Vanilla Chocolate Marble Banana Loaf

We all have our favorite banana loaf recipes and this one is mine. The extra vanilla in this loaf gives it a wonderful aroma. This is also a low-fat recipe and the chocolate chips are optional if you are being really good about watching your weight, but I always throw them in, because sometimes you just gotta live a little! Aside from the chocolate chips I would encourage you to follow this recipe to code. I have already played around with the sweetness (I don’t like my baking overly sweet) and the vanilla amounts and they really are best left alone.

I hope you enjoy this nice light loaf. It makes a great tea time snack for guests, recess snack for the kids, house-warming or baby-warming gift or a yummy dessert! I love it accompanied by a steaming cup of Earl Grey tea!

Melodie’s Vanilla Chocolate Marble Banana Loaf

2 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup smashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)

1/3 cup buttermilk (*see below for substitutions)

1 Tbsp sunflower oil

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a loaf pan and dust with flour. Using an electric mixer, beat egss and sugar in a bowl until thick and light, about 5 minutes. Mix in smashed bananas, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, add them to the wet ingredients and mix until just blended.

Divide the batter into two bowls. In one of the bowls add the cocoa powder and mix thoroughly.

Pour batter from both bowls into the prepared loaf pan, swirling as you go. I often spoon a couple dollops of one batter and then a couple dollops of the other batter and make my own pattern. The kids will enjoy helping you with this part too. As I pour or dollop the batter I also sprinkle the chocolate chips, leaving some exposed and other buried inside the loaf.

Bake until golden brown on top and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about one hour. Turn loaf onto rack and cool.

Makes one loaf.

*Buttermilk substitutions: Did you know you can substitute buttermilk for 1/2 plain yogurt and 1/2 milk or milk alternative, OR by adding a small amount of plain vinegar or lemon juice to some milk? The first substitution is my favorite as with the second you can sometimes detect the flavour of the juice or vinegar.

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3. Easy Handmade Gifts: Chocolate Lover’s Sampler
4. Foodie Fridays: Ice Cream Cake
5. Foodie Fridays: Weird Food Combinations

Tags: dessert, Foodie Fridays, snack