Marbled Banana Bread

This marbled banana bread is moist, perfectly sweet, and swirled with chocolate throughout. It’s the perfect way to spruce up regular banana bread to make it a little more exciting! Plus, not only is it vegan, but it’s also made with just 10 ingredients.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

Minimal Ingredients – I like to keep my recipes as simple as possible to show that baking doesn’t have to be intimidating! This recipe requires simple ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Freezer Friendly – Quick breads are one of my favorite things to make because they freeze super well. You can add slices to the freezer, and remove when you’re craving a sweet treat.

Easy to Make – This chocolate marbled banana bread takes just 5 to 10 minutes to prep, then pop it in the oven, let cool, and it’s ready!

HOW TO MAKE

Below we’ll cover step-by-step instructions for making this banana bread. Find the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe box below.

Step One: Start by lining a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and preheating the oven to 350F.

Step Two: Peel the bananas and add to a large mixing bowl. Using a fork, mixer, or whisk, mash the bananas until pureed.

Step Three: Add the sugar, yogurt, oil and vanilla to the bowl with the mashed bananas and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Step Four: Next, add in the dry ingredients (baking soda, salt, and flour). Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, being careful not to over mix.

Step Five: Divide the batter evenly into two bowls. To one of the bowls add the cocoa powder and chocolate chips. Using a spatula, fold until just combined.

Step Six: Alternate adding scoops of the batter into the loaf pan. Start with the chocolate batter, followed by the regular batter, and so on. Continue doing so until all the batter is used up.

Step Seven: Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked thoroughly. Then remove from the oven, let cool for 20 minutes in the pan, and then remove and let the bread finish cooling on a rack.

TIPS FOR THE BEST BANANA BREAD

Use Ripe Bananas – Ripe bananas give this bread a perfectly sweet taste and tender texture. If you don’t use ripe bananas, not only will your bread be lacking in banana flavor, but it may also be drier because the bananas won’t mash as well.

Here’s some tips on how to ripen bananas faster:

1. Place bananas in a paper bag, loosely folded. If you have any other ripe fruit (avocados, other bananas, apples, etc) place one in the bag as well – it will help ripen the banana! After about 1-2 days the banana should be ready to use.
2. For an even faster method, place bananas in the oven. To do this, preheat the oven to 300F. Place bananas (with the peel) on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil for 15-20 minutes, or until the peels are mostly brown and/or black.

Test the Bread – Before taking the bread out of the oven, make sure it is thoroughly cooked. To do this, insert a toothpick in the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, it is ready to remove!

Let it Cool – I know, I know, waiting for fresh banana bread to cool is not fun. However, when you cut into hot bread, it results in a slightly gummy texture. So make sure to let it cool before slicing. This is super important for achieving the best texture.

STORAGE & REHEATING

You can store leftovers of this bread in an airtight container or wrapped in aluminum foil at room temperature for 1-2 days. Then, transfer to the refrigerator for up to a week.

You can also freeze it for up to two months. I highly recommend freezing a slice or two and future you will be soooo happy! To freeze the bread, pre-slice and lay flat on a plate or baking sheet. Freeze for 30 minutes until the bread is frozen, then transfer to a ziploc bag or airtight container.

When ready to enjoy, let thaw at room temperature or reheat in the microwave/oven.

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If you decide to try this marbled banana bread recipe out, let me know by leaving a review! I also love seeing your recreations tagged on Instagram @nourishedwithnatalie.