This Vegan Marbled Banana Bread has a beautiful design that can turn out in many different ways! It’s loaded with chocolate and banana flavor, and features swirls of dark and light, with hints of gooey chocolate.
What I love most about it is the way the bananas and chocolate swirled together. It looks like a work of art! And it tastes even better than it looks. This recipe is perfectly moist and fluffy, with a tender crumb and a delicate balance of sweet and rich flavors. Plus, it’s super easy to make.
How to Make Vegan Marbled Banana Bread
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 9×5-inch bread pan with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth, then whisk in the brown sugar, maple syrup, almond milk, Just Egg, vanilla extract, and oil until fully combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined—avoid overmixing.
In a small bowl, mix the cocoa powder with hot water until smooth. Scoop half of the banana batter into another bowl, and stir in the cocoa mixture along with the chocolate chips until fully incorporated. Spoon alternating layers of the plain banana batter and the chocolate batter into the prepared pan, and use a skewer or knife to gently swirl the layers together to create a marbled effect.
Sprinkle the top with additional chocolate chips and, if desired, a pinch of flaky sea salt. Bake the loaf for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, slice and enjoy!
Tips
1. Choose Ripe Bananas
Use very ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots for the sweetest, most flavorful bread. If your bananas aren’t ripe yet, you can speed up the process by baking them (in their peels) at 300°F for 10-15 minutes until soft.
2. Don’t Overmix the Batter
When combining the wet and dry ingredients, stir just until the flour is incorporated. Overmixing can lead to a denser texture instead of a tender crumb.
3. Get the Marble Right
For a beautiful marble effect:
- Alternate small spoonfuls of plain and chocolate batter when layering in the pan.
- Use a skewer, knife, or chopstick to swirl the batter with a light hand—don’t overdo it, or the two batters will mix completely.
4. Even Baking
Check your bread at the 55-minute mark to prevent overbaking. Insert a toothpick in the center; it should come out with a few moist crumbs but no raw batter. Cover the loaf loosely with foil if it’s browning too quickly on top.
Vegan Marbled Banana Bread
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup mashed bananas 2-3 medium ripe bananas
- ½ cup packed brown sugar light or dark
- 4 tablespoon maple syrup
- ⅓ cup almond milk or other unsweetened plant milk
- 3 tablespoon Just Egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil for a stronger flavor
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup almond flour for tenderness
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Chocolate Swirl:
- 3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup hot water
- 4 tablespoon vegan chocolate chips plus more for topping
Instructions
Preheat Oven
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×5-inch bread pan with parchment paper.
Prepare Wet Ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Whisk in brown sugar, maple syrup, almond milk, Just Egg, vanilla extract, and oil until fully combined.
Mix Dry Ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined (don’t overmix).
Prepare Chocolate Batter
- In a small bowl, mix cocoa powder with hot water until smooth. Scoop half of the banana batter into another bowl, then stir in the cocoa mixture and chocolate chips until fully incorporated.
Create the Marble Effect
- Spoon alternating layers of the plain banana batter and chocolate batter into the prepared pan. Use a skewer or knife to gently swirl the layers together.
Add Topping
- Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top and, optionally, a pinch of flaky sea salt for balance.
Bake
- Bake at 350°F for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and Slice
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
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