Moist Marble Banana Bread

The only thing that can make banana bread any better is chocolate, and this Marble Banana Bread is so soft and moist with a swirl of pure chocolate banana batter throughout. My BEST Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe is so popular that I knew I needed to make a marble version and this one is so irresistible with the same great moist texture and banana flavor, but with the bonus of dark chocolate in every bite. The chocolate swirl almost has a fudgy brownie texture and to me it's the best of both worlds. When I worked at Baskin Robbins as a teenager, I would dip bananas (meant for the ice cream sundaes) in hot fudge sauce as a snack. This is giving those kind of vibes. If you love making banana bread, check out my Classic Banana Bread and this Maple Pecan version too!

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Easy recipe - this marble banana bread comes together quickly with simple ingredients. You don't need a mixer to make it.
• Moist banana bread - the crumb is moist with a soft texture.
• Rich chocolate flavor - chocolate comes through in every bite and complements the banana rather than competing with it.

INGREDIENTS FOR MARBLE BANANA BREAD

• All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works great for a moist banana bread. Do not pack it down when measuring or use a scale to get the right amount
• Baking powder - you'll need quite a bit of baking powder since this is a dense batter and, like most quick bread recipes, there is no aerating step. You just mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, so we really rely on chemical leaveners to give rise to this loaf.
• Baking soda - baking soda is what gives this loaf such a rich deep brown crust and it will also react with the acidity from the molasses in brown sugar.
• Spice - a love to use cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg in this banana bread, but feel free to leave it out if you want. I really love the warmth the spices bring to this and they complement the banana very well.
• Bananas - you'll need about 3 ripe bananas for this recipe. That equates to about 1 ½ cups mashed banana. For me, this is usually 3 medium bananas. I don't recommend using frozen bananas for the best taste, but it will still work. See my tips below in the FAQ section to read why.
• Oil - You can use any neutral tasting oil, however I prefer sunflower oil since it has a pure clean taste.
• Brown sugar - light or dark brown sugar works great in this recipe. It adds a lovely hint of molasses flavor and also keeps it extra moist.
• Pure vanilla extract - a bit of vanilla enhances and complements the chocolate.
• Dark chocolate - you'll need pure dark chocolate to make this frosting. Semisweet chocolate works best and blends well with the batter.
• Milk - a bit of milk loosens the chocolate batter so it isn't too stiff.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Mash bananas on a flat surface like a cutting board using a fork until quite smooth. A few small lumps are ok but it shouldn't be chunky. Mix in brown sugar until it looks syrupy.
• STEP 2). Add eggs. Mix eggs into the banana mixture one at a time. Then, mix in oil and vanilla extract.
• STEP 3). Whisk in baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. A touch of cinnamon and nutmeg give this loaf an incredible aroma!
• STEP 4). Add flour and fold it in until just combined.
• STEP 5). Melt chocolate until smooth and take 1 cup of the banana batter and mix it into the chocolate so it is evenly combined.
• STEP 6). Dollop spoonfuls of the regular banana batter alternately with the chocolate batter into prepared pan then run a knife around back and forth 5 or 6 times to swirl the batters together.
• STEP 7). Bake for 45-55 minutes until the top is evenly browned and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Measure flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the batter can result in a dense loaf. Bananas contain carbohydrates that will contribute to some of the structure of the loaf itself, so the batter will be naturally wet. Resist the urge to add more flour.
• Use the right amount of bananas. Bananas come in all different sizes... generally small medium and large. This recipe uses 3 medium sized bananas, and 1 medium banana (flesh only) weighs about 120g. So, that means after you peel your banana it should weigh about 120 grams. For this recipe you will need 360g of banana flesh.
• Mash the bananas very well. Mash the bananas to a smooth consistency. This will ensure you extract all of the sugars and starch so they incorporate into the batter to make it moist and with an even crumb texture.
• Mash bananas on a flat surface like a cutting board. This is much easier than trying to mash them in a bowl on a curved surface.
• Avoid frozen bananas if you can. I always prefer to make banana bread with very ripe spotty bananas and not frozen bananas. That is because freezing destroys the cell structure of the banana so that a lot of water leaches out once they thaw. This water is free water and can cause a dense gummy layer to form at the bottom of the baked loaf. Fresh bananas have their cell structures intact so that they can contribute better to the integrity of the loaf.
• Avoid over mixing the batter. Use a spatula to mix the dry ingredients in by hand and if there a few small lumps that's ok. The batter doesn't need to be silky smooth or the texture can become more coarse in quick bread recipes like this.
• Layer dollops of regular and chocolate batter into the pan before swirling in order to get the most defined marble effect. If you swirl the chocolate batter on top of the banana batter only, it's not as easy to get the swirl down and through all of the loaf.

RECIPE FAQ

If you love banana bread, check out my other banana recipes:

Moist Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread Maple Pecan Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Chai Spice Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Creamy Milk Chocolate Frosting Double Chocolate Brownie Banana Bread The BEST Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Amazing Healthier Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Banana Bread Moist Chocolate Fudge Swirl Banana Muffins BEST Banana Oat Muffins