Moist Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread

The only thing that can make banana bread any better is chocolate, and this Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread is so soft and moist with a swirl of 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 flavour, but with the bonus of dark chocolate in every bite.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Mash bananas in a bowl with the back of 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). 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.

RECIPE FAQ

What type of chocolate should I use?

Semi-sweet or dark chocolate with up to 60% cocoa solids is best for this recipe. Using a very dark bittersweet chocolate will still produce a fine loaf but it will be more difficult to work with since it's high cocoa content will cause the mixture to stiffen up quickly when mixed with the banana batter.

Semi-sweet chocolate that has a bit more sugar than bittersweet chocolate will mix more easily into the batter.

Can I use frozen bananas to make this banana bread?

The short answer is, "Yes", you can.

However, I don't recommend it. For the best results, use very ripe spotty bananas. Ripe fresh bananas will provide the necessary sweetness while still contributing solid structure to the loaf without making it stodgy.

The best banana bread is made with ripe (not rotting) bananas. If they are frozen they become too watery and can make the bread quite gluggy. Have you ever seen that dense wet layer at the bottom of banana bread? That's what I'm talking about. Speckled ripe bananas are full of flavour and still have integrity to add structure to the loaf. If your bananas are too ripe, but you're not ready to make banana bread yet, skip the freezer and just put them in the fridge. This will slow down their ripening and buy you an extra couple of days.

OIL VS. BUTTER IN MOIST MARBLED CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD

You can replace oil with an equal amount of melted butter in this marbled chocolate banana bread. Of course butter has a wonderful flavour, but oil will produce a slightly softer loaf especially with the solid cocoa butter in the chocolate swirl which will firm up the crumb texture.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• 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 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.

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

Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread

Christina Marsigliese

Super moist and soft banana bread with a hint of fragrant spice and a dark chocolate swirl.

5 from 13 votes

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Servings 10 slices

Ingredients

  

• 1 ½ cups 355ml mashed banana (from about 3 medium, ripe bananas)
• ⅔ cup 145g packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• ¼ cup 60ml vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon 5ml pure vanilla extract
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ cups 215g all-purpose flour
• 4 oz 113g dark chocolate

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving about 1-inch overhang along the sides.
• Place mashed banana in a large mixing bowl (or you can mash the bananas right in the bowl with a fork – you will need 360g of banana flesh which is about 3 medium bananas). Add sugar and whisk until glossy and syrupy. Whisk in eggs, oil and vanilla until blended. Whisk in baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Add flour and fold it in until just combined.
• Melt chocolate until smooth. Add 1 cup of banana batter and mix to combine evenly.
• Dollop large 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.
• 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.