Preheat oven to 350F degrees and line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a small bowl whisk well 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add mashed bananas, 1 stick melted butter (and slightly cooled), ¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, and ½ tablespoon pure vanilla and mix for about 30 seconds with the paddle attachment.
With the mixer set to low, pour in about half of your dry ingredients. Once partially combined, add the remaining dry ingredients. Leave the mixer on low for another 30 seconds or until just combined. Do not overmix.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add in the chocolate chips, folding to combine with a rubber spatula. If desired, reserve 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips for the top.
Pour the batter into your prepared 9x5 loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out moist but not raw.
Cool in loaf pan for 15-20 minutes before moving to wire rack where the bread should rest outside of the pan. Cool until safe to touch before slicing.
Notes
Properly measuring flour is an important step that will help avoid dense, crumbly banana bread. Do not scoop your flour straight from the bag. Instead, mix the flour in the bag with a spoon to aerate it (so you’re not scooping packed in flour), then use the spoon to scoop the flour into your measuring cup. Level it off with the flat end of a butter knife but do NOT pack the flour into the cup or tap it on the counter.
Your bananas can be black, brown, or yellow with brown spots – so long as the banana is nice and ripe your bread will come out tasty. When the banana peel has developed freckles, they are ready for making banana bread. The riper the banana, the stronger the banana flavor in your finished bread. Dark/black bananas are perfectly okay to use.
To freeze, wrap the fully cooled banana bread in plastic wrap, place it in a large ziptop bag, press it down to remove air, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze individual slices by wrapping each slice in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and placing it in a sealed ziptop bag. Thaw uncovered at room temperature for about an hour to an hour and a half and enjoy!
To store, wrap the (fully cooled) loaf in plastic wrap followed by a large ziptop bag (remove as much air as possible) and store it at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also store the bread in an air-tight container.