Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bites

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Parchment-lined baking sheet with Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bites

Well hello! I thought I’d drop in and share a little treat to keep the New Year’s good health juju going. Let’s be honest, we can all use as much help as we can get and this recipe is one designed to please the masses (unless you’re my sister who hates bananas – how are we even related?). I love banana bread, you love banana bread, everyone loves chocolate, and we could all use another healthy snack in our rotation, right? See, things are working out in the New Year after all. Told you, naysayers.

Fresh bananas and a bowl of mashed bananas for making Banana Bread Bites
Bowl filled with chocolate chips for making our Banana Bread Bites recipe

These little gems are fluffier than banana cookies but denser than banana bread, putting them somewhere right in between on texture. However, the flavor of banana bread is ever-present and the chocolate chips help give them that extra special “treat” feel, like “I’m eating a cookie, this is so awesome.” See how awesome things just got? That escalated quickly.

Vanilla extract and a bowl of ingredients for making Vegan Choc Chip Banana Bread Bites

Ever since her royal Ladycakes gifted me a bottle of her homemade vanilla extract when John and I visited her in December, I’ve been itching to use it. This is the first recipe I’ve tried it in and was super pleased (seriously you guys, check it out). The batter in itself is quite wholesome, featuring oats, whole wheat flour, flax seed, and maple syrup or agave as a natural sweetener. These little bites make an ideal vegan breakfast on-the-go or take-along snack. I, however, preferred the “shovel as many into my mouth as I can in one sitting” approach. You know, for sampling purposes and such.

Enjoy, I really, really hope you do.

Plate of Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bites with vanilla and bananas in the background

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bites

1-bowl, 30 minute banana bread bites! Tender, naturally-sweetened, and studded with chocolate chips!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Close up shot of a Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bite
4.79 from 41 votes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 18 (banana bread bites)
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 3 Days

Ingredients

  • 2 medium very ripe bananas
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp flaxseed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp almond butter
  • 2 Tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
  • 3/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup semisweet dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate, divided (some for topping)
  • Turbinado sugar for topping (optional)

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, mash the banana then add baking soda, baking powder, salt, flax seed, vanilla extract, almond butter, agave nectar, olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.
  • Add in the whole wheat pastry flour using the spoon and level method (as opposed to using the measuring cup as a scoop and then leveling), and rolled oats and stir. It should be wet and sticky, but if it appears runny, add another 1/4 cup or more of oats.
  • Add most of the semisweet chocolate chips and stir until just combined. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes while preheating oven to 375 degrees (190 C).
  • Scoop slightly rounded 1 Tbsp measurements of the batter and drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a non-stick silicon baking mat. Space about 1 inch apart, then slightly press down with back of spoon and sprinkle with additional chocolate chips and/or turbinado sugar.
  • Bake for 10-11 minutes or until they appear set. You aren’t going for brown edges – you want them moist and just cooked. Let cool slightly on cooling rack and serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional turbinado sugar.
Inspired by zucchini bread bites from the Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook

Nutrition (1 of 18 servings)

Serving: 1 cookie Calories: 129 Carbohydrates: 18.3 g Protein: 2.5 g Fat: 5.4 g Saturated Fat: 1.7 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 88.3 mg Potassium: 92 mg Fiber: 2.7 g Sugar: 5.8 g Calcium: 30 mg Iron: 1.1 mg

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  1. Natalie says

    You’ve answered “1 month” to “Does it Keep?” but at the end of the recipe it says to store for up to 3 days. Can you clarify? I’m trying to find a recipe that I can snack on for a week or more.

  2. Pearly says

    I usually like to make the recipe as is the first time before/if I make adjustments, but this in this instance I had to use GF flour and GF oats. Also, peanut butter since that is what I had. I did not use the toppings. It was very tasty and I would make it again.

  3. Monica Osterhout says

    These were a nice little cookie. I’d be comfortable letting my kids have a few for an on the go breakfast or snack.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Monica. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thank you for sharing your experience, Tina! We haven’t tested freezing them, but thought the texture might change. Glad to hear it works well! We’ll get that updated.

