Introduction

Hey there, friend! Let’s talk about banana bread. Is there anything more comforting? That sweet, warm smell filling your kitchen is pure magic. It’s one of those recipes that just feels like home, conjuring up memories of cozy afternoons and simple pleasures.

Now, we all have our favorite banana bread recipe, right? Maybe it’s Grandma’s classic or a simple standby. But sometimes, you just need a little twist! And that’s exactly what we’re doing today. We’re taking that beloved, super moist banana bread and adding a pop of bright cherry flavor and a scattering of melty chocolate chips. Seriously, get ready for your new obsession. This Cherry Banana Bread is unbelievably easy, comes together in a flash, and tastes absolutely divine. It’s the perfect way to use up those spotty bananas and feel like a baking pro!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This isn’t just any banana bread. Here’s why this version is going to become a staple in your kitchen:

Fast: Quick prep, quick baking time for a loaf!
Easy: No fancy techniques here, just simple mixing.
Giftable: Wrap up a loaf or slices – it makes the perfect homemade gift!
Crowd-Pleasing: Who can resist moist banana bread with cherries and chocolate?
Flavor Bomb: The combination of banana, cherry, almond, and chocolate is out of this world.

Ingredients

Gather your goodies! Here’s what you’ll need to whip up this incredible Cherry Banana Bread:

For the Bread

16 ounce jar maraschino cherries: Don’t drain these yet! We’ll use some of that gorgeous juice later. Make sure you get the kind with stems or without, whichever you prefer (you’ll be chopping them anyway!).
½ cup unsalted butter, softened: Leave it out on the counter for a bit or give it a quick zap in the microwave until it’s soft enough to easily press with your finger.
1 cup granulated sugar: Just your standard white sugar helps keep things sweet and moist.
1 teaspoon almond extract: This is my secret ingredient! It pairs beautifully with the cherries and bananas. Don’t skip it if you can help it!
2 large eggs: Room temperature is best for emulsifying into the batter, but straight from the fridge works too in a pinch.
1 cup smashed banana (usually 2 medium): The spotty-er, the better! Those brown spots mean sweetness and flavor. Mash them well with a fork.
½ cup Greek yogurt: This adds amazing moisture and a slight tang that balances the sweetness. Full-fat or low-fat is fine.
1 ½ cups all purpose flour + 2 teaspoons: We’ll use that extra couple of teaspoons for coating the cherries and chocolate chips – a little trick to prevent them from sinking!
1 teaspoon baking soda: Our leavening agent to help the bread rise beautifully. Make sure it’s fresh!
½ teaspoon table salt: Just a little bit enhances all the other flavors.
1 cup miniature chocolate chips: Mini chips distribute nicely throughout the loaf, so you get chocolate in every bite. But regular semi-sweet chips work too!

For the Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar: Also called confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar. Sift it if it’s clumpy!
2 Tablespoons cherry juice + 1 teaspoon: Remember that jar of cherries? That’s where we get this! Start with 2 Tablespoons and add the extra teaspoon only if needed to get the right drizzling consistency.

How to Make It

Alright, let’s get baking! Follow these simple steps, and you’ll have a glorious loaf of Cherry Banana Bread in no time.

First things first, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan. If you’re using a darker pan, you might want to reduce the temperature slightly (by about 25 degrees) to prevent over-browning.
Time to drain those cherries! Pour the jar of maraschino cherries into a sieve set over a bowl. Let them drain really well. Reserve that beautiful cherry juice – we’ll need it for the glaze! Give the cherries a rough chop.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside.
Grab a small bowl and toss the chopped maraschino cherries and miniature chocolate chips with the remaining 2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour. This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of your loaf while baking.
In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. You can use an electric mixer or a whisk and some elbow grease!
Beat in the almond extract until combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Now, stir in the mashed banana and Greek yogurt until everything is combined and looks lovely and creamy.
Gradually add the dry ingredients (flour mixture) to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed or stir gently with a spatula just until combined. Be careful not to overmix – a few streaks of flour are okay! Overmixing can lead to a tough bread.
Gently fold in the floured cherries and chocolate chips. Stir just until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly.
Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts browning too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil after about 40-45 minutes.
Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before carefully transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. This cooling time in the pan helps it hold its shape.
While the bread cools, let’s make that gorgeous glaze! In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoons of the reserved cherry juice until smooth. If it’s too thick to drizzle easily, add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cherry juice, a tiny bit at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
Once the bread is completely cool, drizzle the glaze generously over the top. Let the glaze set for a bit before slicing and serving.
Slice and enjoy! This bread is amazing slightly warm or at room temperature.

