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Coffee Chocolate Chip Banana Breads

Coffee Chocolate Chip Banana Breads

Bananas pair surprisingly well with coffee. Even big coffee chains have had banana-flavored coffee drinks over the past couple of years, mixing bananas with espresso, chocolate and/or caramel. I don’t think that these drinks were as popular as some on the menu, but I also bet that not enough people gave them a fair shake. Since I’ve been playing with Starbucks Via lately, I decided to mix the two flavors together in a baked good, a variation on banana bread that incorporates coffee.

I added coffee into the banana bread batter itself. The Via I used incorporated very smoothly and added a ton of coffee flavor, so you can really taste it in the finished bread. Since black coffee isn’t exactly sweet, the coffee ensures that this bread has a mellow, rich taste to it and isn’t too sweet. That said, I did want to add back some sweetness, so I incorporated some milk chocolate chips into the bread. The milk chocolate goes well with the banana and the coffee, and the bread overall had a great mix of flavors and was a nice twist on plainer banana bread. This might not be as popular with the kids as the standard banana bread, but it gets my vote for pairing with a cup of coffee or latte in the morning.

I used disposable, aluminum foil mini loaf pans for these breads so that I could give them out as gifts. The pans measure about 5×3-inches, give or take a little bit. Since they’re not the sturdiest things, I put them on a baking sheet. Bear in mind that, if you use these same little loaf pans, the baking time may be impacted slightly by the type of baking sheet you choose to set them on. An insulated sheet might mean a few extra minutes in the oven. A heavier, darker baking sheet might mean a few minutes less. Test your bread with a toothpick before the timer goes off just to be sure. If you happen to have regular pans of this size, use those and grease them lightly first.

Coffee Chocolate Chip Banana Breads
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 packet Starbucks Via, or 1 tbsp instant espresso powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 medium bananas, mashed (approx 1 cup)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease two two 5×3-inch loaf pans (or use disposable foil pans).
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, Via or instant espresso, sugar and brown sugar.
In a medium bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, vegetable oil, buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract until smooth and well-combined. Pour into dry ingredients and stir only until no streaks of flour remain. Add in chocolate chips and stir to evenly distribute.
Divide evenly into prepared pans. Place pans in a baking sheet.
Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in pans on a wire rack.

Makes 2 mini loaves

Note: This bread can be baked in a 9×5-inch loaf pan, increasing the baking time to about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

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21 Comments
  • Allison
    November 4, 2009

    Great recipe! I have been throwing bananas that are on the verge of going bad in the freezer to use on a rainy day. We haven’t had a rainy day in a while so my freezer is stating to fill up! This is a great way to clear up some space in there 🙂

  • Laura
    November 4, 2009

    Three of my favorite flavors….coffee, chocolate and banana! Just like Allison, I have an excess of ripe bananas in my freezer and this looks like a great way to use those!

  • Linda
    November 4, 2009

    Would darker chips make it less sweet than needed? I rarely have milk chocolate chips in my house since I so seldom bake with them. Nothing too dark–just semi-sweet. Wonder if that would remove too much sweetness and make it bitter or less flavorful.

  • Nutmeg Nanny
    November 4, 2009

    I have had chocolate and banana but never coffee…delicious!

  • Light Delight with TouTou
    November 4, 2009

    Thanks for the recipe that’s really a great idea ! I never tried to combine these two ingredients, coz I either have banana bread, or coffee bread. yours just turns out so delicious!

  • Kitchen Corner
    November 4, 2009

    This cake looks very special. I wonder how the taste of the combination of banana and coffee. Can you describe a bit the texture? Is it a dense and moist texture of soft fluffy texture? Thanks for sharing!

  • j
    November 5, 2009

    hi been reading your blog for the longest time and love your recipes. If i want to use butter instead of oil, do i just use 1/4 cup. Can i also use reg milk, as buttermilk is not avail in my area?

    thanks!

  • S.
    November 5, 2009

    Oh wow! This sounds like my kind of breakfast!
    Coffee, cake, chocolate, and banana all rolled into one. Wonderful!

  • Giovanni
    November 5, 2009

    Yummy. That looks great. I’m sure that is delicious.

  • Liesl
    November 5, 2009

    I am going to have to give this recipe a try…my sister-in-law works for Starbucks and loaded me up on the new VIA coffee!!! Sounds like a tasty banana bread to me!

  • dave
    November 5, 2009

    OMG, that looks sooooo yuuummmyy!!! 😛

    I’ll ask my girl bake one for me!

  • Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction
    November 5, 2009

    Yum… Looks delicious!

  • Angela
    November 6, 2009

    I just made this! It came out beautifully. I’ve never tried banana bread before, and am not even a huge fan of bananas, but I had some on hand that nobody wanted to eat, and must say it’s pretty good.

    (Only changes: I used regular milk with vinegar instead of buttermilk, instant coffee instead of instant espresso, and only half a cup of chocolate chips.)

    Did yours have a very pronounced coffee flavor? I used cheap instant coffee, and barely noticed it at all, so I’ll remember to add more in the future.

    Thanks for the recipe; I always enjoy your wonderful blog. 🙂

  • Марков
    November 14, 2009

    Супер!!!

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