Marbled Banana Bread
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With a gorgeous ribbon of chocolate running through it, this marbled banana bread is as impressive as it is delicious.
I haven’t been shy about offering up banana bread recipes on this site (pick your flavor: chai-spiced banana bread, chocolate banana bread, or coconut banana bread) but this one is such a beauty, I couldn’t resist adding one more. Tender and sweet with a gorgeous ribbon of melted chocolate running through it, marbled banana bread is as impressive looking as it is delicious. Plus, it’s fun to make: you spoon the banana and chocolate batters into a loaf pan alternately, then artistically swirl the two together with a knife.
Table of Contents
“I am pretty sure that my kids beg me to buy bananas at the grocery store, only to let them go brown, so that I have to make this banana bread. So delicious!”
What You’ll Need To Make Marbled Banana Bread
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the flour, baking soda and salt.
Whisk to combine.
Set aside, then cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time.
Beating well after each addition.
Add the dry ingredients.
Beat on low speed to combine.
Add the mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
Mix until just combined. The batter will be thick.
Place the chopped chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave in short intervals, stirring in between so the chocolate doesn’t scorch, until the chocolate is almost melted. Stir, letting the residual heat melt the chocolate completely, then stir in the cocoa powder.
Add one cup of the batter to the melted chocolate.
Stir until well combined.
Spoon the two batters alternately into a greased loaf pan.
Then swirl with a knife. Don’t over-swirl or the colors will get muddled—four or five times up and back should do it.
Bake for about an hour and ten minutes.
Cool the loaf in the pan on a rack for about ten minutes, then remove and cool completely.
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Marbled Banana Bread
With a gorgeous ribbon of chocolate running through it, this marbled banana bread is as impressive as it is delicious.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas, from 2-3 bananas
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (a heaping ½ cup)
- 2 teaspoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Hershey's
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan generously with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Add the mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla extract and beat until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Cook on high power in 20 second intervals, stopping to stir in between, until about 80% melted. Stir until smooth, letting the residual heat in the bowl melt the remaining bits of unmelted chocolate. Add the cocoa powder and stir until dissolved. Add one cup of the banana bread batter to the melted chocolate and stir until well combined.
- Spoon the plain batter and chocolate batter alternately into the prepared loaf pan. Swirl the batters together with a knife (don't overdo it or the colors will get muddled -- up and back 4 to 5 times should suffice). Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan and set on the wire rack to cool completely.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap or place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 276g
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Sugar: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Sodium: 246mg
- Cholesterol: 56mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I tried it and it worked out delicious! I had to cover my mold on the last ten minutes of baking since it wasn’t done yet and it didn’t want to over bake it. I covered it with aluminum foil and it was perfect.
Probably my oven wasn’t hot enough or just the conversion F/C did not go well. It’d be amazing if you could also add it to your recipes.
I changed the milk for almond milk for the buttermilk (made it with lemon myself) since I am lactose intolerant. I also did not include the chocolate bars since the ones I found here in Germany contain butter. I also changed the butter for vegetable fat (I know, it’s horrible due to palm oil but after making the cake for the first time I realized I have this condition and had to try it again since it was too good).
I wish we could see in your recipes some alternatives for these problems.
The bread stayed moist for almost a week, even after been on the fridge for a couple of days, so I guess It does really work.
Should you use dutch cocoa or regular in this recipe?
Also I would like to make minis for the holidays. How many mini pans would I use to replace the one 5×9 pan?
Many thanks!
Hi Alice, I’d use regular cocoa powder for this and while I haven’t made mini loaves with this recipe, I would guesstimate that you’d get 3 to 4 loaves from the batter. Bake time will be less, so keep a close eye on them. Hope you enjoy!
So delicious!! Every person who has tasted it always comes back for seconds and thirds. I like to give my children’s teachers home baked gifts for the holidays and I think they would all love this one! I was wondering what you think the cooking time would be if I did small individual loaf pans?
Hi Jenine, I would guesstimate that they’d take about 45 minutes, but keep a close eye on them. I’d love to hear how they turn out as minis!
I have tried many marbled loaf recipes and none of those recipes had ever impressed me. I had given up on trying to find a great recipe for marbled loaf but I am so happy that I found this one and it turned out perfect the very first time! I love the bananas, it makes the loaf moist and has a nice sweet banana bread texture. The chocolate/marbled part of the loaf has a nice deep rich chocolate flavour and I enjoy the balance of tang from the sour cream. Thank you Jenn for sharing this recipe! All your recipes become family/friends favourites! My belly (and family/friends) are happy that I hadn’t given up on the perfect marbled loaf!
I made this the other day and normally I am not really a banana bread fan, but making it marbled with chocolate, Oh My!! So good! This will be the only way I make it. Thanks for the recipe!
Unable to post a pic as it has all been eaten. Next time. 🙂
Can I use cake flour instead please?
For best results, I’d stick with all-purpose flour here — sorry!
For what it’s worth, I made this recipe with French all-purpose flour, which I understand is similar to cake flour. It turned out amazing! I mean, maybe it would be even better with American all-purpose flour, but we are blissfully ignorant for now!
Thank you Jenn,
Best chocolate banana bread ever!
Everyone loves it, family and friends.
Hi Jenn, I made this last night. It was very delicious although my marbling technique could do with some work as I over marbled. However, the recipe had only cup measures and I live in the UK, I tried my best to convert it using your other banana bread recipes but I was wondering if you add the metric measurements as I will definitely be making this again. Still planning on making the tres leche cake😋
Hi Nenny, Glad you enjoyed this (and the marbling technique gets easier with time). I just added the metric conversions for this. Hope you find them helpful!
Definitely very helpful. Many many thanks Jenn 😊
I made this again using the metric measure, it was so much better than the first one, not as dense, I converted erroneously and used more flour the first time and my marbling is getting better. Thanks.
I made this yesterday and it’s the best banana bread I’ve eaten!! My son exclaimed it too after he ate way too many pieces! The recipes is simple, stress-free and it came out perfectly just like the picture! The marbled chocolate in it makes it over the top delicious! Jen, thanks so much for your wonderful recipes; your website is definitely my go -to whenever I want to make something good and not fail!
Sarah
Best use of bananas ever! I have even made these in a muffin pan too. My kids love it!