  4. Sarah says

    These were a delicious way to use the ripe bananas on my counter. I didn’t have pastry flour on hand, so I substituted with all purpose flour, and it worked great!

  5. Amber says

    Hello, my daughter can’t have oats bc of fpies but I’m looking for a healthy banana bread/muffin/bite option for her. Any thoughts on how to replace oats/oat flour?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Amber, we’d suggest trying a little more flour or chopped walnuts or pecans. Hope that helps!

  6. Jasmine says

    These are almost a staple in my home! Whenever we have overripe bananas, these get made. Simple ingredients and delicious flavor, and love that there’s no added sugar!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Love it! So happy to hear these are a staple for you. Thanks so much for the great review, Jasmine!

    • Margie Underwood says

      I love your page and several of your recipes are in regular rotation in our house – including these. Despite having made these many times before, this time once they had baked and sat for a while, they turned dark green inside. So strange! I think they still taste ok, but am wondering if we shouldn’t eat them. Any idea what might cause that? My son made them this time (not his first time), so it’s possible he made a mistake somewhere. But he definitely didn’t add anything green! Your thoughts? The bananas we used were definitely very ripe.

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        This is so interesting! According to google it may have to do with an excess of baking soda? We haven’t had that experience, but we think (as long as all your ingredients were fresh) they are probably safe to eat. Thanks for sharing, Margie!

        • Margie Underwood says

          After doing some reading online, I think I figured it out! I had forgotten that we substituted sun butter for almond butter this time, so we could share the bites with a nut-free friend. Apparently sun butter interacts strangely with baking soda and creates that green hue! So interesting. We have continued to eat them without issue. Though they weren’t a big hit at our friend’s party – the color is a little off-putting 😆.

  7. Christina Joy says

    Hello 😊 these look delicious! I am planning to make these but struggling to access the whole wheat pastry flour. Is there anything that could be used as an alternative that is more accessible?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Christina, you can sub all purpose flour or perhaps spelt. Let us know if you try it!

  8. eva says

    This was a quick and very easy recipe to follow. I used Bob Red Mill’s Gluten Free All Purpose Flour and scooped it into the cup, as suggested. They were light, fluffy and just dissolved in the mouth. I didn’t add all the stuff on top. The dark chocolate chips were just right. Thanks again for a winner!

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Oh no! Sorry to hear that was your experience, Samantha! Other readers have had success with this one, so we’re wondering if something went wrong. Is it possible you were using smaller bananas? Or whole wheat flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour? Were you using the metric or US measurements?

  9. Luisa says

    Hi! I want to start by saying this is my FAVORITE place to get recipes and I recommend it TO EVERYONE!!

    That being said, I printed out this recipe and have made it at least 10 times now. I made it a few times, then had my son make it Then went back to making it myself. I honestly don’t love it as much as I had hoped I would. My end result is really dry every time. I don’t know why! They look identical to yours, and the batter does feel like a banana bread consistency. If I get a bite without Chocolate chips it feel like i have to chew forever and need water to wash it down. My batter has never been runny. Any tips? I am close to giving up on these… but am willing to try again if there is something I can do!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Luisa! I suspect if it’s stretchy and too difficult to chew, it sounds like it may have been slightly over-mixed?

      • Luisa says

        That’s definitely possible and I will try to NOT overmix next time. Also, I used regular flour…could that be a problem? It wasn’t stretchy but it’s def. dry

  10. Emily says

    My whole family loves these, and I love that they are so easy and relatively healthy! The only sub I made was peanut butter for almond butter, since that is what I had.

  11. Vivian says

    I substituted an equal amount of apple sauce for the oil plus I used sorghum flour in place of the whole wheat flour. I did not bother with the turbinado sugar in my quest to reduce sweeteners in all my recipes. They were scrumptious. BTW, I froze our extras so we wouldn’t be tempted to eat them all in one day – which was before I noticed that it said not freezer friendly. The frozen ones were just fine when microwaved 1 minute power 3. We will definitely make this recipe again. Thanks for sharing it.

