Quick Chocolate Date Bread
This easy Chocolate Date Bread is soft, sticky, and full of sweet dates, warm spices, and melted dark chocolate. Perfectly moist, naturally sweetened, and simple to make, this family-favorite quick bread is ideal for breakfast, snacking, or cozy afternoon tea.
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 369kcal
Equipment
- 1 baking loaf pan
Ingredients
- 30 pitted dates coarsely chopped
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup canola oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon molasses
- 1 ripe banana mashed
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips melted and cooled
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips to stir in the batter right before baking
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 F and line a loaf pan with parchment or non stick baking paper (or you can make them in muffins tins).
- In a small pan, combine dates and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 3 minutes or until dates are soft and liquid has reduced. Lower the heat and stir in baking soda. Stir well once the mixture foams up; set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In another large mixing bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, molasses, banana, and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in the cooled melted chocolate.
- Gently fold in half the flour mixture, then fold in all the date mixture. Gently fold in the remaining flour and the rest of the chocolate chips.
- Transfer batter to baking pan and tilt pan gently from side to side to level batter. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, then lower heat to 325F for the next 30 minutes. Bake for 1 hour or until a fine skewer comes out almost clean from centre of loaf and loaf begins to pull away from the sides of tin.
- Remove from oven let the loaf cool. If you have a cooling rack, place it on that to cool down. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t skip soaking the dates: This is key to achieving a moist, fudgy texture. The hot water softens the dates, making them easier to blend and infuse into the batter.
- Use high-quality cocoa powder: For the best chocolate flavor, choose an unsweetened Dutch-process or natural cocoa powder that’s rich and aromatic.
- Chop dates if they're large: Medjool dates or other larger varieties should be roughly chopped before soaking so they break down more easily in the batter.
- Let the batter rest briefly: After mixing, let the batter sit for 5–10 minutes. This helps the dates fully hydrate and meld with the chocolate flavors.
- Vegan: This cake is vegan baked as it is. Make sure to use vegan sugars, if you are baking it vegan.
- Don’t overbake: Start checking for doneness 5 minutes before the suggested baking time. A toothpick should come out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Optional add-ins: For extra texture, stir in chopped walnuts, pecans, or dark chocolate chunks before baking.
- Even better the next day: The loaf becomes even more flavorful and fudgy after resting overnight—perfect for make-ahead dessert or breakfast!
Nutrition
Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 0.2mg | Sodium: 288mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 1mg