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Easy-to-make, nutrient-packed, double chocolate chickpea flour banana bread tastes so decadent! No one will believe that it is vegan, grain-free and gluten-free. An oil-free option is included, too.
Table of Contents
- Grain-Free & Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
- Why You Will Love this Chocolate Chickpea Flour Banana Bread
- Ingredients for Chocolate Chickpea Banana Bread
- Tip: More Cocoa Powder Equals Rich Chocolate Taste
- Step by Step Directions
- Texture & Flavor
- Storage for Vegan Chocolate Chickpea Flour Banana Bread
- How to Serve This Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Ingredient Substitutions
- Related Posts:
- Chocolate Chickpea Flour Banana Bread (Vegan, Grain-free) Recipe
Grain-Free & Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
Our family keeps buying bananas. And eating them. But regardless of our family’s affection for the fruit, we always end up with plenty of brown ones, too.
Sound familiar?
If so, I’ve got yet another use for them: Double Chocolate Chickpea Flour Banana Bread!
This is a riff on two recipes: (1) my chickpea flour banana bread, and (2) a chocolate banana bread recipe, clipped from a magazine ad, that I used to make often when I was a poor graduate student.
I make the former often, but it’s been many years since I have made, or even looked at, the chocolate banana bread recipe.
I made the aforementioned chocolate banana bread so often because I almost always had the ingredients on hand. I remember it as being rich and chocolate-y, with a pleasant banana flavor, so I was surprised when I unearthed the recipe and realized that much of the flavor was just sugar.
Specifically: 1 and 1/4 cups of sugar and 2/3 cup oil for a single loaf. Moreover, the recipe calls for a measly 1/4 cup of cocoa powder. Last: I had not noticed until now that the recipe indicates that the entire loaf serves 6 to 8 people. Perhaps I tore the recipe out of Hungry Lumberjacks Digest.
Hence, while the memory of that chocolate banana bread sparked the idea for this recipe, mine is definitely a new new take on what a very chocolate banana bread can be.
Why You Will Love this Chocolate Chickpea Flour Banana Bread
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- Gluten-free
- Grain-free
- Oil-free option
- Quick and easy to make
- Made without refined sugar
- So delicious!
Ingredients for Chocolate Chickpea Banana Bread
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
- chickpea flour
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- baking soda
- salt
- mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 to 4 large bananas)
- maple syrup or coconut sugar
- avocado oil (or oil of choice; see notes for oil-free option)
- water
- vanilla extract
- miniature semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
Tip: More Cocoa Powder Equals Rich Chocolate Taste
The bread derives its depth of flavor from a generous 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder. It’s rich, but also balanced thanks to 1-1/2 cups of banana, which do triple duty, delivering moisture, sweetness and plenty of banana flavor (banana bread should taste like banana bread, right?).
Step by Step Directions
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180C). Line a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two opposing sides. Grease or spray the paper and exposed sides of the pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the bananas, maple syrup, oil, water and vanilla until blended.
- Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips.
- Bake for 43 to 48 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then hold onto the paper overhang to transfer it directly to the rack to cool completely. Peel off the paper, slice and serve.
Texture & Flavor
This double chocolate chickpea flour banana bread has a soft, tender crumb similar to other banana breads. It has a rich chocolate banana taste .Two tablespoons of miniature semisweet chocolate chips sprinkled over the top delivers decadence in every bite while still keeping this bread in the universe of healthy breakfasts and snacks.
If you have had any problem convincing anyone of the wonders of chickpea flour (yourself included), this is an excellent recipe for changing hearts, minds, and palates. Why? Because there is zero indication of beans. Zero. No one who has tasted this bread has ever had a clue that this is a healthy recipe, let alone a bean-based one.
Storage for Vegan Chocolate Chickpea Flour Banana Bread
Store the cooled bread in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 1 day, the refrigerator for 1 week, or the freezer for up to 6 months.
How to Serve This Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
Try the bread:
- For breakfast with morning coffee
- As a healthy snack
- As a sweet treat with coffee or tea
- For a not-too-sweet dessert
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Why is my banana bread dry? The bananas were not ripe enough (which means the bananas were too starchy). The bananas need to be extremely ripe, soft and squishy so that they are almost liquid once mashed.
