Name: Mary Berry Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 3 medium ripe bananas (approximately 300g peeled weight), mashed; 175g self-raising flour; 30g cocoa powder, sifted; 150g caster sugar; 100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly; 2 large eggs, lightly beaten; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1/4 tsp fine salt; 100g dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate, roughly chopped

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This Mary Berry chocolate banana bread is a moist, dense loaf with a tender crumb, rich cocoa depth, and soft pockets of melted chocolate running through every slice. The ripe banana keeps it wonderfully squidgy in the centre, while the top bakes to a slightly firm, crackled crust with a deep brown finish.

What sets this version apart is how reliably it comes together with everyday ingredients and no specialist equipment. It bakes well in a standard loaf tin, suits a weekday bake as much as a weekend treat, and keeps beautifully for several days. From mixing bowl to cooling rack, it is ready in around 1 hour 10 minutes.

Ingredients

For the loaf

3 medium ripe bananas (approximately 300g peeled weight), mashed
175g self-raising flour
30g cocoa powder, sifted
150g caster sugar
100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp fine salt
100g dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate, roughly chopped

How to Make Mary Berry Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe

Prepare the tin and oven: Heat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan, Gas Mark 3). Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and line it with baking parchment, leaving a slight overhang on the long sides to help lift the loaf out later.
Mash the bananas: Place the peeled bananas into a large mixing bowl and mash thoroughly with a fork until almost smooth, with just a few small lumps remaining. The riper and darker the bananas, the sweeter and more pronounced the flavour will be.
Add the wet ingredients: Pour the melted butter into the mashed banana, then add the beaten eggs and vanilla extract. Stir together with a wooden spoon until fully combined.
Sift in the dry ingredients: Sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt directly over the banana mixture. Fold everything together gently with a spatula until just combined, taking care not to overmix, as this can make the crumb tough.
Stir in the chocolate: Add the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate and fold through with just two or three strokes so they are evenly distributed without being worked into the batter entirely.
Pour and level: Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf tin and use the back of a spoon or a small palette knife to level the surface. The batter will be thick and may not spread perfectly flat, which is fine.
Bake the loaf: Place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. If the top begins to darken too quickly after 40 minutes, lay a loose piece of foil over it without pressing down.
Cool in the tin: Leave the loaf to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before lifting it out using the parchment overhang. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before slicing, as the crumb continues to set as it cools.

Tips for the Best Mary Berry Chocolate Banana Bread

Why is my chocolate banana bread gummy in the middle?

This usually means the loaf needed more time in the oven. Ovens can vary, so always test with a skewer rather than going purely by time. If the skewer comes out with wet batter rather than moist crumbs, return the loaf for a further 5 to 10 minutes and test again.

Why did my banana bread sink in the centre after baking?

Opening the oven door before the loaf has had at least 45 minutes to set is the most common cause. The sudden drop in temperature interrupts the rise before the structure has firmed up. Keep the oven door closed until the final testing stage.

How do I stop the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom?

Toss the chocolate chips in a teaspoon of the measured flour before folding them in. This lightly coats them and helps them stay suspended through the batter during baking rather than dropping to the base of the tin.

Why does my loaf have a tough, chewy crumb instead of a tender one?

Overmixing is almost always the cause. Once the dry ingredients meet the wet, fold with a light hand and stop as soon as no dry streaks remain. A few lumps in the batter are not a problem and actually indicate the mixture has not been worked too hard.

My banana bread top cracked along the length, is that normal?

Yes, a long crack running down the centre of the crust is completely normal and is actually a good sign that the loaf has risen evenly. It forms because the outer crust sets before the interior has finished expanding, so the batter pushes up through the middle.

Serving Suggestions

Serve slightly warm with a thin scrape of salted butter, which cuts through the sweetness and brings out the cocoa flavour.
Cut into thick slices and serve alongside a cup of strong builder’s tea or a milky flat white for a mid-morning treat.
Warm a slice briefly in the oven at 160°C for five minutes and serve with a small scoop of good-quality vanilla ice cream for a relaxed pudding.
Dust lightly with icing sugar just before serving if presenting at a gathering, which adds a clean finish against the dark crumb.
Toast a slice lightly and spread with a little hazelnut chocolate spread for an indulgent breakfast that still feels unfussy.

Storage

Room temperature

Wrap the cooled loaf in beeswax wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Refrigerator

Wrap slices individually in cling film or place the whole loaf in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature for about 20 minutes before eating, as chilling can firm up the crumb and mute the chocolate flavour.

Freezing

Wrap the fully cooled loaf tightly in a double layer of cling film followed by a layer of foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight at room temperature still in its wrapping, then slice once fully thawed.

Nutrition

Calories: 285 kcal
Carbohydrates: 38g
Protein: 4g
Fat: 13g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Sodium: 180mg

Nutrition values are estimates and will vary depending on the exact ingredients and brands used, as well as the size of each slice.

FAQs

Can I use plain flour instead of self-raising flour in this recipe?

Yes. Replace the self-raising flour with 175g plain flour and add 1 and a half teaspoons of baking powder. The bicarbonate of soda listed in the recipe stays in as written, as it works alongside the banana’s natural acidity to give the loaf its lift.

Can I use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate chips?

Milk chocolate works fine, though the overall loaf will be noticeably sweeter and the chocolate flavour less pronounced. If using milk chocolate, consider reducing the caster sugar by about 20g to keep the balance right.

Can I make this banana bread ahead of time?

This loaf is actually better the day after baking. The crumb softens and the banana and cocoa flavours deepen overnight. Bake it the evening before and store wrapped at room temperature until needed.

What size loaf tin works best for this recipe?

A standard 900g (2lb) loaf tin gives the best results, producing a loaf that is evenly risen with a good crust-to-crumb ratio. A smaller tin will cause the batter to overflow, and a larger tin will produce a flatter loaf that may dry out more quickly.

Can I add nuts to this chocolate banana bread?

Chopped walnuts or pecans work particularly well here. Fold in 60g of roughly chopped nuts at the same stage as the chocolate chips. They add a slight bite that contrasts nicely with the soft banana crumb and melted chocolate pockets.

Conclusion

This Mary Berry chocolate banana bread recipe is a reliable, straightforward bake that delivers a deeply flavoured, tender loaf every time. The combination of ripe bananas, sifted cocoa, and dark chocolate creates a loaf with a rich, rounded flavour and a satisfying texture that sits somewhere between a classic banana bread and a proper chocolate cake. This recipe yields approximately 8 to 10 slices from a standard 900g loaf tin.

Whether it is for a weekday afternoon snack, a lunchbox addition, or a casual weekend bake, this loaf earns its place in any regular rotation. If you give it a go, feel free to leave a comment below with how it turned out or share it with someone who would appreciate a reliably good slice. If you enjoyed this, you might also like the Mary Berry orange cheesecake recipe for another classic that balances freshness with richness.