Banana Bread with Nutella Swirl
When I think of traditional comfort food, banana bread is one of the first things that pops into my mind. Ripe bananas ensure that this bread is extra soft and full of moisture. Brown sugar adds a caramel - like flavor that blends perfectly with warm fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. I swirl in some Nutella to add a little decadence - because why not?
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When I think of traditional comfort food, banana bread is one of the first things that pops into my mind. There are so many different ways to make banana bread between the various sweetener options, types of flour, spices, and add-ins. I have tried so many different recipes in the past and this recipe is by far my favorite. Ripe bananas ensure that this bread is extra soft and full of moisture. Brown sugar adds a caramel - like flavor that blends perfectly with warm fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. I swirl in a little Nutella, because why not? Okay, I’m craving a little comfort now…
Why you’ll love this Banana Bread Recipe
First of all - Nutella! Nutella is swirled throughout this caramel-like soft bread giving a decadent chocolatey, nutty flavor but without the crunch. It would pair perfectly with morning coffee.
Comforting - this quick bread is serving up ultimate comfort with traditional spices and ingredients - cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pure vanilla extract, brown sugar, and bananas that give this bread its signature moistness.
Easy to make - this is a one bowl operation and doesn’t require a lot of thinking. If you are in the mood for something sweet but don’t want to make a mess in the kitchen, this is your go - to banana bread recipe. It only takes about fifteen minutes to mix up the batter and while the loaf is baking you can relax and enjoy the wonderful aromas of brown sugar and cinnamon as they fill the whole house.
Recipe Tips for the best Banana Bread
I always use parchment paper to line the bread pan. It makes it so much easier to remove the bread once it’s done baking.
Because breads are dense, they can take a little longer to bake in the oven than other baked goods, and this can lead to the top browning too quickly. If you find that the edges of your bread are turning dark and it is only half way through the bake time, cover the bread by loosely placing a piece of foil over the top, then let the bread finish baking.
A great bake is the key to the perfect quick bread. The goal is to get the bread out of the oven right when it is ready - once the bread has risen and the top looks light golden brown, insert and remove a knife (or toothpick) into the center of the bread. If it comes out with dough still on it, bake another five minutes and check again. Once the knife (or toothpick) comes out clean, remove the bread immediately from the oven.
Let the bread cool for 10 - 15 minutes, then loosen up the sides with a knife as needed and pull the bread out of the pan using the parchment paper walls as handles. Let the bread cool the rest of the way on a drying rack. The bread will continue to cook if left too long in the hot pan, and this can leave the edges of the bread thick and dry.
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Getting the bake right is essential. If you over bake the bread, it will become dry. The key moment to remove the bread from the oven is when a knife is inserted into the center and comes out clean.
To avoid over baking, try adding a piece of foil to the top of the bread half way through the bake. This will keep the edges from getting too brown which can add to dryness as well.
Remove the bread from the pan as soon as the pan is cool enough to touch. This will prevent the bread from cooking too long in the hot pan which can cause dry edges.
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Absolutely! The bread will keep well in the refrigerator for up to five days, or in the freezer for up to three months. See directions below for how to store and freeze the bread.
You can also make the batter ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator for up to two days prior to baking. Just let it stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes before baking the batter.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Parchment paper
Large mixing bowl
Spatula
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling on top
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 Ripe bananas, extra ripe
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup Nutella
How to make Banana Bread with Nutella Swirl
Prep
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 325℉.
Mix
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
In a liquid measuring cup, melt the butter and let cool slightly. Add the bananas and vanilla to the measuring cup and mash up the bananas, mixing the ingredients until well combined. Add the egg and mix until well combined.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined (the batter should be little lumpy).
Assemble swirl
Dollop half the dough into the bread pan, filling the bottom but leaving it lumpy. Dollop half of the Nutella over the dough. Using a Knife, cut through the Nutella and dough creating a swirl effect. Repeat steps with the remainder of the dough and Nutella.
Bake
Place pan in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes. Then Place a piece of foil over the pan and bake for another 25 - 30 minutes. Check the bread by inserting and removing a knife into the center of the bread. If there is still uncooked dough on the knife, bake for another 5 minutes and repeat the knife check. Continue until the knife comes out barely clean, then remove the bread from the oven.
Let stand to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the bread and place it on a cooling rack to continue cooling the rest of the way.
Slice the bread once it has cooled completely, or after about 1 hour.
How to Store
Store banana bread with Nutella swirl at room temperature in an air tight container for up to two days, or store in the refrigerator for up to five days. If stored in the refrigerator, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, or pop in the toaster for a freshly baked effect.
You can also freeze banana bread with Nutella swirl easily. Just place (fully baked and cooled) in an air tight freezer container and store in the freezer for up to three months. Remove from the freezer and place in the refrigerator 24 hours prior to serving.
→ Optional serving suggestion: after the bread has thawed, pop it into the toaster and spread a little butter on it.
Banana Bread with Nutella Swirl
When I think of traditional comfort food, banana bread is one of the first things that pops into my mind. Ripe bananas ensure that this bread is extra soft and full of moisture. Brown sugar adds a caramel - like flavor that blends perfectly with warm fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. I swirl in some Nutella to add a little decadence - because why not?
Ingredients
Directions
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 325℉.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- In a liquid measuring cup, melt the butter and let cool slightly. Add the bananas and vanilla to the measuring cup and mash up the bananas, mixing the ingredients until well combined. Add the egg and mix until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined (the batter should be little lumpy).
- Dollop half the dough into the bread pan, filling the bottom but leaving it lumpy. Dollop half of the Nutella over the dough. Using a Knife, cut through the Nutella and dough creating a swirl effect. Repeat steps with the remainder of the dough and Nutella.
- Place pan in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes. Then Place a piece of foil over the pan and bake for another 25 - 30 minutes. Check the bread by inserting and removing a knife into the center of the bread. If there is still uncooked dough on the knife, bake for another 5 minutes and repeat the knife check. Continue until the knife comes out barely clean, then remove the bread from the oven.
- Let stand to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the bread and place it on a cooling rack to continue cooling the rest of the way.
- Slice the bread once it has cooled completely, or after about 1 hour.
*Nutrition is auto-calculated by recipes generator.
