Before I get into Chocolate-Swirled Banana Bread, if you haven’t seen already, Sara and I are releasing hard copies of our Dinner, Simplified meal plan by themselves for the first time ever at a value rate! In the past, we’ve only offered it as part of a package, but to try and help you get dinner on the table while minimizing waste and trips to the grocery store, we’re offering it by itself! Get a copy for yourself or friends and family members TOMORROW!
This Chocolate-Swirled Banana Bread is a riff on this Classic Banana Bread (and this Lime-Coconut Banana Bread is another variation of the same recipe!) Using Greek yogurt increases the moisture and protein, cutting down on the need for as much oil/fat that is typically used in banana bread. We promise, whichever version you make, you’ll love it! (Read more after the recipe)
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Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread
Description
This chocolate-swirled banana bread is the moistest, most flavorful banana bread ever!
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into a measuring cup and leveled with a knife
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3–4 medium bananas)
2 eggs
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
½ cup chocolate chips
OPTIONAL: 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mash enough bananas to get 1 1/2 cups. Set aside.
Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups and level. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Cream sugar and butter. Add bananas, eggs, and yogurt, beating until just blended.
Add flour mixture. Beat on low until just moistened.
Microwave chocolate chips in a medium bowl for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, stirring until well-combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter (so you have stripes of plain and chocolate batter) in an 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters with a knife.
Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes (set a timer for 1 hour and check on it after that)–the bread is done when golden brown on top and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely before slicing. Store any leftovers tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
A few weeks ago, Sara posted an update of this Classic Banana Bread from way-back-when of the early days of Our Best Bites (just realized we’ve been doing this for TWELVE years, guys! 😳) That recipe was part of an AMAZING series by Cooking Light when Cooking Light was still Cooking Light and sharing lightened up versions of classic recipes instead of, like, fennel and lentil burgers with atomized cloudberry glaze. Over the years, those recipes have become staples in our house and here at Our Best Bites! Whether you’re feeling the Classic Banana bread or this one or the Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze, we’ve got you covered! There are lots of recipes for banana bread out there, but I guarantee you, these are the best!
how to make chocolate-swirled banana bread
You’re going to need 2-3 very ripe bananas (totaling 1 1/2 cups mashed banana), all-purpose flour, baking soda, table salt, sugar, butter, Greek yogurt or sour cream, eggs, and chocolate chips.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mash bananas to get 1 1/2 cups.
Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups and level. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
Cream sugar and butter.
Add bananas, eggs, and yogurt, beating until just blended. Add flour mixture. Beat on low until just moistened.
Microwave chocolate chips in a medium bowl for 1 minute, pausing to stir every 20 seconds. Stir until smooth.
Cool slightly. Add 1 cup of the batter to chocolate,
stirring until well-combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter (so you have stripes of plain and chocolate batter) in an 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters with a knife.
If desired, sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes (give or take a little; I’d probably set your timer for 1 hour and 10 minutes to be safe) or until a knife comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes in pan and then remove and cool completely on a wire rack. Slice and serve as desired.
If you really want something yummy, spread a little peanut butter on top of a toasted (or at least warm) slice. Really, can you beat a combo of peanut butter, bananas, and chocolate? Store leftovers tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
Questions & Reviews
@knikitta- a "c" is a cup or 8 fl ounces. There are about 29 mls in one fluid ounce. Hope that helps!
Made this today and it was really good. However, I need some more help with the swirling technique. LOL I think I swirled too much or didn't place my batter in the right sort of orientation to achieve that dramatic swirled look I was after. Hints?
Its a shame that you do not have any sort of conversion chart for us UK (European) readers as I have no idea what measurement 'c' is!
We use kg and g, or if you are old school, lbs and oz.
This looks sooooo wonderful! I can't wait to try it.
Just a thought for you and your readers. When bananas are really cheap, I over-buy. For those that don't get eaten, just toss them in the freezer as they are. When you want to make banana bread, thaw the bananas (in a dish or you'll have a puddle). Once thawed, snip off the bottom and squeeze out like toothpaste. Easy peasy!
Oh .. and chocolate, banana, and peanut is the bomb!!! I keep thinking I want to try making frozen chocolate bananas with a layer of peanut butter under the chocolate.