  12. Jennifer says

    Oh, my, goodness, these were amazing. I may have undercooked them a bit and I may have eaten 1 (ok, 2) straight from the oven.. no one was looking!! My kids will be so happy to wake up to these!! THANKS AGAIN FOR ANOTHER DELICIOUS RECIPE!!

  13. Emy says

    I find these bites absolutely delicious and nutritious but would there be a way to make them fluffier or moister? Because as it is the mix was pretty thick (not dry) just really consistent!

    What could I do to make them fluffier or moister?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Emy, you could try swapping out some of the baking soda for more baking powder and/or adding more oil. Let us know if you do some experimenting!

  14. K says

    Another winner. Makes a great quick breakfast or snack throughout the week. They’re addicting. I used my own custom mix of GF Flour (brown rice flr, potato starch, tapioca starch, arrowroot) and semi-sweet stevia sweetened choc chips, it worked well.

  15. Ellen says

    I do “minimal baking” (hehe), really I’m more about cooking, but I LOVE this recipe and try to make it any time I have a couple of bananas on the way out! Easy, healthy, and delicious. The bite format is perfect – these disappear in a couple of days every time. I have never used the flour called for in the recipe, I always sub a mix of AP flour and whole wheat flour, and more recently whole wheat flour and bread flour. They’re fantastic every time!

    • Frances Madelaine Felix says

      Help! What remedy can I do if it tasted bitter. Mine turned out so bitter. 😭
      Someone save me please.. 😭

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Sorry to hear that, Frances! We wonder if there was too much baking soda or powder?

  16. Lauren says

    I have made these too many times to count and they always turn out amazing! My mom even requested these as her Mother’s Day treat! I make them with gluten free flour and they are wonderful no matter what blend I use. Thanks for another great recipe that will be made in my kitchen for years to come!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Whoop! We’re so glad you both enjoy them, Lauren! Thanks so much for sharing! xo

  17. Rachel says

    Very easy and tasty, good when you’re sick of muffins and cookies but want a treat. I used half all-purpose/half whole wheat flour and subbed avocado oil for the olive oil and it worked well. Be warned: I put them in for 9 minutes and it was almost too long.

  18. Elizabeth says

    This is the second time I made these this week! During the quarantine baking is like a little hug. I had ripe bananas and this recipe is perfect to have a treat but still have it be healthy. Thank you!

  19. Julia Szilagyi says

    These were PHENOMENAL!!!! My whole house loved them. I didn’t have pastry flour so I subbed 1/4 cup corn starch + 3/4 cup all-purpose and they turned out moist and soft so I’m super pleased! Thank you for this recipe, I’ll be sure to keep making these for a long time!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Julia. We are so glad everyone enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  20. Nicole says

    These were yummy and quick to make. I didn’t have pastry flour and used bread flour… They were a wee bit dense and that’s probably why. Still good and healthful though. Smelled amazing in the oven and were so good when slightly cooled with the chocolate chips melty.

  21. SARAH ASHRAF says

    Super easy to make. I had everything on hand and it literally took minutes. So delicious and a great breakfast treat!

  22. Kathleen says

    I make these all the time! I actually skip the refrigeration and make them as muffins, it takes about 18 min on 375. I refrigerate and they last all week. My kids love them as snacks and dessert, they are so delicious! I also sub in coconut flour for half of the flour and add a little water. Great recipe and so easy to make!

  23. Samantha says

    Omg this recipe was DOPE. The texture is spot on- I did have to sub the pastry flour for half whole wheat flour half all purpose flour (read online to do that) but everything else was the same. So so good, and really nice switch up from regular banana bread.
    I love “sweets” like this where I can feel good about eating it.

  24. Charli says

    I am so thrilled I came across this recipe as I had some ripe bananas begging to be baked. My children and I whipped these up for afternoon tea. I used peanut butter and gluten free flour. If the batter was anything to go by, we knew we were onto something good… these were gobbled up fresh out of the oven! I am filing this recipe, it’s a keeper!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Charli. We are so glad you and your children enjoyed these! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo

  25. Jill says

    I substitute and use gf flour and I have made it three times, it’s like my Sunday “breakfast” go to, I love it. but we had a hard time this morning because WE DONT HAVE ANY CHOCOLATE… but, I think it will still taste good and they are in the oven now and smell amazing. :)

  26. Ralph says

    I doubled the recipe and made 30 good sized cookies. I followed the recipe except for no seeds. 10 minutes was the perfect baking time. Success. Soft and moist and sweetly banana tasting. Excellent. Thanks!

