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!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Butter – Always use real butter if you can!
- Mashed ripe bananas
- Eggs
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Chocolate chips
- Brown sugar – Optional, for a crunchy top.
Quick Tips Before You Start
- The Best Way to Bake Quick Breads: I always line my pans with parchment. You don’t need to line the entire interior, like you would with foil. Rather cut your parchment so it fits like a sling as show in the photo below. Spray your pan with cooking spray, then place the paper in over it and spray all sides of the pan again. This will make it super easy to lift your bread right out of the pan.
- Top Your Quick Breads: Here’s a little tip for basically ALL quick breads- sprinkle a little brown sugar over the top before baking. I don’t even measure, but about 2-3 tablespoons. It kind of melts in, but leaves a slightly light, crisp topping that enhances so many breads.
You can see both the parchment set up and the sugar topping in this photo- it bakes up beautifully! Let your bread cool until just warm before you pull it out of your pan. Run a knife around the edges that weren’t covered in parchment and then use the paper to just lift it right out.
How to Make Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread
- Prep your bread with parchment and set aside.
- Melt some chocolate chips and set aside.
- After blending the soft butter and sugar, you’ll mix in bananas, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream or yogurt. I’ve included several notes about other things you can use in place of the sour cream or yogurt- this recipe is very flexible!
- A few basic dry ingredients are added and you’ll be left with a simple batter.
- Grab your melted chocolate and mix with a little batter. Alternate spooning the plain and chocolate batters into your prepared loaf pan. Swirl gently with a knife.
- If desired, sprinkle a little brown sugar on top to get a sweet, crispy crust, then bake! Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes then remove from the pan and cool completely.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store cooled banana bread wrapped tightly or in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- Freeze finished loaves wrapped tightly in plastic and then foil for up to 3 months.
- Not quite ready to bake? Only have one super ripe banana and you want to save them up? You can toss them right in the freezer, peel and all (it’s best to put them in a zip-top bag so they don’t leak juices when thawing later). You can also peel and slice or mash and then freeze in a zip-top bag. Simply let them thaw in the fridge before use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add nuts or additional chocolate chips?
Sure! Walnuts or pecans would be great here. I prefer to chop and toast nuts before adding them to batter. If just sprinkling them on top, they should toast up just fine in the oven. Chocolate chips are also great. Toss them in a little flour before adding to help suspend them in the batter while baking. For add ins I would aim for 1/2 – 1 cup.
How ripe should my bananas be?
Very ripe! The peels should be heavily spotted or even mostly brown. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful the bread!
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, a double recipe should fit just fine in the bowl of a standard kitchen mixer, just divide the batter between two loaf pans.
Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread
A chocolatey twist on a comforting classic, this simple Chocolate Swirled Banana bread is sure to go fast!
Servings slices (1 loaf)
Equipment
- Loaf Pan 4.5 x 8.5 inches
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
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- OPTIONAL: 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. 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.
Notes
- This recipe calls for plain yogurt or sour cream. Full fat sour cream is my go-to because it’s what I always have in my fridge, but we have used SO many things in its place. You can use full fat or low fat yogurt, plain or vanilla (we’ve even used fruit flavored yogurts in a pinch). I’ve also used apple sauce. For the photos in this post I was actually out of all of those things so I used ricotta cheese mixed with a couple tablespoons of milk so it was the texture of full fat sour cream and I think I liked it even better than the original! So it’s flexible. If you’re out of sour cream or plain yogurt, you can be creative.
- This recipe also makes great muffins and mini muffins. You’ll have to eyeball the baking time and cook until done- I think I usually start with about 15-20 minutes and then check them.
- Store cooled bread tightly wrapped or in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- You can also wrap the loaf tightly in plastic and then foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice (1/12 loaf), Calories: 252kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Sodium: 210mg, Potassium: 156mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 25g, Vitamin A: 179IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 23mg, Iron: 1mg
Calories: 252kcal
Cost: $3
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Questions & Reviews
Amazing. Just to let you know back in 2009 when this recipe was first posted I tried it. I am waiting for the two swirl loaves and the mini muffins to finish cooking after doubling the recipe and having LOTS of batter left over 🙂 I’ve never made (nor even wanted to look for) another recipe for this banana bread. Amazing! I love your recipes. =)
Again another winner from you ladies. My mom who doesn’t even like banana bread likes this recipe. I have made both twice already and my next attempt will be in muffins for easier built in portin control.
This recipe just changed my life!!! LOL I made both the chocolate swirl & the classic & LOVE them equally. They were SO good, in fact that my husband & I drove to my sisters house & woke up my nephews to make them try it while it was still warm… and yes it is 12:38 AM in Utah 🙂 This is the recipe that is making me want to fulfill my lifelone dream of opening my own bakery!
So I tried this and it was delish BUT I split it up in two smaller tin forms and it just wouldn’t bake on the bottom! I’ve had this problem before with banana bread.. I put the chocolate batter on top and gave it a little swirl but so that the chocolate would still stay mostly on top if you get what I mean… It was all crispy and cracking on top and the knife I stuck in it came out clean – but it was way dense and not baked at all on the bottom. Any tips?
By the way I love you guys and the way you always make me wanna read every recipe even though I don’t even eat it;)
Again, you ladies have made me look lie a rockstar (only because you yourselves are!) I just made the classic banana bread, and it is sooooo good! Thank you!
The chocolate swirl banana bread is a family favorite for sure! I am wanting to make it and I see that my sweet husband picked up MILK chocolate chocolate chips instead of semisweet which I have always used. I am wondering if I should just make the classic recipe or would the milk chocolate be okay?
Nah, go for the milk chocolate. It will just be a little sweeter- but you can’t really go wrong with chocolate!
These recipes are sooo good. I’ve made the classic banana bread recipe a few times recently- we are all craving it! Thanks 🙂
I’ve made this twice already, but both times, when I take it out after about an hour and 10 minutes, it’s clean when I poke it, but it gets all crumbly…both time I used 4 bananas and sour cream instead of yogurt since that’s what I had on hand. Any ideas on why it’s so crumbly?
I’m not sure Brittany, I’ve never had that problem. Are you letting it cool off before cutting it? If you cut into hot bread it will crumble all over, so make sure to let it cool down a bit.
Got a question about this. Would it change the amazingness of this recipe to use 1/2 whole wheat flour? I am trying to sneak heatlthy things in for my husbands breakfast and this is more like dessert bread (cause it’s so good) than something for breakfast.
I’ve never tried it with half wheat, but I do make a yummy banana muffin with part wheat and it’s really good, so I don’t think it would be horrible 🙂 Give it a shot!
I just made this last night, but my bread started burning on top after about 55 mins. I had to leave it in for about 1:05 so that it cooked through the middle. a few details: my oven is about 40 yrs old and I cooked it in a dark pan. I double checked the temp and everything. What should I have done differently? help!