I confess, every week I buy a bunch of bananas with the good intention of eating them all before they rot to death on the countertop. Do I always eat them all before this happens? No, never. Lately, instead of tossing them into the compost with the egg shells and an embarrassing amount of coffee grounds, I've been getting some serious mileage out of them by baking up a batch of banana bread. It's so simple to make and a heckuva lot tastier than a mushy brown banana. I've experimented with incorporating maple syrup, various nuts and oat toppings. All have been yummy but I recently swirled in Nutella and now I will never make banana bread without it, ever. It may be my Nutella addiction talking but this Nutella Banana Bread is by far the best banana bread I have ever made.
Now I don't feel guilty for letting my nanners over-ripen because I know they are going to a better place to live on as Nutella Banana Bread. Baking inside a loaf of warm bread snuggled up next to a dark and mysterious nutty swirl sounds a lot better than wasting away in a rubbish bin anyhow. Next time you leave your bananas to die, I highly suggest reviving them by baking up this Nutella Banana Bread.
The loaves gets an extra sprinkle of textural personality from the chopped hazelnuts mixed into the batter and encrusting the top. Sparkling sugar over the crust also adds additional sweetness and texture. The crunch of the topping against the moist bread are a top notch match. Then the flavor pairings are one for the books. Banana bread is already a great base but swirling in that nutty creamy cocoa flavor makes this Nutella Banana Bread an unforgettable treat!
Before you dive in, please note that this recipe makes TWO 9″x5″ loaves. If the idea of having two loaves of banana bread calling you from your counter is overwhelming, know that you can freeze one! Bake the Nutella Banana Bread loaves as the recipe states and allow to cool fully. Then wrap a loaf tightly in either foil or plastic wrap and slip it into a freezer bag. It will keep for at least a couple of months. To defrost, unwrap the loaf and place it on a wire rack at room temperature for 3-4 hours. You can even serve it warm by placing the Nutella Banana Bread in a warm (not hot) oven for a bit just before serving. Because warm Nutella is nothing short of magic!
This recipe has been inspired by and adapted from the mind-blowingly perfect Banana Bread recipe from the Grand Central Baking Book. This book is what got me baking in the first place and I will forever cherish each and every page.
Recipe
Nutella Banana Bread Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 2 Loaves (12 servings per loaf)
Description
Creamy swirls of Nutella and crunchy chopped hazelnuts transform basic banana bread into a delectable treat perfect for any time of day.
Ingredients
- all purpose flour - 4 cups
- baking soda - 1 ½ teaspoons
- baking powder - 1 teaspoon
- salt - 1 teaspoon
- ground cinnamon - 1 tablespoon
- granulated sugar - 1 ¼ cups
- light brown sugar (lightly packed - ½ cup)
- canola or vegetable oil - ⅔ cup
- bananas - about 4 medium sized
- eggs - 4
- pure vanilla extract - 2 teaspoons
- buttermilk - 1 cup
- hazelnuts - 1 ½ cups
- Nutella - 1 ½ cups
- raw sugar for sprinkling - 2 tablespoons
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°
- Bake the hazelnuts for 8-10 minutes until they begin to darken and give off a nutty aroma.
- Once the hazelnuts have cooled you can remove the skins by rolling handfuls of the nuts around in your bare hands or in a clean kitchen towel. Don't worry if the skins don't come off completely. Roughly chop the hazelnuts and set aside.
- Lightly grease and flour two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans and set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl and whisk together.
- Peel the bananas into a medium bowl and mush them with the back of a wooden spoon until they resemble a puree.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the sugar, brown sugar, oil and banana puree on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes, until fully blended. *Alternatively, you can whisk everything together by hand in a large bowl.
- Crack the eggs into a liquid measuring cup and whisk in the vanilla. With the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the eggs to the banana mixture. Continue to mix until the eggs are fully incorporated. *Alternatively, whisk the eggs in by hand.
- Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until the the dry ingredients are absorbed. Then add half of the buttermilk. Mix together and repeat with half of the remaining dry ingredients and the remainder of the buttermilk. Finally add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add 1 cup of the chopped hazelnuts and mix in by hand.
- Fill one prepared pan halfway with the batter. Dollop in about ½ cup of Nutella and gently swirl into the batter mixture using a butter knife or a small spatula. Be careful not to over-mix the two, you want a nice line of Nutella swirling through the bread. (If the Nutella is too thick to work with, transfer to a microwave safe bowl and zap it for 15-20 seconds to soften it up a bit).
- Cover the Nutella swirled batter with a second layer of batter, fill until the loaf pan is about almost full. Swirl another ¼ cup of Nutella over the top layer.
- Repeat with second loaf pan.
- Top both loaves with remaining chopped hazelnuts and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of raw sugar.
- Bake on 350° for 30 minutes, rotate the pans and bake for another 30 minutes. Lower the temperature to 325°, rotate the pans again and bake for 20-30 additional minutes. The loaves should turn a deep golden brown and begin to crack at the top. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove the bread loaves from pans and invert onto the rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
*This recipe makes two 9 x 5 inch loaves.
*Inspired by and adapted from Grand Central Bakery's Banana Nut Bread, original recipe can be found in (my most treasured cookbook of all time) The Grand Central Bakery Baking Book.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Jena says
Thanks for your speedy reply! It was partly my fault because I'm sure I overfilled the pans (not thinking the mixture would rise so much). And yes, I'm not from the US, so definitely more used to baking using weights of ingredients- it's far more accurate! But at the end of the day, your loaves were super delish & every last morsel was devoured by family & friends! 🙂
beckysue says
As long as they taste good, that's the most important part! You could just break it apart and call it a Deconstructed Nutella Banana Bread, deconstructed desserts are all the rage these days. 😀
Jena says
Hmm, very disappointed with this recipe (although your looks divine!) I'm an experienced baker & unfortunately this was a disaster! Both loaf pans overflowed terribly & it took over 75 minutes to properly bake. I do wish you would list ingredients in weights- particularly the bananas, as a "medium sized banana" can differ dramatically! Thanks.
Jena says
But having said that, once I managed to salvage huge chunks of it, the flavour was delicious...
beckysue says
Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that Jena. I usually have great success with this recipe, I will re-evaluate it soon and see if I run into any of the issues you experienced. Ovens can vary dramatically due to hot spots, elevation, etc. And some take much longer to bake than others, I generally try and keep my eye on things, and for cakes or breads I always use the toothpick test method instead of relying on recipe times. It prefer measuring by weights as well but unfortunately the US is all about cups and spoonfuls. I'll look into incorporating weights into the recipes as well. I hope this doesn't keep you from trying the recipe again sometime. Good luck in all of your baking adventures. 😀
Richard says
Delicious!!! Replaced
1) erythritol for sugar (1:1)
2) erythritol & molasses for brown sugar
3) almond milk for buttermilk
4) gluten free flour
Healthy & sooo tasty
beckysue says
Hi Richard. I love that you played with the recipe and made it your own! I look forward to trying your version, it sounds delish and a whole lot healthier! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Rb says
Awesome, i have to try this..by the way you have amazing blog..love it.
beckysue says
Thanks for the love. 😀 If you make the Nutella Banana Bread, let me know what you think! Take care.
Rebecca Banerjee says
minus the nuts, this is cooling on my counter right now. It was baked by me, and my eight year old son and 14 year old daughter. We can't wait to eat it up!!!!
Becky Sue says
Fun! I hope y'all enjoyed the recipe. 😀
beckysue says
What beautiful photos! Your Nutella Banana Bread looks fabulous. So glad you enjoyed the recipe. 😀
-Becky Sue