Whole Wheat Banana Bread With Chocolate Chips

Inside: Get the recipe for moist, sweet whole wheat banana bread with chocolate chips, It’s made using whole wheat pastry flour and perfect for breakfast, lunch boxes, and snacks.

A loaf of Whole Wheat Banana Bread With Chocolate Chips sits on a cooling rack. Four pieces are sliced and laying, overlapped.

Reader comment:

I’ve made this recipe a half dozen times now. It’s my go to for banana bread. My daughter is struggling with gluten, so yesterday I made it with gluten free flour and the taste was still great.

Everything is better with chocolate chips. That seems to be a family motto of sorts around here.

When there are overripe bananas lingering in the fruit bowl, they’re either frozen for smoothies or mashed into a loaf of this easy banana bread.

And when I ask my boys their preference, they always choose adding chocolate chips. Smart kids.

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A loaf of Banana Bread with whole wheat pastry flour sits in a silver pan on a wood tabletop.

Ingredients You Need for This Whole Wheat Banana Bread

  • Bananas: the riper the better
  • Eggs: use large eggs for this recipe
  • Canola oil: a nice neutral oil
  • Unsweetened applesauce: gives the banana bread extra moistness
  • Brown sugar: lends a caramel-y flavor and a deeper hue to your loaf
  • Whole wheat pastry flour: find it is the baking aisle
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Cinnamon
  • Baking powder
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips
A bag of Bobs Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour sits on a wood tabletop.

Questions about Banana Bread with Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

What is Whole Wheat Pastry Flour?

This banana bread recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour. If you’ve been baking your cookies and muffins with regular whole wheat flour, this switch will rock your world. Whole wheat pastry flour (also called graham flour) is made from a lower-protein wheat than regular whole wheat flour, so your baked goods will be softer and more tender. It’s best for baked goods like cookies, muffins, and pie crust but NOT yeast breads.

Banana Bread Batter in Pan

What Kind of Pan Should I Use for Whole Wheat Banana Bread?

Light-colored metal pans (such as aluminum) are generally recommended for quick breads like this. Darker metal pans tend to absorb too much heat, and you may end up with bread that’s burnt around the edges. When I tried this recipe using a glass loaf pan, the bread stuck horribly on the bottom despite generous greasing and flouring. Yet some people swear by glass pans for baking breads. If you decide to go glass, lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

As extra insurance, no matter what kind of pan you use, I recommend cutting a piece of parchment to fit just the bottom of the pan. Place it in the pan after greasing and flouring. No more worries about your loaf sticking to the bottom. It peels right off after baking.

Your loaf may also come out neater and cleaner if you allow it to rest in the pan for 15-20 minutes after baking before turning it out.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread With Chocolate Chips

Can I Use This Recipe For Banana Bread Muffins instead?

Yes! To make muffins from this recipe, allow batter to sit for 15 minutes (your muffins will rise up higher). Line a muffin tin with paper liners, or grease and flour compartments well. Bake muffins at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread With Chocolate Chips

How Do You Store Banana Bread?

Keep this bread in an airtight container or sealed bag on the counter. This bread is moist, so don’t leave it at room temperature more than 4-5 days.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread With Chocolate Chips

Recipe Card for Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Whole Wheat Banana Bread With Chocolate Chips

Whole Wheat Banana Bread With Chocolate Chips

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This easy banana bread with whole wheat pastry flour is studded with chocolate chips.

Ingredients

  • 3 ripe medium bananas, mashed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Instructions

  1. Butter/grease and flour a metal baking pan. For extra insurance, cut a piece of parchment to size and place just on the bottom of the pan after greasing and flouring. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Combine mashed bananas, eggs, canola oil, unsweetened applesauce, and brown sugar in a medium bowl and stir well.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and stir well.
  4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined (but don't over-mix). Fold in 1/4 cup of the chips into the batter.
  5. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup of chips. Bake on center rack for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  6. Remove pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let loaf rest in the pan for 15-20 minutes. Invert bread out of pan and set to cool. To store leftovers, store (cooled) bread in a ziplock bag or container with a lid and use within three days--if keeping any longer, refrigerate.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1/12 of recipe
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 52Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 220mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 3gSugar: 20gProtein: 4g

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18 Comments

  1. I’ve never heard of whole wheat pastry flour and I love the idea! I’ve held off on using whole wheat flour in a lot of baked goods because I don’t like the resulting texture. Are there other recipes you’ve used the pastry flour for?

    1. Hi Suzanne–yes, I’ve been using it for muffins. Would like to try it for pancakes and even pie crust next. It’s definitely a big improvement over regular whole wheat flour for baking, I’ve found.

  2. I found your site through an HGTV email, but the recipe they showed didn’t come up. I’m disappointed that your being a dietician hasn’t changed your use of sugar in recipes like this banana bread. Of course your kids want the chocolate chips. There are great chocolate chips like Lily’s brand that would still taste great and be no-sugar. Best to you! Really!

    1. Hi Robin–I’m okay with using sugar in some of my recipes, as my personal approach is balance. I avoid stevia because I do not like the aftertaste but it’s great that there are options like the Lily’s chips for people who like it. What is the HGTV recipe you were looking for? I’d be happy to direct you to it.

      1. Love your balanced approach. That’s why I’m a regular visitor to your site!!!

  3. Can you use regular whole wheat flour still? Have some I need to use up! Maybe add another banana in for moisture?

    1. Yes, you could. Just might be heavier and denser. I might use half whole wheat, half AP.

  4. Thanks for the great recipe! Do you know this whole wheat pastry flour would compare with King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat flour? Thanks!

  5. Pingback: 50 (Meat-Free!) Protein Ideas For Kids' Lunch Boxes - Real Mom Nutrition
  6. I made these as muffins today. . I might have added too many chocolate chips ha ha. But WOW these are awesome! I can’t believe how light and moist these are using a whole wheat flour. I used the same one as you and they came out great. My teenage boys are devouring them! They usually don’t like anything I make with ww flour. Thank you so much for this recipe

  7. I’ve made this recipe a half dozen times now. It’s my go to for banana bread. My daughter is struggling with gluten, so yesterday I made it with gluten free flour and the taste was still great.

    1. Joann–I’m so glad you love it! And great to know that it works well with gluten free flour too. Thanks for letting me know that!