Dark chocolate and banana are a match made in heaven. This loaf is moist and fluffy, whilst being decadent and rich. This recipe is a great way to use up any ripe bananas you have lying around the house.
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Line an 8" loaf tin with parchment paper and set it aside.
Add the plant-based milk to a glass with the apple cider vinegar and set aside.
Add 3 of the ripe bananas to a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth and set aside.
Add coconut sugar and olive oil to a bowl and beat with an electric whisk until combined. Add in the mashed banana, plant-based milk with apple cider vinegar, coffee shot, and vanilla extract, and whisk again until combined.
In a large separate bowl, combine the flour, cacao powder, baking soda, and salt and stir to evenly combine the ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the large bowl with the wet ingredients and use a spatula to carefully fold the ingredients together.
Gently fold in the chocolate chunks and pour the batter into the lined loaf pan.
Cut the remaining banana lengthways into 2-3 slices and arrange them on top of the loaf. Sprinkle with a little extra coconut sugar to help them caramelize in the oven.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out “almost” clean.
Allow the cake to rest in the loaf pan for 10-15 minutes before placing it out on a cooling rack to continue cooling.
Once completely cooled, slice and serve!
Storage
Store this chocolate banana bread in an airtight container, plastic wrap or tin foil at room temperature and serve within 3 days. Storing the bread at room temperature will help it to stay soft and moist. You can also store it in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Nuts: Add a handful of pecans or walnuts to the mix to add a delicious crunch to your vegan chocolate banana bread.
Cinnamon: Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the dry ingredients to give this chocolate banana bread a touch of warming spice.
Coffee: You can add a second tablespoon of coffee to the mix to create a mocha banana bread flavor.