Nutella Swirled Banana Bread, a classic quick bread with a chocolate hazelnut twist

Nutella Swirled Banana Bread

Nutella Swirled Banana Bread is a classic quick bread with a chocolate hazelnut twist. It is soft, moist banana bread with ribbons of Nutella baked right through the loaf, so every slice gives you both flavors at once.

This is a recipe I have been baking for a few years now. My family loves banana bread, and they love it even more when chocolate shows up, so swirling Nutella into the batter was an easy yes in our house. These days it is the loaf my kids ask for the moment they spot brown bananas on the counter.

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The chocolate flavor from the Nutella is not overwhelming. It brings a hint of chocolate alongside the banana, so you taste banana bread first and chocolate second. That balance is exactly why this loaf works for breakfast, an afternoon snack with coffee, or a warm slice after dinner.

It also looks impressive. The swirled top and the marbled crumb make it look like something from a bakery, even though the whole thing comes together in one mixing session with basic pantry ingredients. If you have ripe bananas sitting on your counter and a jar of chocolate hazelnut spread in the cupboard, you already have almost everything you need.

Let’s walk through it together, step by step.

How to make Nutella Swirled Banana Bread:

Making this loaf is simpler than the swirl suggests. You start with a fairly classic banana bread batter, then build the chocolate swirl in two quick moves.

Here is the flow:

1. Mix a classic banana bread batter with flour, baking soda, salt, butter, sugar, eggs, mashed banana, yogurt, and vanilla.
2. Spoon 3/4 cup Nutella into a bowl and soften it in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
3. Add 1 cup of the banana bread batter to the softened Nutella and stir until it is blended well.
4. Spoon the plain banana bread batter and the Nutella batter alternately into the loaf pan.
5. Run a knife gently through the two batters to swirl them together.
6. Bake for about an hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Let the loaf cool, then turn it out onto a rack to cool completely before slicing.

A note from experience. Slicing while the loaf is still warm gives you soft, smeared swirls. Waiting until it is fully cool gives you clean slices with tidy ribbons of chocolate. I know the wait is hard, but it is worth it.

What is Nutella, and where can I find it?

Nutella is a brand of chocolate hazelnut spread that has been around since 1964, and it is the most well known brand of its kind. You can use any brand of chocolate hazelnut spread in this recipe, so if your store carries a different label, that works just as well.

You will find it in the grocery store near the peanut butter and the other nut spreads. That is usually the same aisle as the jams and sweet spreads, so it is an easy grab on a normal shopping trip.

One jar goes further than you might think. This recipe uses 3/4 cup, which leaves plenty behind for other things. Leftover Nutella is a very good idea to keep on hand.

My family spreads it on graham crackers, stirs a spoonful into pancake batter for Nutella Pancakes, and yes, occasionally eats it straight from the spoon while the bread bakes.

It also shines in other desserts, like Nutella Blondies, or spread on toast with your morning coffee.

The best way to store banana bread:

Banana bread dries out quickly when it is left open to the air, so the wrapping matters as much as the baking.

Wrap the cooled loaf well in plastic wrap or foil, or slide it into an airtight container. Any of those keeps the moisture inside and keeps the loaf from going stale.

If you want it to last longer, store it in the refrigerator. Chilling extends the life and freshness of the bread by a few days. Just let a slice sit at room temperature for a bit, or warm it for a few seconds, because cold banana bread tastes a little flat.

For everyday snacking, I keep the loaf on the counter in an airtight container and move it to the fridge only when we are down to the last few slices. That gives us the best texture for most of the week.

Always cool the loaf completely before you wrap it. Trapped steam softens the crust and makes it gummy.

The best way to freeze banana bread:

This loaf freezes beautifully, which is handy when you bake two at once or when you want a slice ready for a busy morning.

Wrap the bread well before it goes into the freezer. The method I use is simple:

1. Wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap.
2. Wrap it again in foil.
3. Slide it into a freezer zip baggie for extra sealing.

