Not Peanut Butter Or Chocolate Chips — Amp Up Banana Bread With This Creamy Addition

Banana bread often comes from an effort to make use of fruit that's mostly turned, so there's no reason to be precious about sticking strictly to a plain recipe. Chocolate chips and peanut butter are classic additions, but for something richer, swirl Nutella over the top of the batter before the loaf goes into the oven. The spread, originating in Italy, brings both the chocolate and nut flavors to the party in a single jar. Applying it in this manner keeps these flavors concentrated in distinct pockets across the top, which makes for some very good bites.

As with this shareable banana Nutella bars recipe, placement is important with this idea. Nutella contains plenty of sugar and fat, and stirring it thoroughly into your batter will distribute it all throughout. Swirling it into just the upper portions leaves distinct pockets of chocolate-hazelnut flavor against the sweet fruitiness, and it creates an attractive, marbled surface for each slice.

Start by following your preferred recipe, and once the batter is in the pan, spoon several dollops of Nutella across the surface. If it's too thick to work with easily, briefly warming it for a few seconds in the microwave or letting the jar sit in a bowl of warm water while you prep the rest of the batter can do the trick. Then, when the batter is poured and the Nutella is dolloped, drag a butter knife or a skewer through the Nutella and the very top of the batter, to create broad swirls. Be judicious with your swirling; a few deliberate passes will preserve the well-defined streaks, but if you stir like crazy it will muddy together, visually and flavor-wise. 

Once there's Nutella marbled across your loaf, you can just keep going. Chopped hazelnuts are an obvious addition, reinforcing the nuttiness of the spread, and introducing some textural intrigue to an otherwise homogeneously soft loaf. Toasting the nuts first will deepen their flavor, or you can use walnuts or pecans. Scatter them across the top, after swirling but before baking; they'll somewhat settle into the topping and the parts that peek out will get extra roasty.

A little finishing salt can bring some savory balance to the recipe. Both ripe bananas and Nutella are quite sweet, so a restrained sprinkle of the boujee, flaked topping like Maldon Salt over the finished loaf will provide sharp little contrasting notes against the sugar and fat. You could use vanilla bean, paste, or extract, or follow this bourbon banana bread recipe for a more sophisticated option, too. For another more mature dimension, try adding a little espresso powder to the batter. Coffee and chocolate work well together, and a tiny bit can deepen the cocoa flavor of the Nutella. Another of the many tips for making the best banana bread is adding warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves, which can take the bread in cozy, aromatic directions.

If you're worried your bread is starting to seem like a dessert, don't. Lean in. Serve a slice à la mode while it's slightly warm and the Nutella is especially soft and gooey, with a big scoop of vanilla or French vanilla ice cream. Fresh strawberries can add some bright, acidic juiciness, or you could toast the slice to crisp the edges, then spread it with crème fraîche or mascarpone. You could also just go ahead and spread some more Nutella on top, because why not?