Best-Ever Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread
- Difficulty: Easy
- Makes: 1 loaf
- Total Time: 1 hr 25 min
- Prep Time: 25 min
Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 14): Calories 269, Total Fat 14 g, Saturated Fat 7 g, Carbohydrates 34 g, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 21 g, Protein 3 g, Cholesterol 48 mg, Sodium 110 mg
Few things rival the comfort of a warm, freshly baked piece of banana breada buttery, banana-flavored, toasty loaf with pecans! Banana bread is considered a quick bread, meaning it does not require any rising time like yeast breads do. This classic loaf gets a chocolate twist with a swirl pattern because chocolate makes everything better! For maximum sweetness, make sure to use overripe bananas; the darker their skin, the better.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for coating the pan
- 1/2 cup (60 g) pecans
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups (280 g) mashed, very ripe bananas
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream
- 3 1/2 ounces (100 g) semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350F (180C). Butter a 9-by-5-inch (23-by-12.5 cm) loaf pan and set aside.
- Arrange pecans on a foil- or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Let cool, chop, and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until fully blended.
- Put bananas into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix for about 1 minute to thoroughly mash the bananas, then add melted butter and combine.
- Add sugar and mix until smooth. Then mix in eggs and vanilla until incorporated.
- Add the dry flour mixture and gently mix until just combinedbe careful not to overmix to avoid tough texture or large holes. Fold in chopped pecans and sour cream gently with a rubber spatula.
- Melt the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water or using a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together 1 cup (235 ml) of the banana batter with the melted chocolate until well mixed.
- Pour one-third of the banana batter into the prepared loaf pan. Drop two large spoonfuls of the chocolate batter side-by-side in the center. Cover with another third of the banana batter, then the remaining chocolate batter, and finally top with the last third of banana batter. Swirl the two batters gently with a knife, making a few passes to create a marbled effect without overmixing.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (it's okay if a few crumbs stick). Let the loaf cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Baker's Note: This recipe utilizes the muffin method: combine wet ingredients separately from dry, then blend both together before gently folding in the sour cream and pecans.
Reprinted with permission from "101 Epic Dishes" by Jet Tila and Ali Tila, Page Street Publishing Co. 2019. Photo by Ken Goodman.
