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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What is the material for this loaf pan?
Can I use pyrex or a metal pan?
Are you using non stick?
Thanks so much, Ellen
Hi Ellen, I use metal nonstick pans. Hope that helps!
Hi Jen,
I absolutely love all of your breads, so I decided to give this one a try. A lot of the reviews talk about how moist the bread is, but mine turned out a little dry. The flavor is delish, but could I have overbaked it (1 hour in gas oven)? Any advice?
Thanks!
Mary
Hi Mary, if it was dry, I suspect it was a bit overbaked. I don’t know a ton about gas ovens, so it’s hard for me to say for sure that it would cause an issue (but it sounds like you’ve used it for other breads of mine without a problem). Do you use the spoon and level method for measuring flour? If not, perhaps there was a bit too much flour which can cause a bread to be dry.
Delicious! So moist and just the right amount of chocolate and sweetness! I have tried 4 of Jenn’s recipes, and all are wonderful! My husband pre-ordered her cookbook for me as a Xmas gift — can’t wait!
I’m going to double the recipe- suggested baking time?
Also, I might make a batch as muffins… can you suggest a baking time?
Your recipes are awesome- thanks for making me look like a rockstar!
Hi Chitra, Glad you like the recipes! 🙂 For doubling the recipe, assuming you’re using two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans, the baking time doesn’t need to be adjusted. For muffins, I think they should take about 30 minutes, but keep an eye on them!
How come the marble banana bread doesn’t call for baking powder?
Hi Heather, the recipe contains baking soda and, combined with acidic ingredients like the sour cream and cocoa powder, it provides ample leavening. Hope that clarifies!
Just made this bread and it was delicious, I made it for a fundraiser and now can’t wait till I have more ripened bananas for a loaf to keep home. I usually make a banana bread with mini chocolate chips but like the smoothness of mixing the chocolate into the batter. I also only had 1/3 cup sour cream, but it didn’t seem to matter. This recipe is a keeper and I wouldn’t change a thing about it!
This is now one of my go to recipes for a quick and sweet treat for my kids! I did make the following few tweaks to make the bread a slight bit more healthy and decadent with a less dense texture, and the kids still loved it: (1) Used whole wheat pastry flour and white whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour, (2) Used 3/4 cup of Organic Cane sugar instead of a cup of white sugar, (3) Used 5.3 Oz of Plain Icelandic Yogurt instead of sour cream, and (4) Used 1 cup of Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Chips (60%) which definitely added to the richness of the chocolate taste and texture of the bread. My kids couldn’t get enough of this delectable treat!
This banana bread is amazing. A new family favorite!
In trying to get ahead of the upcoming Jewish holidays, I would like to bake and cook a couple of things in the next few days and freeze everything. The holiday is about 2 weeks off. Does the Chocolate Marble Banana Cake and the Chicken Marbella freeze well?
Yes, Michelle, they both freeze nicely!
Do you think dark choc would be too overpowering?
If you prefer the taste of dark chocolate, I think it would work here. Hope you enjoy!