  27. Brooke says

    We are obsessed with these at my house! Any idea whether they hold up well in the freezer? I want to make a batch in advance for travelling, but I’m a little nervous about freezing them.

      • Ralph says

        I doubled the recipe and made 30 good sized cookies. I followed the recipe except for no seeds. 10 minutes was the perfect baking time. Success. Soft and moist and sweetly banana tasting. Excellent. Thanks! Oh, I substituted Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free for the flour. No issues with this change.

  28. Sarah says

    These are so yummy! I’ve made them with the chocolate chips and without, and they’re both great! I wonder if there’s a way to make them with pumpkin…. #fall #basic

  29. Marie-L. says

    A bunch of bananas was dying on my counter top, and I was tired of the same old banana bread recipe I made all the time. I try to find new recipes for my son to enjoy as he has very few ingredients that are safe for him to eat. I made some adjustments :
    -3/4 cup of khorasan flour (i/o pastry flour)
    -1 cup of a mix of tapioca, potato starch and almond flour (i/o rolled oats as my son is allergic to oat)
    -Added 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts
    -Left the chocolate chips out for half the recipe as I want to be able to use these as snacks for my son who is very reactive to caffeine in the chocolate! (The half with chocolate is for me hahaha)
    They just got out of the oven and THEY ARE HEAVEN!!!!! Super soft, perfectly moist and they taste dreamy, even without the chocolate chips. This recipe is definitely a keep! Thank you!!

  30. Martine says

    I was looking forward to making these all week, thought I had all the ingredients and then realised I didn’t when I was ready to make them. So I made a lot of substitutes: a little bit of honey instead of agave, whole meal self-raising flour instead of flour, more oats instead of flax seeds, an extra tb spoon of almond butter instead of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of baking powder instead of baking soda.

    AND THEY WERE STILL DELICIOUS!! I can only imagine how good they are when you do have all the ingredients. But basically, this is just a comment for anyone missing a couple of ingredients, mine still turned out amazing. Light, fluffy and not too sweet. YUM!

  31. Heather says

    I made these last night (subbed pb for almond butter), and they were sooo good! My husband said they were the best cookie I’d ever baked!

    I’m wondering if it’s ok to leave the batter in the fridge overnight, rather than just the 20 min, so that I could prep the night before and then bake fresh ones in the morning?

  32. Jodi says

    My brother suggested I may like this blog. He used to be entirely right.
    This put up truly made my day. You can not imagine
    just how much time I had spent for this info!
    Thank you!

  33. Samantha Espinoza says

    Made them last night, as I thought the bananas wouldn’t last another minute!! Very tasty! I was sad because I was out of chocolate chips :( but I just used extra sugar in the raw. :)

  34. Debbie Desselle says

    These came out so good. I made them with one cup of Namaste Gluten free flour, added one egg, xanthan gum, no flax, and only one banana. For a gluten free breakfast, they were so easy to make and delicious warm, right out of the oven.

  35. Angele Simard says

    these are delicious. I used apple sauce instead of oil and turned out great. The whole family enjoyed them. Thank you!

    • Lina says

      Use a spoon to put the flour into the measuring cup, then a flat edge scraped across the top to make it level. The other way is dipping the measuring cup into the flour to fill the cup. It compacts the flour down and will affect your recipe.

  36. Eliza says

    Just made these and unfortunately cooked them slightly too long… So I want to make a dip that would go with them to try to mask the slight burnt flavor! What do you think would pair well with this?

  37. Kacie says

    These look fantastic! I only have 1/4 cup of oats on hand. Can I use steel cut oats in place if the rest of the oats?

  38. Janell says

    We are adoring your recipes at my house. Haven’t been disappointed by one yet!

