Vegan Marble Banana Bread
Heads up – it's time for a brand-new banana bread recipe! We realized our last one was already over two years ago, so we figured it was time to shake things up. Literally. Because we've got a vegan marble banana bread for you that creates a gorgeous chocolate-and-vanilla swirl – just like a real moist vegan marble cake – right inside the loaf.
By now there are soooo many banana bread recipes out there – and we've already got a few on our blog ourselves, like a vegan chai banana bread, pumpkin banana bread, or a simple banana bread with walnuts and chocolate. But sometimes you just want something new, right?
From Lots of Testing to the Best Result:
We thought it'd be simple: take a basic banana bread recipe, add some cocoa powder to part of the batter – and boom, marble banana bread! Unfortunately, reality didn't quite match our expectations. Banana bread batter is pretty thick, which meant the classic marble swirl just didn't look the part. After four rounds of testing and a LOT of banana bread eating, we were finally happy with the result. Even if we do need a banana bread break right now…
Spelt Flour Instead of Wheat Flour?
Spelt flour is a more nutritious alternative to wheat flour and tends to be easier to digest since it's an ancient grain that hasn't been as overbred as wheat. Taste-wise, spelt flour has a slightly nuttier flavor. When baking, spelt flour can usually be swapped 1:1 for wheat flour (e.g., type 405), so feel free to use wheat flour if you don't have spelt flour on hand.
How to Make the Perfect Banana Bread:
Ripe bananas are super important for a flavorful and moist banana bread. The browner the banana, the better – that's when it's at its sweetest and most aromatic.
Moisture in the batter plays a big role in keeping the bread nice and moist. But it's all about getting the right balance between wet and dry ingredients so the cake doesn't turn out dry or rubbery.
Ground vanilla brings out the banana flavor beautifully.
Don't be shy – really go for it when swirling the batter in the loaf pan from bottom to top to get that perfect marble swirl.
Don't forget the toothpick test, as baking time can vary. If you insert a wooden toothpick into the cake, no wet batter should stick to it when you pull it out.
Just between us, one more little pro tip: If you don't have overripe bananas on hand, you can pop your green or yellow bananas into the oven at 150 °C / 300 °F for a few minutes until the peel turns dark brown.
Vegan Marble Banana Bread
Ingredients
For the White Batter:
- 420 g (3.5 cups) spelt flour (type 360)
- 16 g (4 tsp) baking powder
- 100 g (0.5 cup) sugar
- 1.5 tsp ground vanilla
- 10 g (1.25 tbsp) cornstarch
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 2 very ripe bananas (approx. 200 g / 7 oz)
- 220 ml (1 cup) plant-based milk
- 180 ml (0.75 cup) neutral vegetable oil
For the Chocolate Batter:
- 2–3 tbsp (1 oz) baking cocoa
- 60 ml (0.25 cup) plant-based milk
Also:
- 1 very ripe banana
- plant-based butter for greasing
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180 °C / 355 °F (convection). Grease a loaf pan (approx. 22.5 cm / 9 inches) with plant-based butter.
Add spelt flour, baking powder, sugar, ground vanilla, cornstarch, and salt to a bowl and mix to combine.
Add the two bananas, plant-based milk, and neutral vegetable oil to a blender and blend until smooth. Then add to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir into a smooth batter.
Transfer one third of the batter into a small bowl. Add the baking cocoa and 60 ml (0.25 cup) plant-based milk and stir well until a smooth, even cocoa mixture forms.
First pour the light batter into the loaf pan, then add the chocolate batter on top. Use a spoon to swirl through the batter from bottom to top to create a marble swirl.
Cut the remaining banana in half lengthwise and place on top of the batter with the cut side facing up. Bake the banana bread for approximately 60 minutes at 180 °C / 355 °F until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. If the surface gets too dark, cover with aluminum foil. Let the banana bread cool in the pan for approximately 10 minutes, then carefully turn it out and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
