Name: Nutella Banana Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 3 extremely ripe (even brown) bananas, mashed; 6 tablespoons butter, melted; 2 eggs, room temperature; 6 ounces non-fat greek yogurt; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 3/4 cup sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 2/3 cup Nutella

Nutella Banana Bread

Guuuuuuuys. It’s soooo good.

I came up with this ultra moist banana bread base recipe two years ago, and it’s the only banana bread recipe I’ve used since then. It’s not even worth trying out new recipes; there is no homemade banana bread I’ve ever had that comes close to this one. It’s soft, velvety, and light. It’s so flavorful and can be eaten at any time of day. It’s sliceable so you can have a sliver or a huge piece. Or five slivers.

And about 1/4 of the mass comes from bananas, so it’s relatively more healthy than other desserts (Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cookies, I’m looking at you).

And would you believe the best banana bread I’ve ever made has only 6 tablespoons of butter in the entire loaf? It’s practically magic. My secret is using greek yogurt to keep the loaf moist. Greek yogurt has all the creaminess of “regular” yogurt, but with much less sugar, much more protein, and fewer calories and fat than its regular yogurt cousins (just make sure the label says 0%).

The reason I put greek yogurt in loafs like banana bread is because of its acidity. The yogurt acids react strongly with baking soda to create carbon dioxide, allowing the bread to rise more fully and giving it that characteristic fluffiness.

So with that mini science lesson, what I’m trying to say is: this Nutella banana bread is really soft and fluffy despite how low fat it is. Well, at least it would be if I didn’t swirl in all that delicious Nutella. But oh well. It’s low-fat to me.

Tips on how to make banana bread

Use overripe bananas—Super ripe, even brown, bananas are the key to making a sweet, moist, flavorful loaf of banana bread. If your bananas aren’t quite ripe enough yet but you’re dying to make a loaf, pierce them with a fork a few times and bake them in the oven for 10 minutes until brown. Let the bananas cool completely before adding them to the batter!

Use non-fat greek yogurt—See mini science lesson above for why Greek yogurt is a must for any good banana bread recipe.

Use room temperature ingredients—To help the Nutella banana bread bake evenly in the oven, all the ingredients should be room temperature before adding them to the batter (yes, even the eggs and butter).

Don’t swirl in more Nutella—I know you’ll be tempted to add even more Nutella into the banana bread batter, but trust me, it’s not needed! If there’s not enough Nutella in this loaf for your liking, I’d recommend slathering a warm slice of this bread with Nutella as you’re eating it instead.

How to freeze banana bread

This Nutella banana bread is a great recipe to make ahead of time and have on hand for last-minute get togethers. To freeze this banana bread, let it first cool completely on your countertop. Then, wrap it in plastic wrap a few times and then in foil before freezing. When you’re ready to eat this banana bread, set it out on your counter and let it thaw to room temperature.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Alex and I are going to a gala for his medical school on Saturday, then hosting a Super Bowl party at our house Sunday night! Looking forward to sharing Monday’s recipe with you already 🙂