Nutella-Swirled Banana Bread

Doesn’t everyone love a little chocolate for breakfast once in a while?

Chocolate chip pancakes and Chocolate Chip Muffins are favorites in my house – put some fruit and a few slices of turkey bacon on the side and you have a pretty well-rounded start to your day.

We always have Nutella on hand, so I decided to incorporate it into my favorite Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe – it is a winner. It’s great on its own, toasted with peanut butter, or (you guessed it!) some more Nutella.

Here’s how to make it:

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Add mashed bananas, oil, and eggs, and mix well. Note: No mixer required for this recipe – always a bonus!

Next, put approximately half the batter in a separate bowl and combine with 1/2 cup of Nutella or your favorite chocolate hazelnut spread. If your Nutella is a little stiff, pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds or so to soften it up. Mix well.

Alternate dollops of each batter in a greased and floured loaf pan. There is no science to this, you can definitely be messy. Then, use a butter knife to swirl the batters. It looks pretty when you’re finished!

Bake at 350 F for 55 – 70 minutes, depending on your oven. If the bread starts to over-brown, loosely tent some foil on top. Let the loaf cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then invert on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Note: This bread freezes well. I like to wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and put them all in a freezer bag for an easy breakfast or snack. It also prevents me from eating the whole loaf in one day, but hey, maybe you won’t have that problem!

Nutella-Swirled Banana Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup flour, plus a little more to flour the pan

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup mashed banana)

1/2 cup Nutella, or your favorite chocolate hazelnut spread

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 8 1/2 inch x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray, then dust thoroughly with flour. Set aside.

2. Combine sugar, flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, oil, and banana, and mix well to combine.

3. Take half of the batter and put in a separate medium-sized bowl. Combine with 1/2 cup Nutella and mix well. If your Nutella is too stiff, soften in the microwave for 10 seconds or until it loosens.

4. Place alternating dollops of the batters in the prepared loaf pan. Use a butter knife to swirl the batters together for a marble effect.

5. Bake for 55-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.