Refined Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (2024)

This refined sugar free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is the best around! Perfectly moist and tender, this easy-to-make loaf recipe is sweetened only with mashed banana and a touch of coconut sugar to keep it healthy. You’ll love the crispy cracked top and the soft, sweet interior.

A healthy chocolate chip banana bread recipe made without refined sugar

Okay, friends. I’ve been working on this refined sugar free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe for what seems like an eternity and now I’m FINALLY ready to share it with you!

I know you are going to love this healthier version. Similarly to my Sugar Free Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins, this bread is mainly sweetened only with overripe bananas. However, I did have to throw in a dash (just 50 grams) of coconut sugar. Why? Well, a couple of reasons:

First, because the flavour was just supremely better with the caramel notes running through it.

Second, because the coconut sugar helped create a moister, more tender crumb and a crispier top.

I know you are going to ADORE this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe. It’s supremely tender and moist with punchy banana flavour and tons of gooey dark chocolate. The top is perfectly cracked and crisp and it’s incredibly easy to make. All you need is 15 minutes for prep!

Is chocolate chip banana bread healthy?

You’re going to hate this answer, but it really depends on the recipe.

If the banana bread recipe you’re using contains a ton of butter, sugar, chocolate, and eggs, that’s definitely going to rack up the saturated fat and sugar content of the bread. That’s why it’s so important to look at the ingredients and the measurements of those ingredients in a recipe if you’re looking to moderate your unhealthy fats or sugar intake.

This Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is on the healthier end of the spectrum because it’s mostly sweetened with banana and only contains 50 grams of added natural sugars. We’re also using a lower fat oil in place of butter to keep the saturated fat content under control. I’ve also given the option to use sugar-free chocolate chips in the recipe notes if that’s important to you.

Ingredients in refined sugar free banana bread

Only 12 simple, pantry staple ingredients are needed to create this refined sugar free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread! Let’s take a look:

• Flour: Provides structure and a light crumb in this banana bread recipe.
• Cinnamon: Adds a touch of warmth and wonderful spice to this bread that pairs beautifully with the chocolate and banana.
• Baking powder & soda: These react with the acidic ingredients in the recipe and the heat in the oven to produce a super fluffy bread. Make sure you use both.
• Sea salt: Helps bring out the sweetness and flavour of the banana.
• Overripe banana: Our main sweetener and flavour powerhouse! Always make sure they’re as overripe as possible (the darker the better) for the best flavour.
• Coconut sugar: A touch of coconut sugar lends a wonderful caramel note to this bread as well as helps produce the tender, moist crumb and crisp top.
• Yoghurt: Adds moisture to the bread and reacts with the baking soda to produce a fluffy interior.
• Rapeseed oil: Helps keep the chocolate chip banana bread from going gummy and adds softness. I prefer cold-pressed rapeseed oil as it’s the healthiest and least processed oil on the market, but any neutral oil will do.
• Egg: Binds everything together and lends more moisture to keep the bread from drying out.
• Vanilla extract: For a little extra sweetness and flavour.
• Dark chocolate chips: A little chocolate never hurt anyone! I love dark chocolate chips in this bread for their intense flavour, but feel free to substitute sugar-free chocolate chips or cacao nibs if you need to.

How to make chocolate chip banana bread without sugar

You can easily get this healthy banana bread in the oven in 15 minutes! There are only 4 simple steps to follow and you’ll soon have the delicious smell of baking bread wafting through your home. Here’s how to make it:

Mix together your dry ingredients

Combine all of the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk well.

Mix together the wet ingredients

Add the mashed banana and all the other wet ingredients to another bowl and whisk to combine.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients

Tip the dry into the wet and fold them together gently. Then add your chocolate chips and fold everything together until the flour disappears.

Fill the tin and bake the chocolate chip banana bread

Pour the batter into the tin, tap and jiggle the tin around a little to even the top out, and then bake the banana bread up!

Full details are in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Can I use unripe bananas for banana bread?

No, I don’t recommend using unripe bananas for any banana bread recipe, and especially not this one.

Because we’re using the mashed banana as our main sweetener for this refined sugar free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, we want the banana to be at its sweetest for the best flavour and texture.

Why is my banana bread not fluffy?

Your banana bread may not be fluffy for 3 reasons:

1. You didn’t measure the ingredients correctly and ended up with a much higher wet to dry ratio, which can result in gummy bread.
2. You mixed the dry ingredients into the wet too vigorously. I always recommend folding in the dry ingredients just until the streaks of flour disappear and no more. If you overwork the batter, you will end up with a tougher, chewier bread.
3. You didn’t let the banana bread cool completely before slicing into it. Similar to muffins, quick breads need to cool completely because they keep cooking inside as they cool. If you cut into it too quickly, you stop this final cooking process.

What are the black bits in banana bread?

The little black squiggles you see in banana breads are the veins in the banana. You can see them clearly when you slice a banana in half. These veins transport nutrients throughout the fruit during the growing process – they are perfectly harmless and a natural part of the fruit.

Why is my banana bread raw in the middle?

Raw chocolate chip banana bread can occur for a few reasons:

1. You didn’t keep the bread in the oven for the recommended cooking time. Always test your bread with a skewer before taking it out of the oven. It should come free relatively dry with a few crumbs attached.
2. You didn’t measure the ingredients correctly and ended up with a much higher wet to dry ratio, which can result in raw bread.
3. Your leavening agents (baking soda/powder) were out of date or degraded.
4. Your oven temperature control is inaccurate. If you bake a lot, I would recommend investing in a separate oven thermometer. Oven temperature gauges are rarely accurate.

Why did my banana bread crack on top?

Cracked tops on banana breads and other quick breads are incredibly common and nothing to worry about. It happens when the top of the loaf is cooked (or set) before the loaf is finished rising. As it continues to rise, the pressure on the cooked top causes it to crack.

How long should I let my banana bread cool?

Always let your chocolate chip banana bread cool until it comes to room temperature, which is about 1 hour.

If you slice into a loaf of banana bread (or any bread) before it has time to completely cool, you will stop the final cooking process and likely have doughy bread on your hands.

Can you freeze chocolate chip banana bread?

Yes! Freeze your banana bread by wrapping it up in two layers of aluminum foil. It will keep frozen for about 1 month.

How to store chocolate chip banana bread

To store banana bread, wrap it up in foil and keep it at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Depending on how ripe your bananas were when you baked the bread, it should keep anywhere from 2-4 days.

Tips for making this recipe perfectly

• Don’t over-mix the batter once you add the dry ingredients! Over-mixing results in tough bread. I like to do only a couple of folds before I add the chips and then continue folding until the flour just disappears. It’s okay if the batter is lumpy.
• If the bread starts to look too brown around the 45-minute mark, cover it loosely with a layer of aluminum foil to keep it from burning.
• Let the bread cool completely before serving. I know, torture! But the chocolate chip banana bread will continue to cook as they cool and become extra fluffy. If you slice into it right out of the oven, the texture will be more gummy/doughy.

Looking for more refined sugar free breads and loaves?

Lemon Poppy Seed Courgette Bread
Rum and Raisin Banana Bread
Roasted Butternut Squash Cornbread
Maple Bacon Twist Rolls
Easy Hot Cross Buns

If you make this recipe, let me know by snapping a picture and tagging me on Instagram @naturallysweet_kitchen. I love seeing your creations and sharing them in my Stories. Or let me know you love this healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe by leaving a comment and rating below!