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Home » Recipes » Cakes

Brownie Swirl Banana Bread

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By Zoha Malik
Updated on Jun 2, 2026
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Do you know what happens when you put banana bread and brownies together? Magic! A decadent, chocolatey brownie batter is swirled through a brown butter chocolate chip banana bread batter to create this beautiful marble loaf. The result is a rich, moist and soft banana bread with a strong banana flavor and pockets of fudgy, gooey brownie throughout. It is genuinely a treat for both the eyes and mouth!

Sliced brownie chocolate marble banana bread with melted chocolate swirls, displayed on a white surface with crumbs around the slices.

2 batters in this banana bread

As the name suggests, this banana bread is made of two batters:

  1. Banana bread batter: This is my favorite banana bread recipe made with brown butter and chocolate chips. It has a generous amount of mashed bananas, the perfect amount of sugar, and greek yogurt for added moisture
  2. Brownie batter. Swirled inside the banana bread is my easy, cocoa powder only brownie batter. It comes together in 5 minutes in one bowl with no mixer needed, and has a rich chocolatey flavor and gooey texture
A close-up of a sliced loaf of chocolate brownie swirl banana bread, showing moist, marbled layers of banana bread and melted chocolate. The loaf is set on a light background, and the texture appears rich and gooey.

Step by step photos

Let's quickly go over the steps with photos to help you visualize this recipe!

1. Make the banana bread batter

A glass mixing bowl on a wooden surface contains melted butter and packed brown sugar, ready to be mixed together.
Start by browning the butter, and add it to a bowl along with brown sugar and oil.
A glass mixing bowl on a wooden surface holds a partially mixed combination of brown sugar and a creamy liquid, with a copper whisk resting inside.
Whisk to combine the ingredients.
A glass bowl on a wooden surface contains a mixture of mashed bananas, beaten eggs, and a whisk, with some white yogurt visible.
Add the eggs, vanilla, instant coffee, mashed bananas and yogurt.
A metal whisk rests in a glass bowl filled with light brown batter, sitting on a dark wooden surface. The batter appears thick and slightly textured, suggesting its being mixed for baking.
Whisk until a smooth, creamy mixture forms.
A glass bowl containing flour on top of a wet batter mixture, with a metal whisk resting inside, sits on a wooden surface.
Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
A glass bowl filled with thick banana bread batter mixed with chocolate chips. A whisk with a wooden handle is resting in the batter, and some flour is visible on the bowl's edges.
Gently fold to combine, and mix in the chocolate chips.

2. Prepare the brownie batter

A glass bowl containing a yellow mix being whisked with a copper whisk, set on a wooden surface with some flour sprinkled around.
For the brownie batter, start by whisking together the melted butter and sugar until smooth.
A metal whisk rests in a glass bowl containing a yellow liquid mixture, likely beaten eggs, on a wooden surface lightly dusted with flour.
Whisk in the egg.
A glass bowl filled with cocoa powder and flour being mixed with a metal whisk sits on a wooden surface, with some flour scattered around the bowl.
Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
A glass bowl filled with thick chocolate brownie batter and chocolate chips, with a whisk resting inside. The bowl sits on a wooden surface sprinkled with flour.
Fold in the dry ingredients, and finally mix in the chocolate chips.

3. Assemble and bake

A loaf pan lined with parchment paper contains unbaked banana bread batter with two lines of brownie batter on top, resting on a wooden surface.
Prepare a 8.5 x 4.5" loaf pan with parchment paper. Add a third of the banana bread batter, and pipe on two thick stripes of brownie batter.
A loaf pan lined with parchment paper is filled with swirled banana bread batter and brownie batter, ready to bake. The pan sits on a wooden surface, and a hand holding an oven mitt is visible in the corner.
Repeat until all the batters are used. Use a skewer or toothpick to gently swirl the batters together.

That's it! Top with some chocolate chips, bake, serve and enjoy!

A close-up of a sliced loaf of brownie banana bread on a white surface, showing gooey melted chocolate chunks and a moist, textured interior.

Achieving the perfect swirl

Here's how you get the perfect swirl in this banana bread:

  • Make the banana bread batter first! Brownie batter gets thick really quickly, which makes it harder to spread/swirl it. So you want to assemble the loaf as soon as the brownie batter is done
  • Control the amount of marbling. How you achieve the marbling is very flexible. You can scoop the 2 batters in alternate dollops or use my technique of piping the brownie batter in stripes. Then use a skewer to swirl them together. If you swirl less, there will be larger pockets of brownie batter (which is how I like it as the batter is more fudgy that way!) - if you swirl more, the two batters will have thinner layers
  • Keep the brownie batter towards the middle of the loaf. Regardless of your swirling technique, you want to avoid getting the brownie batter on the bottom or sides of the pan. This is because brownie batter cooks and burns faster than banana bread batter!
A woman with long dark hair smiles at the camera while holding up a thick slice of brownie banana bread in a kitchen. She wears a brown apron, a smartwatch, and gold bracelets. The rest of the loaf sits on a cutting board.

