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Chunky Monkey Banana Bread
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chunky monkey

Shared by TopBanana on Oct 19, 2026

Adapted from a recipe by: Adrianna from A Cozy Kitchen

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Chunky Monkey Banana Bread

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Difficulty
Simple
Serves
12
Ready in
2hr 20mins

This Chunky Monkey Banana Bread is everything you want in a loaf: soft, moist, and packed with toasted walnuts and melty chocolate chips. And because more chocolate is never a bad idea, it gets a layer of fluffy chocolate cream cheese frosting on top. It's dessert pretending to be breakfast.

Equipment

  1. 8×4 Loaf Pan (opens in a new window)
  2. Parchment Paper (opens in a new window)
  3. Electric Hand Mixer (opens in a new window)

Steps

Banana Bread

  1. Brown the butter and toast the walnuts. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it starts to bubble and foam, add the walnuts and cook for about 2 minutes, until they smell toasty. Stir often with a silicone spatula and keep scraping the bottom of the pan so nothing burns and everything browns evenly.

  2. Take the pan off the heat and pour the butter and walnuts straight into a large bowl. Stir in the oil and let it cool for 5 minutes.

  3. While it cools, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8x4 or 9x5-inch loaf pan, then lay a strip of parchment down the middle so the ends hang over the long sides. You'll use these as handles to lift the loaf out later. This is also a good time to mash your bananas.

  4. Add the mashed banana, sugar, vanilla, and eggs to the butter mixture and whisk until combined. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour and gently fold it in with a large spatula, stopping as soon as the batter comes together so you don't overmix. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.

  5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 65 to 75 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.

  6. Let the loaf sit in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift it out by the parchment and set it on a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting

  1. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the butter and beat for about 15 seconds more, until smooth.

  2. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, heavy cream, and coconut extract (if you're using it). Beat for a full 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

  3. Once the bread has cooled, spoon the frosting on top and swirl it around with the back of a spoon. Finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, then slice and serve.

Notes

Go easy on the mixing. Once the flour goes in, stir just until it disappears. A few streaks left behind are fine and help keep the bread tender.

Let it cool all the way. If the loaf is even a little warm, the cream cheese frosting will melt and slide right off.

Use really ripe bananas. The more brown spots, the better. Overripe bananas are sweeter, more flavorful, and make a moister loaf.

Try pecans instead. Not a walnut fan? Pecans work just as well and have a softer, more buttery flavor.

Beat the cream cheese first. Whipping it on its own before adding anything else gets rid of lumps and gives you a smoother, fluffier frosting.