Marbled Banana Bread

Makes 12 slices

Here we’ve got something that reminds me of pressing my face against the glass dessert case at my neighborhood Jewish bakery. Marbled treats were a childhood fascination and they still hold some of that “how did you do that?” wonder. Swirls of cocoa through banana bread. It’s a simple trick but it never gets old.

This vegan marble banana bread is perfectly banana-y, not too sweet, and surprisingly low fat — only 2 tablespoons of oil in the whole loaf. The banana does most of the moisture work, which means the crumb stays tender and almost fudgy without needing a lot of fat to get there. The outside gets a little crunchy from baking, but leave it in Tupperware or wrapped at room temperature overnight and it gets even more moist. It tastes great both ways but the next day version is genuinely special.

The marbling takes a little extra work and a couple of extra bowls — but isn’t it worth it to awaken that childhood intrigue? You scoop out a cup of plain batter, mix it with bloomed cocoa, then alternate spoonfuls of each in the pan and drag a butter knife through in lazy circles for about ten seconds. That’s it. Then the baking process takes care of the aesthetic. Glossy, swirly and completely wonderful.

One reader said they make two loaves a week. Another said it makes the best French toast they’ve ever had. Both of these people are onto something.

VEGAN MARBLED BANANA BREAD FAQ

How ripe do the bananas need to be for vegan banana bread? Very ripe, the more black spots the better. The riper the banana the sweeter and more flavorful the bread. Frozen bananas work great too, just thaw them first. They mash up perfectly and some people swear frozen bananas make even better banana bread.

Why is my vegan banana bread flat? Most likely culprit is old baking soda. It loses its power over time and won’t give you the lift you need. Make sure yours is fresh. Also make sure you’re using an 8×4 loaf pan — a larger pan will spread the batter too thin.

Why does vegan banana bread get rubbery? Banana bread can get rubbery if you work the batter too hard once the flour goes in. Mix just until the flour disappears and stop. A few streaks are fine. Gentle is the move.

Can I make vegan banana bread muffins with this recipe? Yup. Fill liners about 2/3 full and bake for about 18 minutes. Makes 12 muffins. Reader approved.

Can I add walnuts to vegan marble banana bread? Yes yes a thousand times yes. Fold a cup of chopped walnuts into the batter. Toasted walnuts are especially good here.

Can I add chocolate chips to vegan marble banana bread? My word, you have good taste. Add 1/2 a cup.

Is this really THE BEST vegan marble banana bread recipe? I promise. And look at the comments.

What do I do with leftover vegan banana bread? Make French toast. Seriously. Thick slices of this bread in a pan with a little oil or vegan butter — it is one of the best French toasts you will ever eat. You’re welcome.

How did I end up here? Searching “vegan marble banana bread” maybe? Or “vegan banana bread,” “chocolate banana bread,” “easy vegan quick bread.” Could have been “what do I do with these ripe bananas” at 10pm. All roads lead here.

Marbled Banana Bread

Isa Chandra

A vegan marble banana bread swirled with cocoa, perfectly banana-y, and surprisingly low fat. Glossy, swirly and a pure delight!

5 from 8 votes

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Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Baked Good, Dessert, Quickbread

Cuisine American, Jewish

Servings 8 to 12 slices

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup mashed very ripe banana
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/3 cup almond milk (or your preferred non-dairy milk)
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons boiling water divided

Instructions

 

• Prepare boiling water, no need to measure yet. Also, preheat oven to 350 F.
• Mash the banana in a large mixing bowl until relatively smooth. It should take 3 average sized ones, but spoon the mashed ‘nanas into a measuring cup to make sure, then return to the mixing bowl. Beat in the sugar, canola oil, milk and vanilla.
• Now add the flour, baking soda and salt and gently mix just to incorporate. It’s okay if there is some flour still visible, just be careful not to overmix at this point.
• Scoop one cup of the batter up and transfer it to a separate mixing bowl. Now, in a small tea cup mix the cocoa powder with 3 tablespoons boiling water and stir vigorously with a fork until the chocolate is dissolved. Add this chocolate mixture to the one cup of banana and mix until the chocolate is thoroughly smooth and incorporated.
• Now back to the original plain banana batter; add 3 tablespoons of boiling water and mix the batter just until relatively smooth.
• Here comes the fun part, it’s time to marble! Lightly grease an 8×4 loaf pan. Scoop alternate 1/2 cupfuls of chocolate/banana batter into the loaf pan. Nothing has to be precise here, in fact, the more random, the better. Once all of the batter is in, take a butter knife and swirl it through the batter in circular directions for about 10 seconds.
• Bake for 55 minutes. Use a butter knife to test for doneness. Let cool and enjoy!

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