Description
These Chocolate Chip Banana Bars are a moist, delicious, and easy-to-make treat. They combine the flavors of ripe bananas and chocolate chips in a soft, cake-like bar that’s perfect for a snack, dessert, or even breakfast!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup (113g, 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg (about 56g), room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (6g) vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon (3g) fine sea salt (or table salt)
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup mashed overripe bananas (about 2 large bananas, 250g)
- 3/4 cup (125g) chocolate chips (mini or regular), plus a few extra for topping
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides to help lift the bars out later. Spray the parchment paper and any exposed sides of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium-high speed. If making by hand, ensure the butter is very soft and use a whisk.
- Add Egg, Vanilla, and Salt: Add the room-temperature egg, vanilla extract, and salt to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix on medium-low speed until everything is well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
- Add Flour: Add the all-purpose flour to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in Bananas: Gently fold in the mashed bananas until they are evenly incorporated into the batter.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Fold in most of the chocolate chips, reserving a small handful for topping.
- Transfer to Pan: Pour the batter into the prepared 8×8-inch baking pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips over the top of the batter.
- Bake: Bake for 33-37 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs (not wet batter). Rotate the pan halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.
- Cool Completely: Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. Let the bars cool completely in the pan.
- Cut and Serve: Once the bars are completely cool, use the parchment paper overhang to lift them out of the pan. Place them on a cutting board. Using a sharp, warm knife, cut the bars into 16 squares. Wipe the blade clean after each cut for clean, neat squares.
Notes
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room-temperature butter, eggs, and bananas helps the ingredients emulsify properly, resulting in a more tender and evenly textured bar.
- Overripe Bananas: The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful the bars will be. Use bananas with plenty of brown spots.
- Mashing Bananas: Mash the bananas thoroughly for a smooth batter.
- Chocolate Chips: You can use mini chocolate chips, regular chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate.
- Measuring Flour: For best results, measure flour by weight. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use the “spoon and level” method: fluff the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup, and then level it off with a straight edge. Do not pack the flour.
- Doneness: The bars are done when the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Cutting: Using a warm knife and wiping the blade clean after each cut will give you clean, neat squares.
- Storage room temperature for a few days or be covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.