Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread
Equipment
- 2 Mixing bowls
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Wooden spoon or spatula
- 1 Fork or potato masher
- 1 9x5-inch loaf pan
- 1 small microwave-safe bowl
- 1 Cooling rack
- 1 butter knife or skewer
Ingredients
- 3 medium ripe bananas mashed
- 100 gram unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 150 gram granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 5 milliliter vanilla extract
- 190 gram all-purpose flour
- 5 gram baking soda
- 2 gram fine salt
- 60 milliliter whole milk
- 80 gram dark chocolate chopped or chips
- 10 gram unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth.
- Whisk in the melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and stir gently until just combined.
- Stir in the milk until the batter is smooth and no dry pockets remain, avoiding overmixing.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the dark chocolate in 20–30 second bursts, stirring between each until smooth.
- Transfer about one-third of the banana batter to another bowl and whisk in the melted chocolate and cocoa powder until fully combined.
- Spoon alternating dollops of plain and chocolate batter into the prepared loaf pan to create layers.
- Use a butter knife or skewer to gently swirl the batters together a few times to create a marbled pattern without overmixing.
- Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully lift it out onto a cooling rack and cool for at least another 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
For best results, use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots for deeper flavor and natural sweetness, and avoid overmixing the batter so the bread stays tender rather than dense. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely tent the loaf with foil during the last 10–15 minutes of baking. Letting the bread cool fully before slicing helps it set and gives neater slices, and it actually tastes even better the next day once the flavors meld. You can add a handful of chocolate chips or chopped nuts to either the plain or chocolate batter for extra texture, and store leftovers wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze sliced portions for easy future snacks.
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