Makes one 8×4 loaf
This vegan banana bread is not your average loaf. Fresh rosemary and chocolate chips turn a familiar recipe into something mysterious and special…earthy, herbaceous, and just sweet enough. It’s the kind of banana bread that makes people say “wait, what’s in this?” but in a good way, promise.
If you know me, you know that I sneak rosemary into chocolate wherever I go. And when I’m not doing that, I’m sneaking chocolate into rosemary. I rarely make the same banana bread recipe twice because it’s just such a fun recipe to play with. But this one keeps pulling me back. It’s mysterious and special but also very familiar and comforting. Works just as well for high tea as it does for morning coffee or midnight snack. And yes, I have high tea now.
The batter comes together fast as most banana bread should: mashed bananas, olive oil, a little sugar, and a generous amount of finely chopped fresh rosemary folded in with the chocolate chips. You can decorate the top with a split banana and a few rosemary sprigs if you’re feeling fancy, which I always am.
VEGAN ROSEMARY BANANA BREAD FAQ
Does it actually taste like rosemary? Yes, and that’s the point. It’s not subtle; you get that piney, earthy flavor in every bite, and it plays off the chocolate and banana beautifully. If you’re nervous, start with 1 tablespoon of rosemary instead of 2 and work your way up.
Can I use dried rosemary? Fresh is necessary, the dried stuff will taste medicinal and weird.
What kind of chocolate chips should I use? Any vegan chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate will work. Semi-sweet is classic.
My banana bread is gooey in the middle. What happened? This is a moist bread and the chocolate chips and banana on top can make it tricky to test for doneness. A few tips: make sure your oven is fully preheated, don’t open the door during baking, and if it looks underdone after 55 minutes, turn the heat down to 325 and give it another 10 to 15 minutes. A toothpick won’t be totally clean because of the chips, so look for the bread pulling away from the sides of the pan.
Can I make this gluten free? Yes! Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour works well as a direct substitute here. I usually a tablespoon or two extra gf flour to be on the safe side.
Can I use a different flour? Spelt flour works great. Whole wheat pastry flour would also be fine. I wouldn’t use all whole wheat, it’ll be too dense.
Can I leave out the rosemary and just make chocolate chip banana bread? I mean…you can. But then you’re just making chocolate chip banana bread and you can get that anywhere. The rosemary is the whole point!
Can I add nuts? Walnuts are a natural fit here. Add about ½ cup, roughly chopped, folded in with the chocolate chips.
How do I store this? Wrap tightly in plastic or keep in an airtight container at room temperature. It actually gets more moist and better on day two. It keeps for about 4 days at room temp or you can freeze slices for up to a month.
Can I make this in a different pan? A 9×9 square pan works — just reduce baking time to about 40 minutes. Muffin tins would also work, around 22 to 25 minutes.
Rosemary Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup very ripe banana mashed, about 3 average sized
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup vegan milk unsweetened
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons rosemary finely chopped
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
To decorate:
- Banana sliced lengthwise as best you can
- Sprigs of fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Mash the banana in a large mixing bowl until relatively smooth. It should take 3 average sized ones, but spoon the mashed ‘nanas into a measuring cup to make sure, then return to the mixing bowl. Beat in the sugar, olive oil, milk, vanilla and rosemary.
- Sift in the half the flour, and all the baking soda and salt and gently mix. Fold in the chocolate chips. Add the remaining flour and mix to incorporate, making sure not to overmix.
- Lightly grease an 8×4 loaf pan. Pour the batter into the pan. If you’d like to decorate, place the banana cut sides up lenthwise over the batter. Scatter a few springs of rosemary over the top.
- Bake for 55 minutes. It should be lightly browned and pulling away from the sides. The chocolate chips and banana topping can make it look underdone when you test it, so go by the sides pulling away from the pan and the top being lightly golden."
This is the best banana bread I have ever made. The smell is out of this world. I made it in a 9×9 pan because my loaf pan was chipping. The cooking time was about 40 minutes.
Isa, I want to make this with spelt flour, is that ok?
yes!
I just made this and it is wonderful!!!!! Thanks Isa.
Hi Isa, I need to make this gluten free. Do you have a preferred gf flour blend/brand that you can recommend? This is the banana bread I’ve been waiting for my entire life!
Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour generally works perfectly.
Made this this week. Really love the chocolate and rosemary combination here!
I’ve been working on getting this recipe right for about 3 months. I’ve finally figured it out. Increase the flour to 2 cups. Increase the baking soda to just shy of 1 tsp, and reduce the nut milk to just shy of 1 cup. Bake for 2 full hours. No more gooey middle!
ARE YOU AT ALTITUDE? IF SO, WHAT ELEVATION?
Delicious! I made the recipe with white chocolate chips and tarragon. Used a mini waffle iron to make it waffley
Hi! Thanks for this wonderful banana bread. Can I use another flours?
Thanks a lot
I have made this bread three times and served it to others. I’ve usually had to bake it a little longer but ultimately its a success.
Really loved the flavor combination of rosemary and banana. I decided to steep 2 tsp of dried rosemary in soy milk and filter before using in the recipe. I think next time I could increase to 1 T! I also didn’t have chocolate chips, so substituted walnuts. Maybe next time I would experiment with adding flax egg or mixing in different flours. Great recipe and I’m inspired to keep experimenting!
My kids and I live by a simple food rule – always trust Isa. So when you tell me to put rosemary in my chocolate banana bread – I’ll do it. It was completely yummy.