I've baked hundreds of loaves of banana bread over the years. And I've probably tried dozens of banana bread recipes. Some were too sweet, others too moist.
Eventually, I combined bits and pieces from different versions to create my own.

This easy banana bread recipe with chocolate chips, maple syrup and flax seeds is a great way to use leftover bananas.
One of the great things about banana bread recipes (and quickbread recipes in general) is they're very forgiving.
The recipe may call for three bananas, yet if you have two and a half and are skimpy with your flour, the loaf will taste just fine. The same goes for sugar.
Not everyone wants a full cup of sugar per loaf. I've found it easy to cut it back to ¾ of a cup or even ½ cup without complaints from the kids.
Although my banana chocolate chip flax bread recipe calls for just one tablespoon of flax seeds, feel free to increase this to two.
Don't use ground flax unless you prefer to use it to replace the eggs. Ground flax and eggs make this recipe a little too eggy and mushy.
Easy Banana Chocolate Chip Flax Bread Recipe
Recipe

Easy Banana Bread Recipe with Chocolate Chips & Flax Seeds
Ingredients
- ½ cup of softened butter/margarine/veg oil
- ¼ cup brown sugar OR ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup white sugar
- 3 medium ripe bananas mashed
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ salt
- 1 tbsp. flax seeds
- ¾ cup mini dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cream butter and sugars together.
- Blend in eggs and mashed banana.
- Use a separate bowl to combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and flax seeds.
- Add to the banana mixture.
- Sprinkle in chocolate chips.
- Use a spatula to scrape into greased 9 x 5 loaf pan.
- Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
- Let cool in pan on baking rack for ten minutes.
- Remove and let cool completely before slicing.
Nutrition
This banana chocolate chip flax bread recipe combines whole wheat and white flour. I find the combo recipes provide a slightly denser, more flavorful loaf. Plus you get the added goodness of whole grains.
Substitutions for Banana Bread Recipes

Not everyone likes flax seeds in their quick bread and muffins.
And not everyone likes chocolate chips in their banana bread either (I don't know any of these people. But they're out there.)
If that's the case, don't worry. Other substitutions work just fine, such as:
- poppy seeds
- sunflower seeds
- walnuts
- dates
If you prefer to avoid butter, try substituting a generous ¼ cup of coconut oil, vegetable oil, or unsweetened applesauce. Margarine also works.
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