Nutella & Toasted Pecan Swirl Banana Bread

Got rotten bananas?

Overripe bananas gross me out–gack! <— That was my attempt at a sound effect for gagging.

Lesson: I’m horrible at creating sound effects. Which brings me to my next point; why are boys so good at sound effects? They can make realistic shooting noises, mock a motorcycle rumbling down the road, and pretend their ninjas.

It’s an innate talent I don’t quite understand.

Just the other day, Squirrel came up with something he named the squirrel call. Apparently, having nicknames isn’t enough–now we need our own themed calling method. We’re not superheroes that need to activate a signal when trouble ensues.

I was literally dying with laughter when he showed me for the first time. I’m not kidding, folks, I ended up with side stitches from giggling so much.

The man is a nut!

I digress. You came here for bread, and I’m going to give you what you came for.

This nutella & toasted pecan swirl banana bread is the bomb dot com! I kid you not.

Like most recipes for banana bread, this bread is moist, sweet, and highly addictive. Unlike most recipes for banana bread, this bread is oozing with melted nutella and toasted pecans. 

When you take it out of the oven, it appears as if it’s a regular loaf of banana bread, delicious but slightly boring. One slice will prove it different, so deliciously different.

Banana bread tips:

1. Grease and flour your bread pan. I realize adding flour to the pan is an additional step that can be somewhat messy, but, I promise, it’s worth the time if you want your bread to leave the pan without hesitation.
2. Ripe bananas–they live for banana bread. Honestly, I don’t know a single person who looks at a ripe, mushy banana and thinks, “Yum!” They’re meant for mashing. You can detect a ripe banana when the skin is freckled with dark spots and the innards are soft when you press on the outer skin.
3. Chunky vs. smooth: You can use a fork or a potato masher. If you want a smooth mash with very little lumpage, use a potato masher. If you prefer a chunky banana bread, you’ll have more control with a fork.
4. Melt and cool your butter. Make sure you allow your butter to come to room-temperature before mixing it into your batter. I know it’s hard to wait when you’re craving chocolate-stuffed banana bread, but it’s a must. Melted butter creates a moister, denser bread. Since I like my banana bread extra moist, I always melt my buttah.
5. I used a larger loaf pan for this recipe (10-inch-by-5-inch). A conventional 9-inch-by-5-inch pan will work as well. Banana bread takes between a 60-70 minutes to bake. Begin testing your bread every 5 minutes at 60-minute mark to prevent over-baking. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean when your bread is finished baking.

For the swirl: 

1. Add half the batter to your greased and floured loaf pan.
2. Melt your nutella in the microwave for 20-30 seconds so that it’s spreadable.
3. Evenly drizzle the softened nutella over the batter. Use a rubber spatula to spread the nutella into the corners.
4. Sprinkle with toasted pecans.
5. Top with remaining batter. Use a rubber spatula to evenly spread the batter over the nutella layer.

That central ooze is causing fits of irresistible ooze cravings. The only thing to do with a craving this strong is to cut a thick, hefty slice and go at it.

Print Recipe

Nutella & Toasted Pecan Swirled Banana Bread

Sweet, moist banana bread swirled with melted nutella and toasted pecans.

Yield: 1 (10-by-5-inch) loaf

Total Time: 75 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 65 minutes

Ingredients:

Bread: 

• 2 ripe bananas, peeled
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Swirl: 

• 1/2 cup nutella
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch-by-5-inch or 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork or potato masher.
3. Add melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
4. Add dry ingredients to the bowl with the banana mixture. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir until flour is no longer visible.
5. Add half the batter to the prepared loaf pan.
6. Add nutella to a small bowl. Microwave for 20-3o seconds to soften. Drizzle over the banana bread batter. Spread evenly over the batter using a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with toasted pecans. Top with remaining batter. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula.
7. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Start checking your bread at the 60-minute mark every 5 minutes to prevent over baking.
8. Cool in the pan completely. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the loaf. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or slice and freeze for up to 3 months.

All images and text ©One Sweet Mess.

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