Description
Deliciously moist and easy-to-make Chocolate Chip Banana Bars featuring ripe bananas, melted butter, and mini chocolate chips baked to perfection. Perfect as a sweet snack or dessert, these bars combine classic banana bread flavors with the chocolaty goodness of mini chips, delivering a crowd-pleasing treat that’s simple to prepare.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113 grams, melted, 1 stick)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 2 large eggs (100 grams, room temperature)
- 3 bananas (mashed)
- ¾ cup buttermilk (170 grams, room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (8 grams)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (8 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (6 grams)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (3 grams)
Add-ins
- 1½ cups mini chocolate chips (266 grams, divided)
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan thoroughly with nonstick spray to prevent sticking and set it aside.
- Mix Butter, Sugar, and Eggs: In a large bowl, use a whisk or hand mixer to beat the melted butter, granulated sugar, and eggs until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Add Banana, Buttermilk, and Vanilla: Incorporate the mashed bananas, room temperature buttermilk, and pure vanilla extract into the butter mixture, stirring until everything is well blended.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Stir in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt into the wet ingredients. Mix gently until just combined to avoid overworking the batter.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Carefully fold 1¼ cups of the mini chocolate chips into the batter evenly, reserving the rest for topping.
- Transfer Batter to Pan: Pour and spread the batter evenly into the prepared 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Add Remaining Chips: Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of mini chocolate chips evenly over the top of the batter for an appealing chocolatey finish.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the banana bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before slicing into 12 squares to serve.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas for maximum flavor and natural sweetness.
- Ensure buttermilk and eggs are at room temperature to improve batter consistency.
- Check for doneness early as oven temperatures may vary.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- For a nuttier variation, consider adding ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
