When all else fails… just add chocolate. I can’t get over the flavor that’s packed in my Hershey Bar Banana Bread!
As this chocolate banana bread bakes in your oven, your entire kitchen will begin to smell like everything you love about baking. It’s the perfect thing to serve at your next brunch (along with some chocolate chip oatmeal muffins) or to serve as an indulgent and yummy breakfast.
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If you love chocolate, then this is the best sweet bread recipe for you!
Banana bread was always one of my mom’s favorite recipes to prepare. Growing up, I’d beg her to fill the batter with endless amounts of chocolate chips. I always had a sweet tooth, and she definitely catered to that (with healthy limitations, of course).
I decided to make my very own, leaning in on the key ingredient that I always loved most: chocolate.
One day, my husband asked me, “I’m running out to get gas – want anything from the station?” That’s when it hit me: chocolate bars! Why not fill my banana bread with some of our family’s favorite chocolate bars?
How To Make Hershey Bar Banana Bread
This bread is so much easier to make than you might think!
What You Need
All the details are in the printable recipe card just a little further at the bottom of this post. First, I wanted to share some links to my favorite kitchen tools that made this recipe so much easier to make. I’ll also give you a quick glance at the ingredients I used too.
Kitchen Tools Needed
Ingredients Needed
- Butter
- Flour
- Hershey Bars
- Bananas
- Vegetable Oil
- Granulated Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Egg
- Baking Soda
- Salt
Banana Bread Tips
Here are a few tips that I think will help you out. If you have more questions about this recipe, please leave it in the comments.
Adding Chocolate to Banana Bread
The key to adding chocolate bars to banana bread is making sure you chop them into small chunks. You fold them into the batter, treating them exactly as if you were using chocolate chips.
I opted for traditional Hershey bars since they break off into little rectangles. I added the chocolate chunks to the top of my loaf for a drool-worthy effect.
Ripe Bananas for Banana Bread
So, how ripe is ripe enough to make banana bread? The general rule of thumb is “the riper the better.”
I waited until the skin of my bananas was more black than yellow. Of course, you have to use them before they actually go bad. Be sure to keep an eye on your fruit as the days pass.
How to Get Bananas Ripe
There are all sorts of methods to get your bananas to ripen quicker. Lots of people talk about the oven method, where you bake them at a low temperature.
I like going the more “natural” route by placing them in a paper bag with another fruit (usually an apple). It helps speed everything up, but not drastically.
The Perfect Texture
The texture is everything in this banana bread recipe. As it bakes, the pieces of the Hershey chocolate melt rather beautifully in the batter.
For the bread’s “fat” component, I opted for vegetable oil rather than softened butter. Oil is just easier to work with for this particular recipe and locks in the moisture real well!
Chocolate enthusiasts: this one’s definitely for you! I hope you enjoy my recipe as much as our family does.
How To Store Chocolate Banana Bread
This bread will last about 3 days if you store it wrapped airtight on your counter. If you want it to last longer, I suggest storing it in the refrigerator. Again, make sure you keep the air off of it – either in a container or wrapped up in foil or plastic wrap.
Use Chocolate Chips Or Add Nuts
It’s fun to change recipes, so make this one your own! Add some chopped walnuts or use chocolate chips instead of chocolate bar pieces.
Hershey Bar Banana Bread
SERVINGS
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Loaf Pan
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1-2 tbsp softened butter (for the pan)
- 1-2 tbsp flour (for the pan)
- 3 1.22 oz. Hershey bars
- 2 very ripe bananas
- 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a standard loaf pan (about 9 x 5 in size)with butter then sprinkle with flour.
- Cut two of the Hershey bars into small chunks. Set aside.
- On a plate, mash bananas with the back of a fork. Add to a large mixing bowl.
- Add oil, sugar, vanilla and egg. Mix well.
- Add flour, baking soda and salt, and mix.
- Fold chocolate chunks into the batter. Pour batter into coated pan.
- Top the banana loaf batter with pieces of the third Hershey bar (we like keeping the rectangle in-tact so that you could see the “HERSHEY” logo).
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean if inserted in the center.
- Allow to cool for about 10 minutes and serve.
Nutrition
Are you a big fan of chocolate? Is this banana loaf something you’d be interested in?
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More Easy Baking Ideas
If you enjoyed this Hershey banana bread recipe, here are some more baking ideas you should try next.
This recipe looks so delicious! My kids will definitely love this!
Oh my goodness, this looks absolutely delicious! I’m totally adding this to my next banana bread batch!
Oh my goodness this looks sooooooo good! I’m going to the store today to make this!