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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Perfect! Super moist and delish!! Added pecans as my hubby loves bananas, chocolate and pecans! THANK YOU! Will be adding to my recipe box.
Beautiful banana bread, perfect as it can be 🙂 instructions easy to follow and the result mouth watering. Thank you for posting this recipe!
I just prepared the batter and decided to place it in a heart-shaped ceramic pan. How will the baking time differ? Btw… if the cake tastes as good as the batter & chocolate mix, it’s going to be amazing!
Hi Angie, It may take about the same amount of time that the recipe indicates, but hard to say without knowing the dimensions of the pan. Just make sure to keep an eye on it!
Thank you. The dish was approx 11″ x 9″ with 3″ sides. It took 1 hour to bake. It was very moist. I messed up a little with one of the steps adding the banana to the chocolate instead of the batter! Tried to fix it by adding more banana to the batter & some batter (not 1 cup) to the chocolate. Still came out fine, but the chocolate parts were pretty wet because of my error. Still a great cake. I will definitely try it again. Thanks!
Hi Angie, glad to hear that it still turned out well despite your minor “oops.” Thanks for the follow-up!
I made this doubling the recipe and using a nonstick bundt pan. It took about 15 minutes longer, but I think maybe it was a little dry so perhaps it could just be 10 minutes extra. I was timid about mixing the chocolate in, so the marbled effect wasn’t as good, but I was worried about scratching the coating on the pan, or over mixing it. It was delicious, and especially good as a dessert with some vanilla ice cream, but it was also great for breakfast. The recipe instructions were terrific and clear, I love the step by step approach. It was all gone after the weekend, as six of us enjoyed every bit of it!
I too doubled and baked in a non-stick bundt pan – 10 minute back time perfect. I mixed/swirled the chocolate in with the stick side of a wooden spoon.. No scratching. Swirled-in nicely.
This turned out so well…perfect for breakfast!
Can I use dark chocolate instead of semisweet?
You definitely can Angie, but depending upon the level of sweetness of the chocolate, you may need to adjust the sugar a bit. Enjoy!
On busy work mornings, I keep some breads and muffins in the freezer. My husbands favorite ingredients are bananas and chocolate. This bread was the best of his favorites.
I made this over the weekend to test it for our AirB&B guests. Absolutely delicious! It is so moist and flavorful. I can hardly wait for our next guests to come so I can try it on them.
Could I double the recipe and bake this in a bundt pan?
Thanks!
Hi Dianne, If you’re referring to a 10″ bundt pan, I think that making 1 1/2 times the batter would work. I’d just make sure to generously grease the pan with butter and a good dusting of flour. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I just reviewed the recipe and did exactly what you suggested with 1 1/2 times she the ingredients. And with buttering and dusting the pan, it came out so easily, I was shocked.
Can I substitute the sour cream for buttermilk? Could it bake a little bit more taller and fluffier?
Hi Melissa, I haven’t tried it this way. I’m a little concerned that the batter may be a bit thin, but I suspect it should work. I’d love to hear how it turns out!