Moist & Swirled: BEST MARBLED BANANA BREAD. No mixer needed!

Marbled Banana Bread
(Yields one 9 × 5-in / 23 × 13-cm loaf)

INGREDIENTS
• 1 ½ cups (340 g) mashed over-ripe bananas (about 3–4 medium)
• ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted and browned (see Step 1)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ⅓ cup (75 ml) mild olive oil (or another neutral oil)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp fine salt
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (100 g) lightly packed brown sugar
• 90g dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup (45 g) chocolate chips, for topping (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Brown the butter
Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, swirling, until the milk solids turn deep golden and smell nutty, 3–4 minutes. Immediately pour the browned butter into a heat-proof bowl and refrigerate 15–20 minutes, just until it cools to room temperature.
Note: Browning the butter intensifies the banana flavor and adds rich caramel-nutty notes to the loaf; if you’d rather skip this step, simply melt the butter and let it cool.
2. Melt the chopped chocolate (microwave in 20-second bursts or use a double boiler). Stir in the cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside.
3. Mix the wet ingredients
Whisk the eggs into the cooled butter until glossy, then whisk in the mashed bananas, olive oil, and vanilla.
4. Combine the dry ingredients
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
5. Make the base batter
Add the dry mixture to the banana mixture and whisk gently until the batter is smooth and no dry streaks remain; do not overmix.
6. Prepare the chocolate batter
Whisk 1 1/2 cup of the banana batter into the melted chocolate to create a chocolate batter.
7. Assemble
Grease a 9 × 5-in loaf pan and line it with a parchment paper. Alternate spoonfuls of plain and chocolate batter in the pan, then swirl a butter knife through the layers in gentle motions to marble. Sprinkle the top with chocolate chips.
8. Bake
• Glass pan: 325 °F / 165 °C for 70–80 minutes
• Metal pan: 350 °F / 175 °C for 60–70 minutes
The loaf is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. For glass pans, tent with foil after 30 minutes to prevent over-browning.
9. Cool
Let the bread rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment sling. Transfer to a wire rack and cool until barely warm before slicing.

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