Substitutions & Additions

Want to play around with the recipe? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Nuts: Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans along with the cherries and chocolate chips for some crunch.
Different Fruit: Not a fan of maraschinos? You could try dried cherries (rehydrated slightly if they seem very dry) or even chopped fresh cranberries when they’re in season.
Chocolate Type: Use milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or even dark chocolate chunks instead of mini semi-sweet chips.
Extract Swap: No almond extract? Vanilla extract works beautifully too! Use 1 teaspoon of vanilla instead.
Glaze Variations: You could make a simple vanilla glaze using powdered sugar and milk or vanilla extract, or even a cream cheese glaze!
Skip the Glaze: If you prefer a less sweet bread, you can absolutely skip the glaze altogether. It’s still delicious!

Tips for Success

Want to make sure your Cherry Banana Bread turns out perfect every time? Keep these tips in mind:

Ripe Bananas are Key: Seriously, don’t use yellow bananas! You want them well-speckled with brown, almost black. This is where the natural sweetness and intense banana flavor come from.
Don’t Overmix: Once you add the flour mixture, mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing develops gluten and can result in a tough, dry bread.
Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon your flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge. Don’t scoop directly from the bag, which can compact the flour and lead to using too much.
Check for Doneness: A skewer or toothpick is your friend! If it comes out with wet batter, it needs more time. A few moist crumbs are fine.
Cool Completely Before Glazing: If you try to glaze warm bread, the glaze will just melt and run off. Be patient!
Prevent Sinking: Tossing the cherries and chocolate chips in a little flour before adding them to the batter really does help them stay suspended throughout the loaf instead of pooling at the bottom.

How to Store It

If you happen to have any leftovers (it’s unlikely, but let’s just pretend!), here’s how to keep your Cherry Banana Bread fresh:

At Room Temperature: Store the cooled, glazed bread in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
In the Refrigerator: For longer storage, you can keep it in the fridge for up to a week. Make sure it’s well-wrapped as the fridge can dry things out.
Freezing: This bread freezes beautifully! Let the loaf cool completely (and skip the glaze for freezing). Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then again in aluminum foil or place it in a freezer bag. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before glazing (if desired) and serving. You can also freeze individual slices!

FAQs

Got questions? I’ve got answers!

Can I use fresh cherries instead of maraschino cherries?

Fresh cherries are delicious, but they won’t give you that distinct bright red color or the sweet, slightly artificial flavor profile that works so well with the other ingredients here. You’d also need to pit and chop them, and you wouldn’t have that cherry juice for the glaze. So, while you could experiment, for this specific recipe, maraschino cherries are recommended.

My bananas aren’t very ripe, can I still make this?

You can, but the flavor won’t be as intensely banana-y or sweet, and the texture might be slightly different. Really ripe, spotty bananas are key for the best banana bread!

Can I turn this into muffins?

Absolutely! Spoon the batter into lined muffin cups, filling about two-thirds full. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. You’ll probably get 12-18 muffins. You can glaze them once cooled!

What if I don’t have Greek yogurt?

You can substitute the Greek yogurt with an equal amount of sour cream or even applesauce for moisture. The texture and slight tang might be a little different, but it will still work.

