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This Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread is a super moist banana bread with swirls of chocolate, simple to make, and it’s a decadent treat that’s great for breakfast, dessert, or a snack.
Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe
You all know I love a good banana bread but this marbled chocolate banana bread has got to be my favorite because chocolate and bananas are such a classic and delicious combo. I love it for breakfast with my cup of coffee, or I love it as a snack when I want to treat myself.
Before You Begin
- Use Ripe Bananas: The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be. Look for bananas with plenty of brown spots.
- Measure Ingredients Accurately: Baking is a science, so make sure to measure your ingredients accurately. Use the spoon-and-level method for the flour to avoid packing it too tightly.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring your butter and eggs to room temperature before mixing. This helps them incorporate better, creating a smoother batter.
- Don’t Overmix: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until combined. Overmixing can result in a denser, tougher bread.
- Melt Chocolate Carefully: Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between, to prevent burning. A smooth chocolate mix will create beautiful swirls.
- Check for Doneness: Insert a toothpick into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, the bread is done. Every oven is different, so keep an eye on it as it bakes.
- Cool Completely: Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. This helps the bread set and makes it easier to slice.
- Experiment with Add-ins: Feel free to add nuts, chocolate chips, or even a swirl of peanut butter to customize your banana bread.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All-Purpose Flour: This provides the structure for our banana bread. All-purpose flour works great, but you can also experiment with different types of flour for various textures and flavors.
- Baking Soda: Helps the bread rise, making it light and fluffy.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors and balances the sweetness. Without salt, our bread would taste bland.
- Granulated Sugar: Adding sweetness and contributing to the tender crumb, sugar is essential in banana bread. You can use white, brown, or a mix of both for different levels of sweetness and a hint of molasses flavor.
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture to the bread. Use softened butter for easy mixing.
- Eggs: Provide structure and stability to the batter, helping it rise and set properly.
- Sour Cream: I like to add this to my banana bread because it adds moisture to the batter, resulting in a moist and tender loaf. It also helps to tenderize the gluten in the flour, resulting in a more tender crumb. Additionally, sour cream adds a subtle tangy flavor that complements the sweetness of the banana and other ingredients.
- Ripe Bananas: The star of the show, ripe bananas provide natural sweetness, moisture, and that unmistakable banana flavor. When bananas turn brown and spotty, their sugars concentrate, making them perfect for baking. Pro tip: the riper, the better!
- Semisweet Chocolate Chips: Melt and swirl into the batter for a rich chocolate flavor. You can use dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips based on your preference.
Set your oven to 350°F (180°C) and let it preheat. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or grease it with butter. Tip: Greasing the pan helps the bread release easily after baking.
In a medium bowl, add 2 cups of all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon of baking soda, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix them together and set aside. Tip: Mixing the dry ingredients separately helps distribute the leavening agent evenly.
In a large bowl, add 1 cup of granulated sugar and ⅓ cup of softened butter. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well incorporated. Add 2 eggs and ⅓ cup of sour cream, and continue to beat until blended. Stir in 3 mashed ripe bananas. Tip: Make sure your bananas are well-mashed to evenly incorporate their sweetness and moisture.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Beat at low speed just until moist. Tip: Avoid overmixing to keep the bread light and fluffy.
Place ½ cup of semisweet chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at high for 1 minute or until almost melted. Stir until the chocolate is smooth. Add 1 cup of the banana batter to the melted chocolate and stir until well combined. Tip: Melt chocolate in short bursts to prevent burning.
Spoon the plain banana batter first into the greased pan, then add the chocolate batter. Swirl the batters together with a knife to create a marbled effect. Tip: Be gentle with the swirling to maintain distinct chocolate and banana layers.
Bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Tip: Start checking at the 1-hour mark to avoid overbaking.
Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and continue cooling on a wire rack. Slice and serve. Tip: Letting the bread cool completely helps it set and makes slicing easier.
How To Quickly Ripen Bananas
There are two great methods that you can use if your bananas just aren’t quite ready. You can:
- Place the bananas on a baking sheet and bake them at 250°F for 10-20 minutes.This will depend on how ripe your bananas are to start out with. Keep an eye on them and add time as you see fit.
- If you are okay with waiting an extra day, place your bananas in a paper bag and fold the top to seal off the outside air. This leaves them in a bag full of their own ethylene, which is what causes them to ripen. Adding an apple, fig, or pear to the bag will help them ripen up a bit more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen bananas for this recipe?
Yes, you can use frozen bananas. Just thaw them completely and drain any excess liquid before mashing and adding to the batter. Frozen bananas often become more liquidy when thawed, which can affect the consistency of your batter if not properly drained.
What can I substitute for sour cream?
You can substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream in this recipe. It provides a similar tangy flavor and moisture. Use plain Greek yogurt to avoid adding extra sweetness or flavor.
How can I tell if the banana bread is done baking?
Insert a toothpick into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, the bread is done. Start checking for doneness at the 1-hour mark to avoid overbaking, which can make the bread dry.
How do I store leftover Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread?
Store leftover banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To keep the bread moist, you can also wrap it tightly in plastic wrap before placing it in the container.
Can I freeze Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread?
Absolutely! Wrap the cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Slice the bread before freezing so you can easily thaw individual slices.
How do I thaw frozen banana bread?
To thaw, remove the bread from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for a few hours. For quicker thawing, you can microwave individual slices for about 20-30 seconds. Tip: If you want a warm slice, you can also toast it lightly in the oven after thawing.
More Delicious Banana Recipes
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Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread
Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread is a super moist banana bread with swirls of rich chocolate throughout. It’s easy to make and perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a snack. Enjoy this decadent treat any time of day!
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Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or grease it with butter.
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In a medium bowl add the flour, baking soda, salt and mix together; Set aside.
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In another large bowl, add sugar and butter and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well incorporated. Add eggs, and sour cream; beat until blended then stir in mashed bananas.
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Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.
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Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at high for 1 minute or until almost melted. A minute was enough for me, stir until the chocolate is smooth.
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Add 1 cup of the batter to the chocolate and stir so that it’s well combined.
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Spoon the white batter first in the greased pan, then the chocolate batter, and swirl batters together with a knife. Or first spoon a layer of white batter, then a layer of chocolate batter, then white batter, then chocolate and if there’s any white batter add it on top.
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Bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until an inserted toothpick in the middle of the bread comes out clean.
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Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove from pan and continue cooling on a wire rack. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Ugly brown bananas make the best banana bread. However, make sure you don’t use fermented bananas, or those where the peel is split.
- Avoid overmixing the batter to keep the bread light and fluffy.
- Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean or with a few crumbs.
- Let the bread cool completely before slicing.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 272kcal (14%)Carbohydrates: 45g (15%)Protein: 4g (8%)Fat: 9g (14%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 46mg (15%)Sodium: 184mg (8%)Potassium: 148mg (4%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 25g (28%)Vitamin A: 273IU (5%)Vitamin C: 3mg (4%)Calcium: 26mg (3%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Recipe originally shared Sept 2012.
