Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Bread

4.97 from 33 votes

This low-fat Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Bread is made with Greek yogurt instead of oil or butter - it has a moist consistency and rich taste!

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This chocolate cinnamon banana bread is a warm chocolate piece of heaven that’s something fun to try if you’re tired of your old banana bread recipe! It’s a simple quick bread recipe made Greek yogurt instead of oil or butter. The result is a moist, chocolatey and rich treat – perfect with a cup of coffee!

Chocolate cinnamon banana bread with dollop of greek yogurt and cinnamon sticks
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Ingredients & substitutions

  • Over-ripe bananas: It’s a key ingredient in the recipe to make it dense, moist and sweet!
  • Greek yogurt: I use yogurt instead of butter or oil to add moisture to the cinnamon banana bread. You can substitute with sour cream, which has the consistency of Greek Yogurt.
  • Egg: To bind the dry ingredients together.
  • Cane sugar or honey: I’ve made with both and prefer cane sugar because it doesn’t weigh down the banana bread as much as honey does.
  • All purpose flour: This is what I use in most of my baking, but it will also work with whole wheat flour or a gluten-free 1:1 baking mix.
  • Cocoa powder: Adds that chocolaty flavor.
  • Cinnamon: For an added warm and subtle spice to this bread. It’s very common to include in banana breads, but I increased the quantity here to make it more pronounced.
  • Baking powder, baking soda and salt: For the bread to rise during baking so it’s soft and fluffy.
Ingredients to make the recipe

How to make cinnamon banana bread

  1. Start by mashing the ripe bananas in a large bowl.
  2. Add the wet ingredients on top of the bananas in the same bowl.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and transfer them on top of the wet ingredients. You can also add them directly on top of the wet ingredients as is, but for best texture, whisk first in another bowl before adding.
  4. Whisk until everything is well combined; but some lumps in the batter are ok.
4 image collage to show how to make the batter for the banana bread
  • Place the batter in a standard loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
  • Bake until the edges pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Batter in a loaf pan before and after baking

Tips for making the recipe

  1. Use ripe bananas for best flavor and consistency. When mashed, they serve as an optimal fat substitute and add so much moisture and sweetness to banana bread recipes. So, be sure you set aside three bananas and allow them to develop a few brown spots and lines before you whip up this bread.
  2. Don’t over mix the batter. When it comes to banana bread, overmixing the batter can create a tough and chewy consistency. So mix just until you don’t see any more flour streaks.
  3. Use parchment paper for easy clean up. I always like using parchment paper when baking breads because it makes it so much easier to pull the bread out without any batter stuck on the pan.
  4. Allow to cool before slicing. The steam that condenses around the loaf pan actually makes it easier to remove from pan so allow for that time.

Frequently asked questions

Can you substitute with almond flour or coconut flour?

I’ve only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour at this time. Using a gluten-free flour like almond flour or coconut flour will alter the texture and results, so I don’t recommend it. You can however test it with a gluten-free flour mix that is made for 1:1 substitute baking.

When do you know the quick bread is ready?

About 10 minutes before the baking time ends, start checking your cinnamon banana bread for doneness. Insert a toothpick in the center of the loaf – if it comes out clean it’s ready to be take out of the oven.

How long does banana bread last?

Properly stored banana bread will keep for 3-4 days, and that can be extended to a week if kept in the fridge. Once the bread is completely cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, foil or place in an airtight container.

Chocolate cinnamon banana bread sliced on cutting board

This is such a great banana bread recipe, and I love the rich cinnamon and chocolate flavor! It’s so quick and easy to make and a fun variety from other quick bread recipes.

More quick bread recipes:

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Bread recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

This Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Bread recipe was originally published on October 17, 2016. I’ve updated it to include more step-by-step photos. Here’s the original photo!

Low-fat Cinnamon Chocolate Banana Bread being cut into with a fork

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Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Bread

This low-fat Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Bread is made with Greek yogurt instead of oil or butter – it has a moist consistency and rich taste!
5 from 33 votes
Servings 12 servings
Course Dessert
Calories 96
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Video

Ingredients
  

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork. Add the Greek yogurt, cane sugar, egg and vanilla extract, and stir until combined and smooth.
  • Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Pour into the prepared loaf pan.
  • Bake for 55 – 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. You can freeze the bread for up to 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
  • Instead of Greek yogurt, you can use butter or any neutral oils like vegetable oil or coconut oil.
  • Instead of cane sugar, you can use granulated white sugar.
  • Instead of all purpose flour, you can use whole wheat white flour.
  • To make this gluten-free, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix. Do not substitute only almond flour or only coconut flour.

Nutrition

Calories: 96kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 149mg, Potassium: 176mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 33IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Dessert

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Turned out delicious. I liked that it was was less dense than regular banana bread. I used half sprouted spelt flour and half monk sugar.

  2. Tried this out and it was amazing.
    I topped it off with dark chocolate and walnuts and was just as good.
    Absolutely fabulous.!!

    1. I haven’t tried truvia in this recipe yet, but if you do use it, you may need to use less than the amount of sugar required for this recipe because it is much sweeter.

  3. Made this today and am not disappointed! It’s moist and a lot less dense than regular banana bread. Will definitely make this again.

  4. Hello Yumna, how can I make this recipe without egg? I am a vegetarian and don’t use eggs while baking, also I have a doubt about the availability of Greek yogurt where I live. Plese suggest the substitutes, I am really eager to try this recipe. Thanks.

    1. Hi! You could try using a flax egg, but I haven’t tried that with this recipe yet. Instead of Greek yogurt, you can use butter or any neutral oils like vegetable oil or coconut oil.

  5. Amazingly moist! I didn’t have cocoa powder only semi sweet chocolate so I melted it and used that instead and reduced the amount of sugar. Also added some walnuts. Absolutely delicious!

  6. Amazing! Substituted 1 to 1 gf flour and coconut sugar for cane sugar. Delicious and works with my way of eating. Love it!!!!

  7. So easy to make and moist. I wasn’t sweet at all. I added a couple chocolate chips on top. Like the cinnamon in it too. Another great recipe as usual!

  8. Hi!! This looks delicious! Is there a percent fat of Greek yogurt that you recommend? (0%, 2%, 5%, etc) Can’t wait to try!

  9. This bread recipe was fantastic! Just the right amount of sweet and soft and chocolate. Will definitely have this as a regularly recipe I will keep handy. And it was simple! Delicious!

  10. This looks so good! Do you think you could sub almond flour for all purpose flour? And also monk fruit sweetener instead of cane sugar? Thanks!

    1. Thank you! I’ve only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour at this time. Using a gluten-free flour like almond flour or coconut flour will alter the texture and results, so I don’t recommend it. You can however test it with a gluten-free flour mix that is made for 1:1 substitute baking! Monk fruit sweetener should also work, but you may have to adjust the amount because it’s usually sweeter than sugar.