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I dream of the Gideon’s Bakehouse Banana Bread Chocolate Chip cookie. It’s worth a multi-hour virtual queue; it was the last stop I made on my last road trip from Florida to New York. Even though the treat is so popular it earned a spot on the store’s permanent menu, I’m rarely near Orlando to try it.

While my attempts at recreating the famed cookie haven’t been up to par (yet), I have come up with a dense, almost fudgy, chocolate-chip-covered banana bread that feels totally in line with the treat itself, especially when topped with a smattering of crumbled banana chips and a little sea salt.

gideon's bakehouse-inspired chocolate chip banana bread baking in oven
Photos: Candace Braun Davison

You may be wondering…

What Makes This Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Gideon’s-Inspired?

It’s not just that the top is covered with an insane amount of chocolate chips. It’s the balance of flavors, the chewy exterior and the soft, almost gooey core. Like the famous Gideon’s cookie, the banana bread combines dark and semisweet chocolate chips, a hearty dose of vanilla and very ripe bananas. To take it to the next level, crush walnuts and banana chips on top, and garnish with a little sea salt. (My family doesn’t love the crunch of the nuts and chips, so we typically omit it, but I enjoy it.)

chocolate chip banana bread next to cup of coffee, inspired by gideon's bakehouse
Shown without the crushed chip and walnut portion of the topping, but seriously, try it.

What Does It Taste Like?

This dessert is rich more so than sweet. Decadent over sugary. There are multiple chocolate chips in every bite, which melt and turn into ribbons of cocoa. You still get great banana flavor, and the salt helps balance things out.

gideon's inspired chocolate chip banana bread fresh out of the oven
the chocolate chip banana bread cools on the oven
chocolate chip banana bread next to cup of coffee, inspired by gideon's bakehouse

GIdeon’s Bakehouse-Inspired Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Inspired by the famous Banana Bread Chocolate Chip cookie from Gideon's Bakehouse, this decadent bread will leave everyone begging for the recipe
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 slices

Equipment

  • 1 mixing bowl
  • 1 hand or stand mixer
  • 1 9"x5" loaf pan
  • 1 silicone spatula
  • measuring cups
  • Oven
  • oven mitts

Ingredients
  

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3 medium bananas, very ripe
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Chocolate Chip-Banana Chip Topping

  • 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup crushed banana chips
  • 1/4 cup crushed walnuts
  • flaky sea salt, for garnish (optional)

Instructions
 

Make the Banana Bread:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9"x5" loaf pan and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  • Add eggs and vanilla, beating until included. Mix in banana until only small lumps remain, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Add flour, baking soda and salt, mixing on the lowest setting until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into loaf pan.

Make the Crumble Topping:

  • In a small bowl, combine remaining dark chocolate chips, crushed banana chips and walnut pieces. Sprinkle liberally atop banana bread batter.
  • Bake banana bread for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out gooey with chocolate, not batter. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Keyword banana bread