Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger

5 from 9 votes

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Chunks of crystallized ginger and chocolate give this banana bread tons of personality.

Slices of Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger on a red and white plate.

Ginger Banana Bread

Because I find myself with overripe bananas pretty much every other week, our family eats a lost of banana bread. The freezer has also become sort of a halfway house for wayward over-ripened bananas (these are usually destined for smoothies).

Buttered slices of Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger on a plate.

But if you like to cook (I do) and you hate throwing food away (again, me), then over-ripened bananas are a gift, a gateway ingredient to something delicious.

Mashing Bananas

You can mash bananas with a fork or a potato masher if you are mashing more than one. This is a very good kid task.

Woman holding a loaf of Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger in a pan.

Crystallized Ginger

Crystallized ginger is fresh ginger (or ginger root) that has been peeled, sliced and cooked in a sweetened syrup until soft. It is then coated in crunchy sugar. It’s amazing for snacking, and for shopping up and using in baked goods.

Woman Mashing Bananas with a fork.

This particular banana bread came about because I have a big thing for crystallized ginger. My father’s father introduced me to it when I was a kid – he adored it, and even though he was born in Brooklyn in 1903 he was somehow attuned to the fact that ginger had healing properties, which in those days was not something all that widely known outside of Eastern cultures.  Bernie Workman, ahead of his time. He would have loved this bread studded with nuggets of chewy sweet ginger and bits of melty chocolate.

Once you start baking with crystallized ginger, you will not want to stop. Try Pumpkin Gingerbread with Crystallized Ginger or Crystallized Ginger Shortbread. Also, add some to this cookie recipe, for another level of happiness.

Woman slicing a loaf of Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger.

Mini Banana Breads Loaves with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger

And I have a deep and meaningful relationship with my mini loaf pan. Mini loaves of quick bread, banana bread in particular, are one of the easiest ways to say I love you, thanks so much, hope you have a good day, or you’re a very nice person that I know of. This bread baked up into full on cuteness in the mini loaves.

Knife spreading butter onto a slice of Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger.

How could you resist one of these?

These are almost a guaranteed good day in the making.

Woman holding a mini loaf of Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger.

This recipe also makes great banana muffins. Line 12 regular sized muffin tins with liners. Fill them evenly with the batter, filling them about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 23 to 27 minutes or until the muffins spring back when pressed lightly in the center. Let them sit in the tins on wire racks for 5 minutes, then gently turn them out of the tins, and cool them upright on a wire rack. Eat warm or at room temperature.

More Banana Recipes:

Slices of Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger on a red and white plate.

Pin this now to find it later

Pin It
5 from 9 votes

Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger

Chunks of crystallized ginger and chocolate give this banana bread tons of personality.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Cooling time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 People

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup chopped crystallized ginger
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large very ripe bananas peeled and mashed (about 1 cup mush)
  • ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease or spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan (see Note).
  • In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix in the chocolate and the ginger.
  • In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla. Blend in the mashed bananas and sour cream.
  • Switch to a wooden spoon and add the flour mixture in batches to the batter, mixing just until each addition is incorporated. At the end the batter should be barely blended (it will be thick). Pour the mixture into the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 45 minutes (see Note). Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn the loaf out of the pan and finishing cooling the bread upright on the wire rack.

Notes

Banana Muffins or Mini Banana Bread Loaves

This recipe also makes great banana muffins or mini loaves. Line 12 regular sized muffin tins with liners (or spray mini loaf pans with nonstick pray or butter them). Fill them evenly with the batter, filling them about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 23 to 27 minutes or until the muffins spring back when pressed lightly in the center. Let them sit in the tins on wire racks for 5 minutes, then gently turn them out of the tins, and cool them upright on a wire rack. Eat warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 485kcal, Carbohydrates: 66g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Sodium: 315mg, Potassium: 270mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 36g, Vitamin A: 531IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 3mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

About Katie Workman

Katie Workman is a cook, a writer, a mother of two, an activist in hunger issues, and an enthusiastic advocate for family meals, which is the inspiration behind her two beloved cookbooks, Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook.

You May Also Like:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




11 Comments

  1. Made today, love it!!
    We just had the pleasure of Having Harry & Meghan here in Australia. She made a banana ginger & choc chip cake , so decided to look for a recipe & came across yours.. wow so delicious.
    Next time though i will only use 1/2 cup sugar instead of 3/4 cup. Brilliant flavours that all go so well together!
    Yum, yum, yum!!

  2. This recipe is great! I just made it with the candied ginger and no chocolate and it turned out really well! I used a glass pan and it did need quite a bit more time. This is gonna be my go-to banana bread recipe now. Thanks!!

  3. OMG I have so much candied ginger I need to use up–this recipe sounds perfect for it! Love the photos and happy #SpringPantryPurge! xoxo

  4. What a brilliant idea! I love the combination of ginger and chocolate to this banana bread, and even though I can’t enjoy it myself (I’m allergic to bananas, boo!), I know my husband and daughter will be ALL about this! So excited to connect with you through this collaboration!

    1. I have another friend who is allergic to bananas! What a sucky allergy. Nice to be connecting with you, too!

  5. Bernie Workman does it again!! I love that we were both on the banana bread train. Such a good way to purge everything in your cabinets! Thank you for joining and sharing this delicious recipe! xo