Zoha's tips to perfect this banana bread

  • Measure with a weighing scale for accuracy. This is especially important for flour, as measuring cups can easily over-measure it resulting in a dry texture
  • Make sure your bananas are extra ripe! The more brown spots, the stronger the flavor. If in a pinch, bake the bananas at 350F for 5-8 minutes to caramelize them first
  • Use a light colored loaf pan. A dark pan will brown and cook the edges too fast
  • Get the baking time right. Use a toothpick inserted in the middle to test for doneness, it should have moist crumbs but no wet batter. Underbaking will cause the bread to sink!
  • Let it fully cool down. This banana bread will fall apart if you try to slice it while it's warm.
Print
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A close-up of a sliced loaf of chocolate brownie swirl banana bread, showing moist, marbled layers of banana bread and melted chocolate. The loaf is set on a light background, and the texture appears rich and gooey.

Brownie Swirl Banana Bread Recipe


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  • Author: Zoha Malik
  • Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings
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Description

A decadent and chocolatey marble banana bread made with fudgy brownie batter and brown butter chocolate chip banana batter.


Ingredients

Banana bread batter:

  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter (75g)
  • 4 tsp vegetable oil (12g)
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed (100g)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ½ tsp instant coffee + ½ teaspoon hot water
  • 3 medium extra ripe bananas, mashed (about 290g)
  • ¼ cup Greek yogurt (60g) - can substitute with sour cream
  • 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (162g)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup chocolate chips of choice (100g)

Brownie batter:

  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar (133g)
  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted (75g)
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅓ cup all purpose flour (43g)
  • ¼ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder (25g)
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup chocolate chips of choice (100g)


Instructions

Banana bread batter:

  1. Before starting, pre-heat your oven to 340F (conventional) and line a light colored 8.5"x4.5" or 9x4" loaf pan with parchment paper and butter/oil. The parchment should rise to the edges on both sides to create "flaps" that can be used to lift the banana bread out of the pan once baked
  2. Start by browning the butter. Add the unsalted butter to a saucepan. Place on medium low heat, and cook and stir for ~5-8 minutes until the butter has browned. It will melt first, then become bubbly and foamy before you see brown specks on the bottom and smell a lovely caramel-y scent. It will also stop sputtering once brown. Be sure not to overcook, as it can burn quickly after browning
  3. Add the brown butter to a bowl. Add the oil and brown sugar, and whisk for 1-2 minutes. If the mixture feels too hot, wait 5 minutes before proceeding. It's ok if it's grainy!
  4. Add the eggs, vanilla, and instant coffee dissolved in water. Whisk for 1-2 minutes until the mixture becomes smooth and lighter in color
  5. Add the mashed bananas and greek yogurt, and whisk until combined
  6. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently whisk until the dry ingredients are combined and no lumps or streaks of flour remain
  7. Lastly, fold in the chocolate chips. Do not over-mix

Brownie batter:

  1. For the brownie batter, melt the butter in the microwave in 15 second increments. Add the melted butter and sugar to a bowl. Whisk with a hand whisk for about 60 seconds or until the mixture looks smooth
  2. Add the egg and whisk again until the mixture looks smooth
  3. Now sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt directly into the bowl
  4. Gently mix in the dry ingredients using slow folding motions until just combined. Do not over-mix to prevent gluten formation
  5. Lastly, add in chocolate chips and fold until evenly dispersed

Assembly and baking:

  1. To assemble, transfer the brownie batter into a piping bag and cut a ½" hole at the tip. You can also use a cookie scoop or spoon instead of a piping bag to add the batter in dollops if you like!
  2. Add a third of the banana bread batter to the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread it out. Then pipe on two thick strips of the brownie batter. Cover with another third of the banana bread batter and 2 more strips of brownie batter, making sure the brownie batter doesn't touch the edges of the pan. Add the last third of the banana bread batter, and pipe the remaining brownie batter in one strip in the middle
  3. Use a skewer to swirl the layers of batters together - I don't like to swirl too much because I like having big pockets of brownie batter
  4. Optionally, you can cut some butter into very thin strips and arrange them in a line down the middle of the pan. This helps guide the crack of the banana bread as it bakes. You can also sprinkle over some more chocolate chips
  5. Bake in the pre-heated oven for ~65-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the banana bread comes out with light, moist crumbs (no wet batter)
  6. Let the banana bread cool down in the pan for at least 30 minutes before removing, slicing and serving!

Video tutorial:

Notes

  • Make ahead & storing: You can make this brownie banana bread beforehand and store it in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days (or in the fridge for up to 5 days). I recommend reheating each slice in the microwave before serving!
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 65 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a review and tag @bakewithzoha on Instagram!

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girl (zoha) sitting with arm propped on counter, smiling at camera, muffins and brownies in front of her

Hi, I'm Zoha! Self taught home-baker, massive sweet tooth, lover of all things baked and content creator behind Bake With Zoha.

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