- Can I make the bread oil-free? Yes. Replace the oil with 3 additional tablespoons of water or mashed banana.
- Can I make the bread into muffins? Yes. Divide the batter among 12 greased or lined muffin cups (in a standard muffin tin). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Can I use a different gluten-free flour instead of chickpea flour? No, I do not recommend substituting the chickpea flour. Chickpea flour acts as both flour and an egg substitute in this recipe. In addition, the ratio of wet to dry ingredients is formulated specifically for chickpea flour, and other gluten-free flours or blends will alter the texture and structure.
- Can I use something other than mashed banana? You may be able to substitute an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce for the ripe bananas. Applesauce is far less sweet, so you may need to add more sweetener, to taste. I have not tested with applesauce.
- Can I use another variety of sweetener? Yes. You can replace the maple syrup with an equal amount of the liquid sweetener of your choice, such as brown rice syrup, agave nectar or date syrup. You can also use honey if you do not follow a vegan diet. You can also use an equal amount of granular sweetener, such as coconut sugar, cane sugar or brown sugar plus 2 tablespoons (30 mL) water.
Related Posts:
- Vegan Almond Flour Banana Bread {5 ingredients, oil-free}
- Healthy Chocolate Banana Oat Cookies {vegan, oil-free, GF}
- Coconut Almond Flour Banana Bread {4 ingredients, vegan, oil-free}
- Chocolate Coconut Flour Cookies {Vegan, Keto Option}
- Chocolate Chickpea Flour Muffins {vegan, grain-free}
Chocolate Chickpea Flour Banana Bread (Vegan, Grain-free)
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups chickpea flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups mashed or pureed VERY ripe bananas, (they should be very liquid)
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil, or oil of choice; see notes for oil-free option
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180C). Line a 9 by 5-inch (22.5×12.5 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two opposing sides. Grease or spray the paper and exposed sides of the pan.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the bananas, maple syrup, oil, water and vanilla until well blended.
- Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips.
- Bake for 43 to 48 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then hold onto the paper overhang to transfer it directly to the rack to cool completely. Peel off the paper, slice and serve.
Very dry!
Hi Kathy,
I’m sorry you got dry results. The banana bread should be very moist with the liquid and dry ingredients. The problem is most likely due to using bananas that were not ripe enough. The bananas are the primary liquid for the recipe, they need to be very soft and squishy (this happens from the starches breaking down in the bananas). If the bananas are more starch than liquid, you will end up with dry batter.
I make the chocolate chickpea flour cake 1 time a week add dried cherries this recipe is amazing and I take as a gift to friends today when is going to some going thru cancer treatment and he wants a treat
Thank you for sharing
What a dear friend you are, Patty ❤️ What a wonderful gift. I’m so glad you love the cake. The addition of dried cherries sounds heavenly. Cheers 🌈
I made this recipe without the oil, replaced 1/2 cup of the flour for clean vanilla protein and two tbsps of ground flax, omitted the sweetener, and added 1/4 cup walnuts and I really like it! It’s certainly not sweet but I love how nutrient dense and nourishing it is. I pair it with some Greek yogurt and peanut butter and it makes for a great breakfast!
Salena, your version sounds crazy delicious, even more so with peanut butter and yogurt (two of my favorite foods) on top. Brilliant!
The chocolate cake was delicious next time I make it I’ll add pecans. I use allot of chickpea flour and using it I. The cake was perfect thank you
I am so glad that you like the cake, Patty–and that you, too, are a chickpea flour fan 🙂
WOW!! Amazzzzzzing!!
I was looking for a low sugar banana bread with chickpea flour, and this recipe did not disappoint!
I didn’t have a 9×5 pan, so I decided to double the recipe for my 9×13. Then I only had two cups of banana, no the 3 it called for lol So I added 1 cup unsweetened applesauce. I baked for 43 minutes and it turned out so beautiful. Light and fluffy, perfectly sweet. I used avocado oil and maple syrup. This recipe is my new favorite for banana bread, and I’ll be keeping the applesauce in there! Thank you so much for a lovely recipe.
Wow, I love that you made this your wn, Sandra, based on what you have on hand (equipment and ingredients). Thanks so much for sharing what you did, that’s so helpful for others (including me! :))
I have made this recipe over and over again. Thank you so much! It also freezes well.
