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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Can I use bittersweet chocolate chips, same brand? Love your recipes.
Glad you like the recipes, Janice! Chocolate chips have less cocoa butter than chocolate bars in order to maintain their shape when heated. For best results, I’d stick with the chocolate in bar form for this -sorry!
Wonderful recipe! Tried making it today and my cake is super moist and with the right amount of sugar. I love it! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
May I use melted semi-sweet chocolate chips instead? If so, what would 3 oz. be in measuring cups?
Hi Jo, for the best results, I’d stick with the chocolate in bar form. Chocolate chips have stabilizers to help maintain their shape when heated, so they’re not optimal for a batter like this. Sorry!
Hi Jen; thinking of making this recipe as part of Sunday brunch. Instead of in a loaf making muffins.
Do you think it will make it less moist? Obviously, will but back baking time.
Also , do u think I can use rip bananas that I froze, or will it be too watery?
Love ❤️ EVERY recipe I have made, which are many!! Thanks
Hi Jenny, This will definitely work as muffins with a shorter baking time (and they won’t be dry). And frozen bananas are great – they’ll be watery when you defrost them but it won’t make any difference in the end. Enjoy!
What a great combo of bananas and chocolate. This bread was moist, flavorful and easy to make. Very well received at a local coffee. Will make again.
I made this for a party. I love baking and knew it would be a hit. My friends loved it! Thank you so much for the recipe!
I’ve made this twice already and it always comes out great! I stick to the recipe and even use the same chocolate but I have added a pinch of cinnamon just because. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
thank you for the recipe. i just made it and it’s too salty. 1/2 tsp should be enough 🙂
Seriously delicious cake which my daughter made for us today … nearly all went before it was cold!
Does it need to be stored in the fridge as it has sour cream in it? Also, is the UK equivalent of semisweet chocolate plain or milk? Thanks!
Hi Kat, this can be stored right on the counter. The UK’s equivalent of semi-sweet chocolate is plain. Hope you enjoy!
Wonderful. My family likes this even better than the buttermilk banana bread recipe I’ve been making for years. I’m at 4,800 ft above sea level and no ingredient changes were necessary whether making 1 9×5 or 2 8×4 (I baked the 8×4 loaves for 50 minutes).