Banana bread can be frozen for up to three months. Write the date on the bag so you are not guessing later. To thaw, leave the loaf on the counter for a few hours, or unwrap single slices and warm them in the microwave for a few seconds.

One more thing worth knowing. The Nutella swirl is a hint of chocolate rather than an overwhelming chocolate flavor, so a thawed slice still tastes like banana bread with a little chocolate running through it. Both flavors come through, and that is the whole point of this loaf.

Here are a few more banana bread recipes you might like to try:

If this loaf disappears too fast at your house, these are the next ones on my list:

• Best Banana Bread
• Coconut Banana Bread
• Kona Inn Banana Bread
• Double Chocolate Banana Bread
• Raspberry Dark Chocolate Banana Bread
• Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread
• Cream Cheese Filled Banana Bread

Ingredients

Here is everything you need for one loaf. The list is short, and most of it is already in a home baker’s pantry.

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)

A word about the bananas. Use the ripest ones you have, the kind with brown speckles and a soft feel. They mash easily, and they bring the sweetness that makes banana bread taste like banana bread. If your bananas are still firm and yellow, give them another day or two on the counter.

The yogurt or sour cream is the quiet hero here. It adds moisture and a gentle tang that keeps the loaf tender for days.

Instructions

This recipe uses one bowl for the dry ingredients and one bowl for the wet ingredients, plus a small bowl for the Nutella. Set everything out first and the whole thing goes quickly.

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8×4 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cream the butter and sugar. In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the sugar and butter at medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the banana, yogurt, and vanilla, and beat until blended. Add the flour mixture and beat at low speed just until the flour is incorporated. Do not over mix.
4. Build the Nutella batter. Spoon the Nutella into a medium bowl and soften it in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Add 1 cup of the banana bread batter to the Nutella and stir until blended well.
5. Layer and swirl. Spoon the Nutella batter alternately with the plain banana bread batter into the prepared pan. Swirl the two batters together gently with a knife.
6. Bake. Bake 60 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Check the oven at 45 minutes to see how the top is browning. If it is browning too quickly, cover it lightly with foil for the remainder of the baking.
7. Cool. Cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan, then turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Two small tips that make a real difference. First, stir the batter only until the flour disappears. Over mixing builds gluten and gives you a tough, dense loaf instead of a tender one.

Second, if your oven runs hot, start checking the loaf around the 55 minute mark. Every oven behaves a little differently, and the toothpick test is the real answer.

Recipe details

Here is the quick rundown before you preheat the oven.

Based on the source nutrition, one serving comes in at about 309 calories, 49 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of protein, and 11 grams of fat.

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Nutella Swirled Banana Bread Nutella Swirled Banana Bread is a classic quick bread with a chocolate hazelnut twist. It is soft, moist banana bread with ribbons of Nutella baked right through the loaf, so every slice gives you both flavors at once.

• Total Time: 75 min
• Yield: 1 loaf 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

2 cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1½ cups mashed ripe banana
⅓ cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)

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Instructions

1-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8×4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2-In a medium bowl, whisk together the: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda & salt.
3-In a separate large bowl, use an: In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the sugar and butter at medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the banana, yogurt and vanilla; beat until blended. Add the flour mixture; beat at low speed just until the flour is incorporated (don’t over mix).
4-Spoon the Nutella into a medium bowl: Spoon the Nutella into a medium bowl and soften in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Add 1 cup of the banana bread batter to the Nutella and stir until blended well. Spoon the Nutella batter alternately with the plain banana bread batter into the prepared pan. Swirl the batters together gently with a knife.
5-Bake 60 to 70 minutes, or until: Bake 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Check the oven at 45 minutes to check the top of the bread for browning. If it’s browning too quickly, cover lightly with foil for the remainder of the baking. Cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

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• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 60 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 309kcal
• Sugar: 30g
• Sodium: 189mg
• Fat: 11g
• Saturated Fat: 8g
• Carbohydrates: 49g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 5g
• Cholesterol: 42mg