Seriously Addictive Cherry Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Take classic super moist banana bread and add a pop of bright cherry flavor and melty chocolate chips. This easy recipe comes together in a flash and tastes absolutely divine, perfect for using up spotty bananas.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 1

Equipment

sieve
bowl medium, small, and large
Electric mixer optional, or whisk
Whisk
Spatula
Loaf pan 9x5-inch, greased and floured
Wooden skewer or toothpick for checking doneness
Wire rack for cooling
aluminum foil optional, for tenting

Ingredients

For the Bread

16 ounce jar maraschino cherries Don't drain yet; reserve juice for glaze. You'll be chopping them.
0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract Pairs beautifully with cherries and bananas. Can substitute vanilla.
2 large eggs Room temperature is best.
1 cup smashed banana usually 2 medium, spotty-er the better, mash well with a fork
0.5 cup Greek yogurt Adds moisture and tang. Full-fat or low-fat is fine. Can substitute sour cream or applesauce.
1.5 cup all purpose flour for the batter
2 teaspoon all purpose flour for coating cherries and chocolate chips
1 teaspoon baking soda Make sure it's fresh.
0.5 teaspoon table salt
1 cup miniature chocolate chips Mini chips distribute nicely, but regular semi-sweet chips work too. Can use other chocolate types.

For the Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar Confectioners' sugar or icing sugar. Sift if clumpy.
2 Tablespoon cherry juice Reserved from draining maraschino cherries. Start with 2 Tbsp.
1 teaspoon cherry juice Reserved from draining maraschino cherries. Add only if needed for consistency.

Instructions

First things first, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan. If you're using a darker pan, you might want to reduce the temperature slightly (by about 25 degrees) to prevent over-browning.
Time to drain those cherries! Pour the jar of maraschino cherries into a sieve set over a bowl. Let them drain really well. Reserve that beautiful cherry juice – we'll need it for the glaze! Give the cherries a rough chop.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside.
Grab a small bowl and toss the chopped maraschino cherries and miniature chocolate chips with the remaining 2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour. This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of your loaf while baking.
In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. You can use an electric mixer or a whisk and some elbow grease!
Beat in the almond extract until combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Now, stir in the mashed banana and Greek yogurt until everything is combined and looks lovely and creamy.
Gradually add the dry ingredients (flour mixture) to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed or stir gently with a spatula just until combined. Be careful not to overmix – a few streaks of flour are okay! Overmixing can lead to a tough bread.
Gently fold in the floured cherries and chocolate chips. Stir just until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly.
Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts browning too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil after about 40-45 minutes.
Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before carefully transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. This cooling time in the pan helps it hold its shape.
While the bread cools, let's make that gorgeous glaze! In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoons of the reserved cherry juice until smooth. If it's too thick to drizzle easily, add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cherry juice, a tiny bit at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
Once the bread is completely cool, drizzle the glaze generously over the top. Let the glaze set for a bit before slicing and serving.
Slice and enjoy! This bread is amazing slightly warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Substitutions & Additions:
- Nuts: Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans along with the cherries and chocolate chips.
- Different Fruit: You could try dried cherries (rehydrated) or chopped fresh cranberries instead of maraschinos.
- Chocolate Type: Use milk, white, or dark chocolate chips/chunks.
- Extract Swap: Use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead of almond extract.
- Glaze Variations: Try a simple vanilla glaze (powdered sugar and milk/vanilla extract) or a cream cheese glaze. You can also skip the glaze.

Tips for Success:
- Use ripe, spotty bananas for best flavor and sweetness.
- Don't overmix the batter after adding flour to avoid tough bread.
- Measure flour correctly by spooning it into the cup and leveling.
- Use a skewer or toothpick to check doneness (should come out with few moist crumbs).
- Cool the bread completely before glazing.
- Tossing cherries and chips in flour helps prevent them from sinking.

Storage:
- Room Temperature: Store cooled, glazed bread airtight or wrapped tightly for up to 2-3 days.
- Refrigerator: Keep well-wrapped in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freezing: Cool completely (skip glaze if freezing). Wrap tightly in plastic wrap then foil, or place in a freezer bag. Keeps up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp before glazing and serving. Can also freeze individual slices.

FAQs:
- Fresh cherries are not recommended for this specific recipe due to color/flavor profile and lack of juice for glaze; maraschino cherries are key.
- Unripe bananas can be used but will result in less intense banana flavor and sweetness.
- This recipe can be made into muffins (bake at 375°F/190°C for 20-25 mins).
- Greek yogurt can be substituted with equal amounts of sour cream or applesauce for moisture.