The best low calorie chocolate banana bread

There are very few (if any) things better than a decadent, moist as can be banana bread filled with chocolaty goodness. This low calorie chocolate banana bread is the ultimate indulgent low calorie dessert. Made with high quality cocoa powder, this banana bread is what chocolate lovers on a weight loss journey dream of!

My 100 calorie chocolate chip banana bread is one of the most popular recipes on my blog, and for good reason because it is INCREDIBLE! I had a request to make a chocolate version and I didn’t need to be told twice because duh, of course I want extra chocolaty banana bread! This low calorie chocolate banana bread is super rich, moist and filled with dark chocolate chips.

I have a serious addiction to this chocolate banana bread. It even got to the point where I had to ripen bananas in the oven… yeah. I couldn’t wait another 3 days to make this slice of heaven. Which brings me to my favorite thing about this recipe, it is so easy to make. You just throw everything together in a bowl and then leave it in the oven to do its thing. Before you know it, you have freshly baked low calorie chocolate banana bread sitting on your counter begging to be eaten!

You can meal prep this recipe and have a quick on-the-go snack ready for everyday of the week, you can enjoy it with a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning or you can warm it up and have it as a post dinner dessert at the end of the week. I love the versatility of this recipe. Because there really isn’t an instance in which chocolate banana bread isn’t the answer!

Low calorie chocolate banana bread

The best part about this recipe is that you can eat multiple slices of chocolaty banana bread for the same amount of calories as one regular slice of chocolate banana bread! This recipe is so simple too, you’ll be making to over and over because its just that good!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

• Rich, indulgent and super chocolaty banana bread for just 100 calories a piece!
• This recipe can easily be made gluten-free.
• This recipe is naturally sweetened and contains no added sugars. 
• You only need 9 ingredients to make this low calorie chocolate banana bread. 
• Comes together in just 1 bowl. 
• This recipe contains no butter or oil! 
• Super moist and melt in your mouth delicious!
• The BEST low calorie chocolate banana bread recipe ever!

Ingredients

Exact ingredient quantities can be found at the bottom of this page.

To make this low calorie chocolate banana bread you’ll need:

Extra ripe bananas – You need very ripe bananas to make the best banana bread. They need to be soft, mushy and covered in brown spots! If you’ve only got yellow bananas, set them in a dark cupboard sealed in a ziplock bag for a day or two to ripen them quickly. If you’d like to make this recipe right now and need to ripen your bananas quickly, place them in the oven at 180°C (356°F) for 30-40 minutes.

Egg – This recipe calls for just 1 large egg. Make sure that your egg is room temperature and not cold. You can set an egg on your kitchen counter for 30 minutes to get it to room temperature if it’s been in the fridge.

0% fat greek yogurt – Greek yogurt is thick and adds volume, texture and moisture without too many calories. You can use any 0% fat yogurt including dairy-free.

Stevia or 0 calorie granulated sweetener – Any 0 calorie sweetener will work for this recipe but stevia is my go-to for baking. Bear in mind, the stevia I use is a 1:2 ratio of stevia to sugar so you may need to adjust the amount according to the sweetener you use.

Vanilla extract – No banana bread recipe is complete without vanilla!

Self-raising flour – This recipe calls for self-raising flour as apposed to all-purpose. This is because self-raising flour contains a combination of baking soda and baking powder for the perfectly risen chocolate banana bread. You can substitute for all-purpose flour plus 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp baking soda here.

Unsweetened cocoa powder – Unsweetened cocoa powder is the secret to getting that dark, intense chocolate flavor without any added sugars or calories.

Baking powder – Extra leavening agent to help the banana bread rise to perfection.

Ground cinnamon – To add flavor to the banana bread, this is optional.

Dark chocolate chips – A whole lotta dark chocolate chips to finish off this delicious low calorie chocolate banana bread! You can use sugar-free chocolate chips here to keep this recipe completely sugar-free. I used regular dark chocolate chips so the calories may differ depending on the kind you use.

How to make low calorie chocolate banana bread

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C/355°F. Line a 1 lb loaf tin with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas until a few small lumps remain. Whisk in the egg, yogurt, vanilla and stevia until well combined.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and ground cinnamon and whisk until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and transfer to the lined loaf tin. Be careful not to over-mix the batter as that will lead to dry, rubbery banana bread. Whisk until everything is well combined and no more!
4. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs. Keep an eye on the banana bread once it’s been about 40 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly whilst the center looks underdone, cover with foil and set in the middle shelf to finish baking. Allow the banana bread to cool in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
5. Sice into the banana bread, serve warm and enjoy!

Storage

You can store any leftover banana bread in an airtight container. To keep it super moist, place a paper towel in the container, then place the banana bread on the paper towel and add another paper towel on top of the bread before closing with the lid. This banana bread will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 4 days.

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