I weigh the bananas for consistency at 375 g.
I have never added chocolate chips but I have added a bit more sweetener using both maple syrup and coconut sugar (see below).
I use a vitamix and so I also add raw walnuts to the wet mix.
In the last few loaves I have begun to add a tablespoon of chia seed to the wet mix which gets full blended in the vitamix.
I have also started adding raisins along with the chopped walnuts and dates which I flour in a couple of tablespoons of the dry mix. The floured additions are only added after the wet and dry ingredients are fully mixed together.
DRY
150 g chickpea flour
50 g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking SODA
1/2 tsp salt (pink salt)
WET
Blend bananas and walnuts together in a high speed blender.
375 g ripe bananas
65 g raw walnuts
ADD the following ingredients to the vitamix container after the initial blending:
3 TB maple syrup
2 TB coconut sugar
2 TB water
1 tsp vanilla
3 TB olive oil
Mix on high speed until fully blended.
Your wet ingredients are now ready.
Prepare the additions below and add as noted above:
65 g chopped raw walnuts
65 g chopped dates
May also add raisins
Add WET to DRY
Cathy, you are a SUPERSTAR, these are phenomenal tips that are going to so useful to so many people (myself included!). Thank you so much for experimenting and sharing!!! ❤️😊
You are too kind! Your recipe is the real winner though. The price of cocoa powder has more than doubled in price at Costco in Canada….how depressing is that?
Thanks Cathy! Ugh, that is so disappointing. Chocolate and chocolate chips have gone through the roof, too. I nearly fainted when I went to buy several cans of pumpkin for recipe testing the other day, too! Sigh. Keep calm, keep baking, and carry on, right ? 🙂
So now the real reason that I visited here. I think that I am going to try this recipe without the cocoa powder. Replacing it by weight with the chickpea flour. I know that you have other recipes for banana bread but I feel very invested in this particular recipe. That would mean 200 g of chickpea flour and 0 g of cocoa. Do you think it might work? Did I mention that a $9.00 bag of cocoa powder first went up to $14.99 and as of this week is $21.99?
Hi Cathy,
I think there is a good chance that it will work! It is definitely worth the experiment.
Those prices for cocoa are astonishing! And so disappointing for such an important kitchen staple. I’ve always considered cocoa powder my frugal “chocolate” option for making baking goods (compared to chocolate/ chocolate chips). I am going to keep my fingers crossed for all of us (and use my voting power) that there will be a correction to some of this craziness.
Just one final and quick update:
I made the recipe using 200 g chickpea flour and zero cocoa powder, I added 50 g of raisins as well as all of the other additions noted earlier and it is deelicious! I think I may even prefer it. Thank you again!
That is wonderful news, Cathy! Thanks so much for sharing, too. I’m going to give your version a try this week (I love raisins)
This is the second chickpea flour recipe I tried from you website and it’s delicious 😉
I made half a batch and baked it in the air fryer on 175°C for 15 minutes in a small, flat tray (about 10x15cm) to make it more like a brownie and less like a bread. I also made it oil free and added apple sauce instead of extra banana or water. I also found about a tablespoon of almond meal in my baking stash that I added in. The result is a moist and not too sweet brownie which I’m going to have with my afternoon cuppa in a min and add to my vegan vanilla ice cream tonight. And for all readers who taste the cake mix before baking, the chickpea flour mix tastes weird but turns out great, give it a try!
I am so glad you are enjoying the chickpea breads, Heidi 😊 Thank you so much for sharing your tips, too (for half batch, oil-free, and the small addition of almond meal–go you!). I’m about ready to invite myself over to share a cup of tea and a piece of the bread, sounds perfect. And thanks for letting people know about the batter–so true, the sweet, uncooked chickpea batter tastes all kinds of wrong, but taste so right once baked.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us ❤️ 💕 💖 💜 ♥️ 💗 ❤️ It’s the only one I can consistently eat and Enjoy, guilt-free!!!
I use a donut hole pan making balls. I leave out the chocolate chips and Sprinkle on 100% bakers chocolate and pampered chef’s “Cinnamon Plus”.
Yum Yum 😋 yum.
