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Chocolate Chip Banana Bars

Chocolate chip banana bars that bake into soft, chewy banana bars with a golden, slightly crinkled top and melted chocolate chips throughout. This banana bars recipe makes an easy sheet cake bar with a toothpick-clean finish and a clean cut only after cooling.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 260
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

banana
  • 3 ripe bananas mashed
butter
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
brown sugar
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar packed
egg
  • 1 large egg
vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking soda
salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1.5 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips divided

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and mix the batter
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking pan or line it with parchment for easy bar release.
  2. Beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.
  3. Stir in the mashed bananas until fully incorporated with no dry streaks.
  4. Fold in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until just combined, keeping the batter thick.
  5. Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips so they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Bake and cool
  1. Spread the batter evenly into the pan, then scatter the remaining chocolate chips across the top so they look studded and glossy.
  2. Bake for 18–22 minutes at 350°F until the bars are golden and a toothpick comes out clean when tested in the center.
  3. Cool completely before cutting into bars so the soft, chewy texture sets and the chocolate chips don’t smear.

Notes

For the best soft, chewy banana bars, mash bananas until smooth but don’t add extra liquid—drier banana keeps the top from browning too fast. Store airtight at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days; freeze bars in a single layer, then bag, for up to 2 months. For a gluten-free option, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend and keep baking time within the 18–22 minute window.