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 🙂
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas with the melted butter, stirring to combine. Mix in the eggs, greek yogurt, and vanilla. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Melt Nutella in microwave for 20 seconds. Drizzle half of Nutella over batter, gently swirling the batter with a knife to form ribbons of Nutella. Pour the second half of the batter on top and repeat with remaining Nutella. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing from loaf pan.
I will definitely be remaking this recipe! It was a big hit with my teenage boys also! Next time I will also use half the Nutella, as it seems a bit much.
I made this for the first time and 30 min into baking it’s overflowed the bread pan into the oven. I followed the directions carefully and it was a fairly full pan before baking. Do you usually split it into 2 loaves?
Hi Alyse! I always make this in one pan–we have a standard 1 lb loaf pan that’s 9 inches long. It might be that the size of your pan is smaller! It should only be about 2/3 of the way full
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Do you think the yogurt can be replaced with buttermilk?
Definitely! That should work out totally fine!
I am trying this recipe tomorrow and cant wait. My question is, if my bananas arent ripe, at what temperature am i baking them in the oven at?
Thank you!
I would bake them at 300 degrees!
I will definitely be remaking this recipe! It was a big hit with my teenage boys also! Next time I will also use half the Nutella, as it seems a bit much.
I made this for the first time and 30 min into baking it’s overflowed the bread pan into the oven. I followed the directions carefully and it was a fairly full pan before baking. Do you usually split it into 2 loaves?
Hi Alyse! I always make this in one pan–we have a standard 1 lb loaf pan that’s 9 inches long. It might be that the size of your pan is smaller! It should only be about 2/3 of the way full
Suggestion: Get the ridiculous ads out of the print version of the recipe. They bumped this recipe to a three page print out.