Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Bread Recipe

A good banana bread is moist, delicious and full of natural banana flavor. This original recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Bread is quick and easy to make while yielding excellent results. Its decadent, lava-like chocolate center makes this banana bread truly memorable.

The secret to a great banana bread is using bananas with skins that are well on their way to turning brown. As bananas ripen, their flesh becomes softer and sweeter. The brown-spotted bananas several days past their prime, will lend the best taste and texture to your homemade banana bread.

Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Bread

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus 1 teaspoon, set aside)
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1 pinch freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs plus 1 yolk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups very ripe bananas, mashed smooth
3 tablespoons creme fraiche (link to recipe below)
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
1 small bar Hershey's Special Dark chocolate
1/3 cup Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly oil the bottom only of a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, all-spice, mace, nutmeg and sea salt.

In the work bowl of a standing mixer, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar and eggs using the whisk attachment. Beat on speed setting 3 or 4 until light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add in the vegetable oil. Add the mashed bananas, creme fraiche and vanilla then beat on speed setting #3 for 1 minute.

Switch to the paddle attachment. Using the lowest speed setting, fold in one half of the flour mixture. As soon as ingredients appear combined, add the remaining flour mixture. After 30 seconds, increase the speed to the #2 setting and mix until just combined, being careful to not overmix the banana bread batter.

Pour the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Set the pan on the counter, vertically in front of you so that one short end is facing you and the other is facing away.

Toss one section/piece of Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate in the reserved flour. Holding the flour-dusted piece of chocolate horizontally, gently place it onto the surface of the banana bread batter towards one end. Be sure to leave a half inch of space between the pan and the first piece of chocolate.

Repeat the process for the remaining pieces of chocolate, working your way down the pan-- creating a line of chocolate "stepping stones", centered in the banana bread batter. It is important that the chocolate pieces not touch the pan at either end.

Next, place closely-spaced spoonfuls of the Nutella spread on top of the chocolate pieces, again forming a line from one end of the pan to the other. As with the previous step, do not allow the Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread to touch either end of the pan. When finished, lightly dust the chocolate "trail" with a scant pinch or two of all-purpose flour.

Immediately transfer to the preheated oven. Bake the Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Bread for 1 hour, 10 minutes then check for doneness.

Because of the chocolate filling, the Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Bread can only be accurately checked for doneness by inserting a long toothpick or wooden skewer, off-center towards the edges or sides of the pan where there is no liquid chocolate center. Try checking in several areas of the bread.

The Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Bread is done when the skewer comes out clean.

Cool the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Using a clean butter knife, carefully trace around the edges to ensure the banana bread is free from the pan. Transfer the Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Bread back to the wire rack and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. Slice and serve the banana bread warm, on a plate drizzled with a little chocolate sauce and lightly dusted with powdered sugar.

Note: As pictured above, you may also use mini bundt pans instead of the traditional loaf pan. Be sure to grease the bottom only of the mini bundt, then fill about 1/3 of the way with the banana bread batter.

In the center, of the mini bundt pan, you will find a small protrusion or bump that serves to create the "hole" in the center of the finished dessert. Rest a single, small square of dark chocolate on the top of the center protrusion then top with 1/2 teaspoonful of Nutella hazelnut spread. Add batter until each mini bundt pan is 2/3 filled with the banana bread batter.

Bake at 350 F. for approximately 40 minutes then check off-center for doneness, using a wooden skewer as described above.

Allow banana bread to cool for 5 minutes, then use a clean butter knife to carefully trace around the inside of each mini bundt to ensure that the banana bread is free from the pan. Invert the mini bundts onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or directly onto individual serving dishes drizzled with chocolate sauce for presentation.

Allow Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Bread to cool for an additional 5-10 minutes, then top each with a dusting of powdered sugar. For a fresh, summer-style presentation, the indentation of each mini-bundt can be filled with a few raspberries and several more added around the plate before dusting lightly with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Bread mini-bundts can be served warm or at room temperature.