This marble banana bread bakes up moist and tender and is topped with chocolate chip streusel and a chocolate ganache drizzle.

It’s so good that now I’m wondering why I don’t top all my desserts with streusel!!

How to Make Marble Banana Bread

To make sure this recipe turns out as amazing as possible, let’s walk through each step together! I’ve also included a video tutorial of the process below.

I figured it might be helpful to know what tools I use too, so I’ve shared a list below.

Not all of these are mandatory, but they make the process a lot easier. If you don’t have all these things on hand, feel free to improvise and work with what you have.

• 8.5×4.5-in loaf pan
• Parchment paper
• Whisk or electric hand mixer

Step 1: Make the Chocolate Chip Streusel Topping

Make the chocolate chip streusel first by whisking all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add in the melted butter and gently stir together with a fork to make some nice, big crumbles.

You should end up with a bowl of what looks like wet sand with some pea-sized chunks. Be careful not to over-mix! You want to leave some of those buttery chunks intact. Set aside.

Step 2: Make the Marble Banana Bread Batter

Next, make the banana bread batter following the recipe card below. Alternate spoonfuls of regular and chocolate batter into the prepared pan.

Then gently swirl the batter together with a butter knife or scribe.

Cover the top of the batter with an even layer of chocolate chip streusel.

Step 3: Bake the Banana Bread

Bake on the middle baking rack for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate the pan halfway through to make sure it bakes evenly.

If you notice the streusel on top of the loaf is over-browning when you rotate it, cover the loaf pan with a foil tent to prevent it from over-browning.

Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then carefully lift the loaf out of the pan with the parchment paper sling and place it on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Step 4: Make the Chocolate Ganache and Decorate the Marble Banana Bread

While the banana bread bakes and cools, make the chocolate ganache.

Place the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and set aside.

Heat the heavy cream in a heatproof bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute, until it’s steaming and just starting to bubble.

If you don’t have a microwave or prefer to use the stovetop, heat the cream over medium heat in a pan until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat.

Gently pour the heavy cream over the chocolate. Make sure the chocolate is fully covered by the cream. Let the mixture sit for 1-2 minutes.

Stir the mixture together until the cream and chocolate are combined and the mixture is smooth.

If you make this in advance, it can be refrigerated for up to a month. Heat it in the microwave in 5-10 second intervals, stirring between until it reaches a more fluid consistency.

Drizzle with warm chocolate ganache, then enjoy!

Substitutions and Swaps – Marble Banana Bread

While I love this marble banana bread recipe just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all these ingredients on hand.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe:

• Oil – Using oil in this recipe helps it bake up nice and moist. You can use any flavorless oil in this recipe, like canola, sunflower, etc. You can also use softened, unsalted butter in place of the oil if needed.
• Granulated Sugar – This recipe turns out best with granulated sugar. I don’t recommend changing the type or amount of sugar, as it will change the texture of the banana bread.
• Eggs – If you don’t have eggs on hand or you can’t eat eggs, you can try using 1 1/2 flaxseed eggs.
• All-Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend in its place if needed.
• Buttermilk – You can also use full-fat yogurt, Greek yogurt, sour cream, or alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
• Overripe Bananas – If you don’t have overripe bananas on hand, bake your bananas at 300 F for about 15 minutes or until the skins of the bananas are black.
• Cocoa Powder – Any type of unsweetened baking cocoa will work in this recipe. You can also use Dutch-processed or dark cocoa powder.
• Chocolate Chips – I prefer to use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips to make the streusel and ganache. However, you can also use milk chocolate.
• Heavy Cream – Heavy whipping cream or heavy cream work great in this recipe. Do not swap in milk, you need a high fat % to give the ganache the right consistency.

Why is it Better to Use Overripe Bananas to Make Banana Bread?

Most banana recipes insist on using only the ripest bananas, including this one. But why are overripe bananas better to bake with?

There are actually several reasons! The first is that as a banana ripens, more of its starch is converted into sugar. This creates sweeter, more tender baked goods.

Another benefit of baking with super-ripe bananas is that they’re super easy to mash up. This ensures your banana bread will have a uniform, even texture without any unexpected chunks of banana.

Overripe bananas are also more aromatic and give baked goods a more intense banana flavor than yellow bananas.

The final and best reason (in my opinion) is that it uses up overripe fruit that would otherwise go to waste!

With all that in mind, this recipe will still turn out if you use yellow bananas. It just won’t have as intense of a banana flavor.

Baking Hack: How to Quickly Ripen Bananas

If you only have yellow bananas and want that intense banana flavor, don’t worry!

You can easily turn yellow bananas brown in a matter of minutes. Preheat your oven to 300 F / 150 C and place the unpeeled bananas on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake them for about 15 minutes, or until the banana skin is uniformly dark in color.

Let them cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully peel and mash them.

I use this hack all the time and it works like a charm.

Making This Banana Bread in Advance

You can make this banana bread in advance. It can last for a few days at room temperature, up to a week in the fridge, or up to a month in the freezer.

Store the banana bread in an airtight container or Ziplock bag to keep it moist.

This banana bread freezes extremely well, so don’t be afraid to make a double batch and freeze one for later.

Just wait to add the cookie butter drizzle until you thaw it. Wrap the banana bread in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil to lock in all the moisture.

When you’re ready to enjoy one of the frozen loaves, move it from the freezer to the fridge the night before.

Then set it out at room temperature to let it thaw for a few hours before adding the cookie butter drizzle.

Tips for Making the Best Marble Banana Bread

• Line the bread pan with a parchment paper sling so that you can easily remove the banana bread once it’s baked without messing up the streusel topping.
• Use super-ripe bananas! If you don’t have any on hand, see my tip above on how to quickly ripen your bananas in the oven.
• Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Ingredients at room temp mix together better. Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• DO NOT OVER-MIX THE BATTER! It can make your banana bread dense and chewy. Once you start to mix in the flour, mix the batter JUST until it’s combined.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this marble banana bread recipe, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

And don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets so that I can see your delicious baking on social media!

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