Dark Chocolate Roasted Banana Bread

Dark chocolate and roasted ripe bananas join forces to make this Dark Chocolate Roasted Banana Bread! Ripened bananas are roasted with brown sugar and warm fall spices until caramelized. These caramelized bananas are then combined with a spiced dark chocolate batter, baked, and topped with a rich ganache. This bread is moist, boldly flavored, and is guaranteed to become a favorite!

Dark Roasted Banana Bread

This morning as I made my way to work, the air felt as crisp as biting into a díanjou pear. I pulled up the collar of my jean jacket, ecstatic the weather was finally cooling. I allowed myself the delicious thought that soon I would be strolling the streets in calf high boots and a skillfully wrapped fall scarf. That is until I felt my hair droop in a whoosh of humidity and realized we are in for yet one more week of warm weather.

I love summer, I truly do. I have to say, though this summer has been somewhat moist. Sometimes, from the safety of my air conditioned living room I feel I could ring out my dress and extract moisture.

So yes, I’m happy the weather is cooling down some. And of course, that also means my oven will be on all day every day. Roasting or baking.

Now flow with me. I have both. Roasting AND baking to talk about.

Be honest with me…How many ripe bananas are sitting on your counter right now.

I’ll wait.

Too many, right?

I got you, boo.

Today, let’s combine ripe bananas with chocolate.

Let’s do this.

One of my favorite baking thugs, from the food blog Bakes in Slippers posted this delicious Chocolate, Chocolate Banana Bread.

I took her recipe and gave it a little spice and roasted complexity.

Roasted Bananas. Spiced chocolate.

It’s a thing.

But first, let’s roast these ripe bananas with brown sugar and some warm fall spices. The bananas are roasted for about 20 minutes until they soften and the sugars (both sprinkled and in the fruit) caramelize.

This is all scraped into a bowl and mashed.

Then we make the chocolate bread. No mixer required. Just a bowl, a whisk, and some heavy arm action. Summer bodies are made in the wintertime.

Work those arms!

Melted butter and coconut oil are used here. Feel free to use all butter if you’re out of coconut oil. A little vanilla extract, some banana liqueur. You know, to heighten the banana flavor a tad.

Cocoa powder plus an array of fall spices are added to all-purpose flour. A little sift action.

Mmmhmm…That’s right.

The wet ingredients are mixed until combined. The dry ingredients are folded in, and finally chocolate chips are gently added to this batter. This is all baked in a loaf pan. As you patiently wait for the oven to rise and bake the smack out of this cake, make a chocolate ganache.

I’d like to say the ganache is optional. However, if you are ANYTHING like me, there is NO SUCH THING as TOO MUCH CHOCOLATE.

That is crazy talk, my friends.

Chocolate is one of those, ‘if ya got it, flaunt it’ sort of things.

So flaunt it.

Once the cake cools the ganache is either drizzled or spread on the surface of the chocolate banana bread.

Then it’s enjoyed. At leisure or right away. We’re right away folk.

This Dark Chocolate Roasted Banana Bread has so much depth. Warmly spiced and flavored with roasted bananas that carry with them a hint of caramel.

And chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate.

Yes, this bread is slightly more labor intensive than your average one-bowl situation.

Trust me, though, those additional steps are completely and utterly worth it.

Print Pin

Dark Roasted Banana Bread

Dark chocolate & roasted ripe bananas join to make this Dark Chocolate Roasted Banana Bread! Ripened bananas are roasted with brown sugar and fall spices.

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings 10

Calories 465kcal

Ingredients

For the roasted bananas:

• 4 ripe bananas
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg

For the chocolate bread:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour lightly spooned, then measured
• 1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder lightly spoon then measured
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
• Roasted bananas
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon banana liqueur
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips milk or semi-sweet

For the chocolate ganache:

• 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Roast the bananas:

• Preheat your oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Slice banana lengthwise (long side) in half and line them in cast iron skillet or a small baking sheet lined with parchment line your bananas. In a small bowl combine the light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and freshly grated nutmeg. Whisk quickly to combine and sprinkle over the ripe bananas.
• Place skillet or pan in the oven and roast bananas for 20 minutes, until the bananas are soft, the juices have released, and the sugar has somewhat caramelized. Remove from the oven and transfer the bananas, along with the caramelized syrup that's accumulated in the pan or skillet in a small bowl. Mash the bananas with a fork and set aside to cool.

Bake the roasted banana chocolate bread:

• Lower the oven temperature to 350° Fahrenheit. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray and line the bottom with a rectangle of parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt, and spices. Set aside.
• To a large bowl, add the melted coconut oil, melted butter, light brown sugar, and roasted bananas. Whisk with a hand whisk until combined. Add the egg and whisk until completely incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and banana liqueur. Fold in the flour/cocoa powder mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. It's OK to see some dry flour bits. Fold in the chocolate chips, ensuring all dry bits are incorporated into the flour. Be sure not to overmix.
• Pour mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Place pan in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until a tester inserted in the middle of the pan comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Invert the cake to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely before glazing with the ganache.

Make the ganache:

• Place the chocolate in a small bowl. Pour the heavy cream in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Pour the heavy cream in the chocolate and whisk until melted and shiny. Pour or drizzle over cooled cake.
• Cake can be covered tightly in plastic wrap and kept in room temperature up to 3 days.

Notes

Adapted from Bakes in Slippers

Nutrition

Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 220mg | Potassium: 306mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Vitamin C: 4.1mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2.2mg