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Chocolate Chip Banana Bars

Chocolate chip banana bars with a soft, chewy crumb and chocolate chips melted throughout. A quick sheet-pan banana dessert that bakes until the top is golden and slightly crinkled, then cools completely for clean slices.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 280
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chocolate chip banana bars
  • 3 bananas Ripe bananas, mashed until smooth with a few small lumps ok.
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter Softened to room temperature so it creams smoothly.
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar Packed brown sugar for deeper caramel flavor.
  • 1 egg Large egg, room temperature if possible.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Measure 1 cup for folding into the batter.
  • 0.5 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Remaining chips for scattering on top before baking.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and mix
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking pan or line it with parchment.
  2. Beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 1–2 minutes, then beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
  3. Stir in the mashed bananas until fully incorporated.
  4. Fold in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until just combined, with no dry streaks remaining.
  5. Fold in 1 cup of the semi-sweet chocolate chips so they’re evenly distributed.
Bake
  1. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and scatter the remaining semi-sweet chocolate chips across the top.
  2. Bake for 18–22 minutes at 350°F, until the bars are golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
  3. Cool completely before cutting into bars so the soft center sets and slices hold together.

Notes

For the best chewy texture, use truly ripe bananas (freckled skin) and cool the pan all the way before slicing—warm bars will be softer and crumbly. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freezing: wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Dietary swap: for a dairy-free option, use a 1:1 baking-style plant butter (solid at room temp) instead of unsalted butter.