Description
This Chocolate Marble Banana Bread features a moist and tender banana bread base swirled with rich cocoa and chocolate chips, creating a beautiful marbled effect. Perfect for breakfast, snack, or dessert, it combines the natural sweetness of ripe bananas with decadent chocolate flavors in an easy-to-make loaf that yields 10-12 slices.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2-3 medium bananas)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Mixture
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan to prevent sticking during baking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening agent and salt.
- Cream Butter and Sugar, Add Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the mashed ripe bananas, sour cream, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet banana mixture, stirring gently until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Prepare Chocolate Batter: Divide the batter into two halves. To one half, fold in the unsweetened cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips until evenly incorporated.
- Marble the Batter: Spoon the plain banana batter and the chocolate batter alternately into the prepared loaf pan. Use a knife to swirl the two batters together, creating a marbled pattern.
- Bake: Bake the loaf for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating the bread is fully cooked.
- Cool: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely, ensuring it sets properly and slices well.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas for optimal sweetness and moisture.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep the bread tender.
- If using a dark or nonstick pan, check for doneness a few minutes earlier, as baking times may vary.
- Store banana bread wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for longer shelf life.
- Add nuts like walnuts or pecans for extra texture if desired.