Ooh, that sounds wonderful, Liane! I am definitely going to make this in my donut pans, following your lead. So glad you are loving the recipe 🙂
This cake is excellent! The texture is perfect. Everyone loved it. Omitted oil and used some ground flax and extra almond milk. Fantastic recipe!
Renee, that’s fantastic. Thank you so much for sharing that you had success replacing the oil, that’s so generous for you to share your method :). Cheers!
This cake is excellent! Omitted oil and used some ground flax and extra almond milk. The texture is perfect for cake, as good as any chocolate cake we’ve had! Great recipe!!
Hi Camilla, your website is my top favorite one to go to anytime I want to try something new, so thank you for that! My question for you is, can I sub Dutch processed cacao powder instead? And also can I sub molasses to the same amount as listed? XOXO from Kiersten, Germany.
Hi Kiersten! Greeting back from Texas 🙂
Yes, you can definitely use Dutch process cocoa for the unsweetened cocoa powder in the recipe and molasses in place of the maple syrup. My one note about the molasses: here in the states we have something called blackstrap molasses (it is often used for health reasons). It is fairly bitter. If they have something similar in Germany, I would not use it. Instead, use a molasses that has more sweetness than bitterness. Cheers (and thank you so much for the kind compliments!)
This recipe turned out super delicious, with a tender texture and just enough sweetness. I baked mine in an 8×8 glass pan for 30 minutes. Thanks for a great recipe that makes healthy eating fun.
That’s wonderful, Liz! I am so glad it was such a success 🙂
I really like the texture is this loaf, and the chocolate flavour is fantastic. The banana flavour didn’t really come through, however. Perhaps my bananas weren’t quite overripe enough. I will definitely make this loaf again. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
Hi Jennifer! Oh good, I am glad you like the bread! Yes, the ripeness of the bananas makes a big difference in the banana flavor. I wait until mine are scary: a lot of black on the peels, super soft. I then throw them in a bag and defrost when I need them Tip: You can freeze them in their peels! Then defrost the whole bananas and squeeze out the insides (top not drain off any of the liquid). It looks gross (make sure other people leave the room) but it makes for super banana-y baked goods 🙂
Have you tried replacing the banana with applesauce? I recently made (and loved) the chickpea flour applesauce muffins and have leftover applesauce to use up…maybe with this sub, omit the additional water?
I think this would be GREAT with applesauce, Melissa!
Made this today. Really nice texture. Had to use a couple of alternatives. So for the avocado oil I used coconut oil and instead of maple syrup I used agave syrup. Turned out lovely. Took a bit longer to cook though. Maybe another ten minutes.
Wonderful, Kerryn, I am glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your substitutes, too, I know that it is always a boon for other readers.
Hi Camilla! Love your recipes!! I have so many saved already. This I will bake later today and turn part of it into cake pops covered in white chocolate. 😋
A tip for everyone out there, that might be a little hesitant to use chickpea flour in sweet recipes, is to toast the chickpea flour before using it, it reduces the chickpea flavour. (Perhaps you have already mentioned it somewhere.) I carefully toast the whole bag of flour, let it cool until completely cool and pour into a glass jar that I store in the fridge. That way I always have it ready for when I want to bake. 🙂
Another absolutely exceptional recipe by Camilla! An easy, healthy recipe that certainly satisfied my intense chocolate craving and allowed me to use my ripe bananas.
I just tried this and loved it! The loaf is so moist and yummy – the banana flavor is just right! I am definitely doing this on a weekly basis for my morning pre-run fuel. Thank you!
Delicious! Used a mix of dark chocolate and mini chips on top. 😊
Great to hear, Christin!
This is a fabulous recipe! The taste and texture are remarkable I didn’t have chocolate chips on hand so I cut up chunks of a dark chocoloate and almond bar I had. Instead of honey I used 3 tablespoons of ground panela (evaporated can juice). The panela gives a brown sugar/molasses feel when used in bigger amounts. Anyway, It is probably the best bread/cake of this type that I have made with an alternative flour. I normally use green plantain or green banana flour to replace wheat flour in recipes, but lately have not been able to get a hold of it. So, this is great! I will be trying some of your other recipes too!
Congratulations on your blog too!
Thanks a million, Laura–so glad the recipe was a success! 🙂
I added some walnuts on top. Scrumptious recipe Camilla, thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Cathy!