“OMG, what do we have here?” my friend Jenn exclaimed when she dropped by for coffee. “Is this something you make all the time? It looks incredible!” The truth is, I don’t make it often. I actually prefer my banana bread classic—no chocolate, just pure banana goodness. But as a food blogger, I have to step outside my comfort zone and try all kinds of variations. And this decadent banana bread, loaded with triple chocolate and topped with salted pistachios and chocolate ganache, is certainly worth it!
What I love most about this loaf is how stunning it looks. Yes, the taste is great too—think rich banana flavor mingling with milk and white chocolate, a hint of cinnamon, and a sprinkle of salty pistachios. But visually, it’s a showstopper! The bread is dense yet moist, with a beautiful crumb structure that really stands out.
For this recipe, we’re using the reverse creaming method, a technique often favored by pastry chefs when making cakes and quick breads. Why? It results in a finer, velvety crumb and a more controlled rise, minimizing doming and creating a loaf that’s not only delicious but also structurally appealing. Each flour granule gets well-coated, reducing gluten formation, which leads to a softer, more tender texture.
A Note on Eggs: Room Temperature vs. Cold 🥚
Now, let’s address a bit of baking controversy. You’ve probably read that baking always requires room temperature eggs, right? Well, not for every recipe! Through my own testing, I’ve found that cold eggs are actually beneficial for certain baked goods—like cheesecakes, brownies, cookies, and even quick breads like this one. Cold eggs prevent too much air from being incorporated, which helps achieve a denser, moister texture and reduces doming and cracking. On the other hand, cakes like sponges, mousses, and yeasted doughs definitely benefit from room temperature eggs, as they need that extra airiness.
An Unexpected Revelation
After sharing some leftovers of this banana bread with Jenn, I received a surprising phone call the next day. “Ellen, you have to taste the bread again—it’s even better!” she insisted. And she was right. After chilling overnight in the fridge, the flavors had melded together beautifully, creating a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture that was almost buttery. It’s now officially been added to my list of most popular recipes!
Take a look at these photos—there are no filters or adjustments, just the natural beauty of this incredible bread. And if you give this recipe a try, you’ll see exactly what I mean. Happy baking! 🍌✨
Let’s get cooking.
NOTE: I look at this bread as more of a cross between a quick-bread and cake. For this reason, I’m not making it too sweet. There can be some merit in increasing the brown sugar by 2 more TBSP to take this even more into the cake territory. Feel free to increase the amount of chocolate chips as well by another 2-3 TBSP, if desired, but I was happy with the amount as written in the recipe.
Mix of chocolate that goes into the batter makes a huge difference. Try to use some chocolate chips (they are so gooey,) some chopped semi-sweet chocolate and definitely some chopped white chocolate for another interesting flavour layer.
Adjust the oven rack to the lower third of the oven (not the lowest) and preheat the oven to 350.
Line your 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper with the sides of it overhanging, for easier removal.
Mash bananas with a fork, stir in sour cream, eggs and vanilla into it and whisk until well combined.
Combine the first 8 ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer (flour, butter and everything in between.) I recommend mixing flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a small bowl then sifting it into the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on low for just a minute or two until coarse crumbs (similar to the process of making a pie dough.) Gently scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl with a rubber spatula.
Add your banana mixture and mix on low for as little as possible, until all of the flour is incorporated (just around a minute.) Be sure to stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Fold in chocolate chips gently with a rubber spatula at this time.
Pour your batter into 9x5 parchment lined loaf pan. Run a wet butter knife across the wet batter in the middle of the loaf for better more professional presentation. Sprinkle pistachios over the top of the loaf.
Bake in preheated oven for 48-52 minutes until the bread passes a toothpick test with a toothpick test (insert a toothpick in the middle of the bread and it should come out with a few moist crumbs, and not wet batter.) The internal temperature of the bread should be 204-206F (not much higher or it will be dry.) For me, 49 minutes or just under seemed to be perfect.
Let cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool completely on racks. Enjoy.
For the ganache, heat cream on medium heat until hot and bubbles form on the edges. Add chocolate and allow to sit for a minute. Then stir with a rubber spatula into creamy ganache. Drizzle over cooled bread (or still slightly warm bread.) Sprinkle pistachios on top of the ganache.
My preference is to serve this bread after refrigeration. I find the texture improves when this bread is cold.
Chocolate chips are great in this recipe as they are so gooey. But using some chopped chocolate will really do wonders, as all of those little bits will melt into the batter taking it to the whole new level. Do your absolutely best to use some chocolate chips, some semi-sweet chopped chocolate and some chopped white chocolate. If you want, feel free to increase the amount of chocolate by 2-3 TBSP.
Ingredients
Directions
Adjust the oven rack to the lower third of the oven (not the lowest) and preheat the oven to 350.
Line your 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper with the sides of it overhanging, for easier removal.
Mash bananas with a fork, stir in sour cream, eggs and vanilla into it and whisk until well combined.
Combine the first 8 ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer (flour, butter and everything in between.) I recommend mixing flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a small bowl then sifting it into the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on low for just a minute or two until coarse crumbs (similar to the process of making a pie dough.) Gently scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl with a rubber spatula.
Add your banana mixture and mix on low for as little as possible, until all of the flour is incorporated (just around a minute.) Be sure to stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Fold in chocolate chips gently with a rubber spatula at this time.
Pour your batter into 9x5 parchment lined loaf pan. Run a wet butter knife across the wet batter in the middle of the loaf for better more professional presentation. Sprinkle pistachios over the top of the loaf.
Bake in preheated oven for 48-52 minutes until the bread passes a toothpick test with a toothpick test (insert a toothpick in the middle of the bread and it should come out with a few moist crumbs, and not wet batter.) The internal temperature of the bread should be 204-206F (not much higher or it will be dry.) For me, 49 minutes or just under seemed to be perfect.
Let cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool completely on racks. Enjoy.
For the ganache, heat cream on medium heat until hot and bubbles form on the edges. Add chocolate and allow to sit for a minute. Then stir with a rubber spatula into creamy ganache. Drizzle over cooled bread (or still slightly warm bread.) Sprinkle pistachios on top of the ganache.
My preference is to serve this bread after refrigeration. I find the texture improves when this bread is cold.
Chocolate chips are great in this recipe as they are so gooey. But using some chopped chocolate will really do wonders, as all of those little bits will melt into the batter taking it to the whole new level. Do your absolutely best to use some chocolate chips, some semi-sweet chopped chocolate and some chopped white chocolate. If you want, feel free to increase the amount of chocolate by 2-3 TBSP.
Notes
