An impressive looking but easy treat: marbled banana bread. Banana bread swirled with chocolate batter and baked for an hour. It’s soft, sweet and delicious. And it’s pretty!
I know I’ve posted a lot of banana recipes: muffins, oatmeal, cake. But bananas are so versatile (and inexpensive). I always buy a bunch of them every week to make smoothies and parfaits and all that jazz -so I usually have a couple leftover.
What you need to make marbled banana bread
Here’s what you need to make this recipe:
- 2 medium mixing bowls – for both our wet and dry ingredients.
- A standard bread loaf pan – around 9″ x 5″
- A whisk
- A rubber spatula – I like to switch to the spatula once I add the dry ingredients to the wet.
- parchment paper – to line the bread pan
- 1 skewer or butter knife to swirl the bread – any kind of stick instrument will do.
Ingredients
Here’s what to add to your grocery list:
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- ground cinnamon
- granulated sugar
- unsalted butter
- eggs
- overripe bananas – mashed, of course.
- plain Greek yogurt – be sure to get some without sugar or other ingredients
- vanilla extract
- dark chocolate – I used some dark chocolate Dove candies
- unsweetened cocoa powder
How to make marbled banana bread
Let’s make it!
Step 1
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and granulated sugar until well incorporated, about 30 seconds.
Step 2
Add both eggs to the bowl and whisk vigorously for at least 30 seconds. The batter should lighten in color and appear smooth and homogenous.
Step 3
Add the bananas and smash any lumps out with your whisk. Add the Greek yogurt, cinnamon and vanilla extract to the bowl and whisk together until well incorporated.
Step 4
Melt your dark chocolate in a bowl in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time until completely smooth. Then add the cocoa powder to the chocolate and stir together with a spoon until combined.
Step 5
Take about 1 cup of the banana bread batter and add it to the chocolate mixture. Stir together until combined.
Step 6
Prepare the bread. Spoon the plain banana bread mixture in large tablespoons in a zigzag pattern, leaving gaps throughout. Then, fill those gaps with the chocolate batter. Repeat the process until you run out.
Step 7
Swirl the batter. Take your knife or skewer and gently stick it through the batter. Swirl it carefully through the bread, and don’t over do it! The more you swirl it, the more the colors will combine into one. Less swirling will create more contrast.
Step 8
Bake! Place the pan in the oven and bake for 55 minutes at 350°F., or until a bread knife comes out clean when inserted. Then let cool completely and slice! Serve with a smear of butter.
What kind of chocolate should I use?
I recommend a standard dark chocolate, but semisweet chocolate would also be tasty. Anything darker than 70% will change the taste slightly and make the batter more stiff.
What is a mashed banana?
Smash your bananas into total goo. I’ve had some people mention that they don’t like banana bread because of the banana chunks – which you shouldn’t have! The banana should become homogenous with the batter.
Why should I be careful not to overmix the batter?
After you add the dry ingredients, use a spatula to just mix the batter enough to combine everything well. Some lumps might remain here and there. If you keep mixing, you might overwork it and make the batter too stiff, which will produce a stiff bread.
Storage Directions
This bread can be left at room temperature for about 4-5 days. I placed the loaf in an airtight container, but you could also leave the bread in the pan and cover it with foil tightly.
Other recipes to try
If you liked this marbled banana bread, try out these other recipes:
Banana Bread Baked Oats for One
Leave a Review for marbled banana bread
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Marbled Banana Bread
Equipment
- 2 medium mixing bowls for wet and dry ingredients
- 1 standard bread loaf pan 9" x 5"
- 1 Whisk
- 1 rubber spatula
- parchment paper to line the bread pan
- 1 skewer or butter knife to swirl the bread
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
- 2 eggs
- 2 large, overripe bananas mashed
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 9 oz melted dark chocolate or 7 dark chocolate Dove candies
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bread pan with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and granulated sugar until well incorporated, about 30 seconds.8 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add both eggs to the bowl and whisk vigorously for at least 30 seconds. The batter should lighten in color and appear smooth and homogenous.2 eggs
- Add the bananas and smash any lumps out with your whisk.2 large, overripe bananas
- Add the Greek yogurt, cinnamon and vanilla extract to the bowl and whisk together until well incorporated.1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- In another mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and use a rubber spatula to mix together until just incorporated. Don't overmix.1¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt
- Melt your dark chocolate in a bowl in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time until completely smooth. Then add the cocoa powder to the chocolate and stir together with a spoon until combined.9 oz melted dark chocolate, 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- Take about 1 cup of the banana bread batter and add it to the chocolate mixture. Stir together until combined.
- Prepare the bread. Spoon the plain banana bread mixture in large tablespoons in a zigzag pattern, leaving gaps throughout. Then, fill those gaps with the chocolate batter. Repeat the process until you run out.
- Take your knife or skewer and gently stick it through the batter. Swirl it carefully through the bread, and don't over do it! The more you swirl it, the more the colors will combine into one. Less swirling will create more contrast.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 55 minutes, or until a bread knife comes out clean when inserted. Let cool completely and slice! Serve with a smear of butter.