    I’ve made these delish little bites twice. The first time I used enjoy life mini chips and slightly over baked. Still really yummy. The second time I used enjoy life chocolate chunks and baked 10 minutes (which lended to them being more moist) and they were even more yummy!

  39. Kelly says

    SO FLUFFY!! I was struggling with my banana cookie recipes… delicious and healthy but holy cow, dense!! These are fantastic. I thought about them all day!! Thank you.

  40. Carlin says

    Hello!!
    I was wondering if there was a way you could suggest to make the batter itself chocolate-y instead of adding chocolate chips? Sub some cocoa powder for the flour? I make these almost twice a week (nope, not addicted) and I’m trying to figure out how to mix them up a bit and I thought more chocolate might do it.
    Thanks!

  41. Jen says

    Great recipe! I made a couple of substitutions to avoid a trip to the store (eg chia for flax), and I subbed two tablespoons of apple sauce for the oil. They turned out really well.

    I put half on a cookie sheet and half in a mini muffin pan. The mini muffins turned out a bit chewier – which both my husband and I liked better, not that a single one will go to waste!

    My metric measurements were as follows:
    180 g bananas
    40 g apple sauce (homemade, unsweetened)
    15 g chia
    30 g peanut butter
    35 g corn syrup (fructose free)
    120 g whole wheat pastry flour
    65 g barley flakes
    50 g Plamil no sugar dairy free chocolate flakes

    I didn’t bother weighing the baking soda or the vanilla. With 22 servings, each was ca. 65 calories, with 2 g fat, 10 g carbs, 2 g fibre and 2 g protein.

  42. Megan says

    I used flax meal instead of almond meal and chia seed eggs instead of flax seed eggs (just because this is what I had). They turned out GREAT. I brought them to work and even my meat-loving cheese eating friends devoured them. :)

  43. Crystal says

    I made these today after buying way too many bananas that have now gone bad.. I added almonds, used PB instead of almond since I ate it all last week haha, used coconut oil instead of OO and used regular sugar since I don’t have agave nectar, and they still came out great! Thanks so much!!

  44. Poli says

    Just made it. Super tasty. I didn’t have whole wheat pastry flour, so 1 use 1/3 all purpose flour, 1/3 almond meal, and 1/3 oat flour. Thanks for the recipe. :))

  45. Shala says

    Easily my favorite cookie, and I’m not vegan. So easy to make, and so delicious I can’t believe they might even be healthy. Thank you!!!!

  46. Belinda says

    Wow !! Currently eating them warm out of the oven. These are soooooo good.
    Did use peanut butter and all purpose flour as that is all I had but they are still very light and most morish. Look forward to trying more recipes from your collection. Many thanks :)

  47. Georgia says

    is it possible to substitute just plain whole wheat all purpose flour for the pastry flour?
    or maybe some type of GF flour- like oat flour or almond meal?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      You can, but it will taste a bit more dense. I’d sub a mix of oat flour, almond meal and whole wheat if you’re looking for alternative options.

  48. Melissa says

    I just made these and they are A-MA-ZING. Love the texture and they were a great way to use up my over-ripe bananas. I think next time I might try to replace the oil with applesauce to experiment with making them oil-free, but seriously these are so good.

  49. admattai says

    Just made these, so good! I made 1/2 the batch with chocolate chips & 1/2 with craisins. these are perfect for my morning commute :) thanks for the great recipe!

  50. Heidi @ Food Doodles says

    Mmm, these look perfect for me! I love the ingredients list and they look delicious! Seriously, banana bread in cookie form? I gotta try these :D

  51. Rachel K says

    Made these yesterday and they were AMAZING!! Yum! I’ve tried several of your recipes now, and haven’t been disappointed once! Keep up the great work :)
    You are so very talented!

  52. Liza says

    I modified these a little to make them sugar free, oil free and fat free and they were soooo good. Awesome recipe!

  53. Ashlae says

    HEY GIRL! I see you with that vanilla – so happy you finally got to use it.

    Now, send me some nanner cookies, please.. ;)

  54. thelittleloaf says

    These look like a lovely healthy start to the new year. I’ve got some bananas blackening on the side so this is just what I’ve been looking for!