The Ross Family–I think it would probably just make your life easier if you baked the loaves and then froze them. I've heard you can freeze batter, but I've never tried it, but I do know that freezing that baked loaves is a great solution.
Hope that helps! 🙂
Can you freeze the batter for a day or two? and if you can, what's the best way to defrost it?
🙁 i overcooked mine a little bit. but it still tastes good. so maybe next time ill check it after 1 hour instead of the extra 10 min
Yum. Yum. Yum! You guys never let me down! I needed to make bread for some people in RS that have been helping me out and this was easy to make and delicious (and I am picky with banana breads!!!) This one was soft, moist, dense, sweet and delicious. I doubled it and made two 9×5 inch loaves at a time and then made the chocolate with the second batch of two more and they were both great. I have to make another set since I couldn't smell the house like this and not share some with my own family! Thanks for the recipe. It is a keeper!!!
Laura- save yourself a trip, that will work just fine!
This looks amazing and I want it RIGHT NOW! 🙂 But I only have non-fat plain greek yogurt on hand. Do you think that will work even thought it is a different texture and has no fat at all? Maybe I will just go to the stupid store . . .
Thanks for another great recipe! This one was yummy!
I used the classic banana bread recipe in a Banana Nutter Butter Trifle that I made a few days ago…it was perfect! You never let us down! Thanks! (You can see the trifle on my blog if you want to try it…so yummy!)
Made the Chocolate Banana Bread last night. Oh my is it yummy! This recipie is a keeper for sure. My little girls love it and that’s a huge plus for me.
Natalie
This was so good! Thanks for the fun twist on banana bread. I even tried the peanut butter which had never occurred to me to try on banana bread. Might be a new favorite!
Oh my goodness! That looks so YUMMY!
Amy, I’m so glad your kids liked it. My son is a stinker eater, too, so I know how great it is when you find something they’ll eat!
My kids are sometimes weird about banana bread or any cakie bread (weird, I know) but they have loved this. My 19 month old is in a very bad eating phase and he loves it. My 4 year old loves it with peanut butter. Thanks so much for sharing.
I just bought bananas so I can try this! And, I love putting brown sugar on top…I started doing it a few years ago and it’s so yummy!!
You have been blessed by the baking gods! I really enjoy your site!
Lol Eric. I think you should clarify that as a Scooby Doo reference. And that’s a sign that it’s on waaaay too much at our house!
I love, love, love banana bread! Thanks for the new recipes
this looks “bomgdigity!”
Mmmmm I love banana bread. I haven’t tried the chocolate swirl one, but it looks delicious! I also must add in that the brown sugar sprinkled on the plain one before baking makes the top SOOOOO good! I usually add a little coconut in with it as well.
Were you reading my mind? I just happen to have 3 very ripe bananas on my counter right now. These sound really good. I have a favorite recipe from my grandma that has maraschino cherries in it. Sounds weird, I know, but it is wonderful.
Mmmm, these are the recipes I use as well. One good thing to know is that those single serve kiddie-size yogurts that come in little packs of 6 or so are the exact amount you need for this recipe. Since I have those around for the kids, I usually grab one. And I’ve made this bread with vanilla, banana, even strawberry flavored. It’s all good, and it doesn’t really affect the flavor much other than adding sweetness so use whatever you have if you’re in a pinch!
whoops! I didn’t read the first one with the chocolate. I will just use sour cream. Thanks!
I really am not a fan of yogurt and I never have it in the house except for those gogurt things I give to my kids. Is there anything I can substitute?
Sour cream works great in place of yogurt.
Oh yum! I love banana bread!! I have a bunch of ripe bananas right now that I’ve been saving for a banana cake for my son’s b-day, but maybe I’ll have to steal a few for some bread. Can’t wait to try these!
Hey, we have the same banana problem at my house! I even tried putting them up high in the cupboard but my husband wasn’t aware of my plan and he found them and ate them.
It’s been ages since we had banana bread–this recipe looks wonderful!!
Oh. Man. This sounds crazy good. I have brown bananas in the freezer so I am all ready to go here!!! Thanks ladies!