen bananas but this one is BY FAR THE BEST! So moist and actually come out like bars. I used a 9×13 pan and that worked out fine. Thank you for a wonderful new recipe!
Nicole says
I’m glad that you liked this recipe!
Danielle Nelson says
These are SO GOOD!! I made mine in a 9×13 cake pan and they turned out great— probably just a little thicker! I also added some PB2 powder and oats on top for a little something extra. I also used oat milk because my husband is lactose intolerant and they are so moist and delicious I could eat the whole pan! Who needs banana bread anyway! Thank you for this recipe! 😊
Nicole says
Those all sound like great additions! Glad you liked it!
McKenna says
These taste amazing! However mine turned out more like a cake, I am wondering where I went wrong? Thank you!
Nicole says
I’m not sure what happened either since there’s not a lot of information to go off of. Could be any number of things but if it turned out delicious I’d say it’s alright 😉
Maureen says
Mine turned out this same consistency. I was looking for something more solid. Still very good 🙂
Nicole says
Glad you liked it
Julie says
These turned out so good! You can taste a bit of the baking soda but other than that it’s really good. Kids love them! I cut them up in smaller pieces making it 40 bars! Thank you!
Nicole says
im glad they liked them but if you’re tasting the baking soda you may not have mixed it in thoroughly enough
Melissa says
love love LOVE this recipe!!! Used 1 cup ripe bananas & 2/3 cups ripe avocado. It cut the sweetness and made it so much more moist. I also added vanilla essence to the mix. Can’t believe how delicious they are. Thank you! 🙂
Nicole says
So glad to hear that worked out for you 🙂
Myle says
Can I use chia seeds instead of flax?
Nicole says
I dont see why not. If you try it let me know how it goes
Christine says
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I made this today, right after I got your email. SO GOOD! It’s almost gone, my neighbor stopped by and helped, also asking me to make another for her!
Tegan says
Made this gluten free with White Wings plain gluten free flour. Came out very well (which is surprising for gluten free 1:1 flour sub) but was far too sweet. I cut down the brown sugar to 1/2 cup as suggested in the comments and it was still so sweet. For my batch there too many choc chips (never thought I’d say that) and I reduced the chips to 3/4 cup instead of 1 cup. For my next batch I’ll cut the sugar down to 1/4 cup and only use 1/2 cup choc chips within the batter itself.
Nicole says
hope our next batch better meets your expectations
Dan says
I want to maks this in a square 8×8 brownie pan. Any tips for adjusting the baking time?
Nicole says
I know that readers have had no issues making it in a 9×13 baking dish, but for a single 8×8 pan the baking time should be close to doubled. Bake for the recommended amount of time and then check in on it every 5-10 minutes as needed using a toothpick.
LCee says
I just made this and followed the ingredients as noted and OMG they are SO moist and delicious!!! I cut them into bite-size squares for convenient snacking.
Question: How long can they sit in room temperature? Its only been 2 days since making them but wondering if they might spoil since milk is used.
Nicole says
Depending on the room temp, how they’re stored, if they were put away completely cooled, etc these banana bars will last about 3-4 days at room temp in a properly controlled environment. You can get an extra day or two out of it by keeping them in the fridge but you could also keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months in a tightly sealed container.
Ti says
Great recipe!
Used almond flour and added lindt crunchy chocolate pieces and sprinkled some small chocolate chip only at the top
Nicole says
Ohh that sounds incredibly delicious!
Stacey says
I only have 4 bananas. Do I need to cut down on the other ingredients?
Nicole says
No I wouldnt think so, bananas often vary in size and you ned about 1 2/3 cups of mashed banana but having a little more or less wont make too big of a change or difference.
Joni says
Thank you for this recipe! These are so delicious but I think I added to many mini chocolate chips (did that one on purpose) but they had to go to the freezer for the chocolate chips to set up. This is not a bad thing. I am always looking for new recipes using bananas for a health reason and I am very happy I found your recipe.
Nicole says
thanks for trying it 🙂
Dawn E says
So easy and delicious! Thank you for providing a measurement for the bananas… so many people just put the total number of bananas and they are all different sizes. Mine only needed 4 so I was happy I measured! These are fantastic. Took about 10min longer but it could be an elevation thing. I also subbed cinnamon applesauce for the oil. Thank you!
Nicole says
Sounds like a healthy swap 🙂
Penny Barry says
Made these for work and everyone loved them. Went fast! I added about a cup of finely chopped pecan, a little extra cinnamon because i love cinnamon and a teaspoon of vanilla. They were delicious. Will definitely make them again. Thank you
Nicole says
So glad you and everyone else enjoyed them!
Sofia says
Really good! Made it as written, but will try it with whole wheat flour next time. I didn’t have mini chips so I used regular sized chips and it worked well.
Nicole says
We love this recipe with whole wheat flour