Description
This banana bread recipe features a delightful cocoa swirl and walnut crown, offering a moist crumb and rich chocolate-spice aroma. It is a perfect sweet, hearty option for breakfast or a satisfying snack, simple enough for busy families and weeknights.
Ingredients
- 3–4 large ripe bananas (about 1.5 cups mashed, 360g)
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour (180g)
- 0.5 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 2 large eggs
- 0.5 cup vegetable oil (120ml) (or melted unsalted butter)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (170g) (or milk chocolate chips)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 0.5 cup walnut halves (50g) (or pecans)
Instructions
- Prep Ingredients: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan thoroughly. Mash bananas until mostly smooth.
- Mix Wet & Dry: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a separate medium bowl, combine mashed bananas, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth. If batter looks too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk.
- Gently Combine: Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix gently with a spatula until no streaks of flour remain. Stir in 0.75 cup of the chocolate chips.
- Create Cocoa Swirl: Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. In a small separate bowl, mix unsweetened cocoa powder with one tablespoon of the remaining plain batter to create a thick paste. Dollop cocoa mixture over the batter in the pan, then use a knife or skewer to gently swirl it through.
- Crown with Walnuts: Pour the remaining plain batter over the swirled layer, spreading it evenly. Arrange walnut halves and the remaining 0.25 cup of chocolate chips on top.
- Bake to Perfection: Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with aluminum foil.
- Cool Completely: Remove from oven and cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes on a wire rack. Gently transfer directly to the wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
If your batter looks too dry, add a splash (1-2 tablespoons) of milk until it is just combined. If the top of the bread is browning too quickly during baking, loosely tent it with aluminum foil. Cooling in the pan for 10-15 minutes allows the bread to firm up before transferring it to a wire rack.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (80 g)
- Calories: 350 calories
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg