Easy Moist Banana Hazelnut Bread is made with nutty brown butter and swirled with a thick ribbon of Nutella for a delicious combination. Creamy yogurt and overripe bananas create the perfect soft & moist loaf. Serve this bread warm with a smear of Nutella for a delicious treat!
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Get ready to enjoy a slice of very moist banana hazelnut bread. Between nutty brown butter, toasted chopped hazelnuts, and a swirl of Nutella, this loaf is packed with flavor.
I love using overripe bananas for baking, whether it’s for banana bread cookies, baked donuts, or sour cream muffins. And in this recipe, you’ll only need 3 ripe bananas combined with simple pantry ingredients for a banana bread that comes together quickly without the need for special equipment (makes cleanup super easy!).
Let’s get started!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Made with brown butter. It adds a rich, nutty, and slightly caramelized flavor taking this banana hazelnut bread to the next level!
- Perfect for ripe bananas. Do you have leftover brown speckled bananas (but not black and mushy)? No problem, they’re exactly what you’ll need for this recipe, and you won’t have to waste your bananas.
- No mixer is needed. This batter is hand-mixed and comes together in no time!
Ingredients You'll Need
- Butter. Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt that goes into the batter. Melted butter soaks up the flour and creates a smooth batter.
- All-purpose flour. Gives the right amount of tenderness to the loaf bread (not too dense and not too cakey).
- Baking soda. The leavening agent that contributes to the rise of the banana bread for a light and fluffy texture.
- Salt. Enhances the flavors of the other ingredients in the loaf.
- Sugar. You’ll need brown and granulated sugars for the sweetness. The brown sugar adds a slightly caramelized flavor.
- Bananas. The key ingredient for the flavor in this loaf bread. Selecting very ripe bananas will give you the best flavor since ripe bananas are sweeter. Additionally, ripe bananas mash easily into the ideal consistency for mixing into the batter.
- Eggs. Add richness and contribute to the rise of the cake. Use room temperature eggs.
- Vanilla. Pure vanilla extract is worth the splurge for the best flavor.
- Greek yogurt. Adds moisture and richness to the loaf. The acidity in yogurt helps create a softer and more tender cake and balances out the sweetness of the other ingredients. Use room temperature yogurt to create a smooth batter.
- Hazelnuts. Use chopped hazelnuts. Toasting them first adds a delicious flavor to your loaf. You can swap hazelnuts for your favorite nuts or omit them altogether.
- Nutella. Swirl it into the batter for a fun surprise. Feel free to use more or less based on your preferences.
Easy Ingredient Swaps
- Sour Cream. You can easily swap the Greek yogurt with an equal amount of sour cream or even regular yogurt.
- Frozen bananas. If you have frozen bananas on hand, thaw them at room temperature, drain excess liquid, mash, and add them to the batter.
How to Quickly Mash Bananas
You are ready to make this banana hazelnut bread, but your bananas aren’t super ripe. No need to try to mash firm bananas. Instead, here are some tips to quickly ripen bananas.
- Oven method: Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet in a preheated 300°F/150°C oven. Bake them for 15-20 minutes until the skins are black and they are soft to the touch. Allow to cool before mashing them.
- Microwave method: Using a fork or knife, poke holes all over unpeeled bananas. Place them on a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 30-second intervals until softened.
Note: The microwave method will not produce super ripe bananas like the oven will, however, they will become soft enough to mash easily into the ideal consistency.
Helpful Equipment & Tools
- Digital kitchen scale or measuring cups. Using a scale will give you exact measurements for consistent results.
- Measuring spoons.
- 9x5 loaf pan. I don’t recommend using a smaller loaf pan otherwise, the batter won’t cook evenly. If using a glass or ceramic pan, the heat will take longer to transfer to the batter, so you’ll need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
- Parchment paper.
- Small saucepan. Used to brown the butter.
- Large bowl.
- Medium bowl.
- Whisk.
- Rubber spatula.
- Knife.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Before you begin: Bring the eggs and Greek yogurt to room temperature and read the recipe from start to finish. Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C and line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
Brown the butter. Melt the butter in a saucepan and cook until you see brown specks throughout.
Whisk dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Add sugar. Whisk together sugar and butter.
Mix wet ingredients. Mix bananas, eggs, vanilla, and yogurt.
Combine ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Gently fold hazelnuts into the batter.
Bake. Pour batter into the pan and swirl with Nutella, then bake.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
As a trained pastry chef, I always use these tips to bake the perfect banana hazelnut bread.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature. Doing this will allow your ingredients to mix evenly and smoothly.
- Use parchment paper. Line your baking pan with parchment paper to prevent the banana bread from sticking. No parchment paper? Grease and flour the pan before adding the batter.
- Gently fold the ingredients together. You’ll want to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients without overmixing, or else the loaf will become chewy.
- Slice once completely cool. The banana bread needs to be fully set before slicing otherwise, it’ll fall apart.
Recipe Variations
We love the combination of the brown butter infused flavor plus the Nutella swirl, but you could also vary with other flavors:
- Frosted loaf. Use a simple vanilla glaze or the cream cheese frosting from my fluffy cinnamon rolls (half the amount) to top this banana bread.
- Chocolate chips. Add up to 80 g (½ cup) of chocolate chips to the batter.
Storage & Freezing Tips
- Leftover bread. Store covered at room temperature for 2 to 3 days or up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
- Freezer. Tightly wrap the completely cooled banana hazelnut loaf or slices in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Place wrapped banana bread in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw on the counter to room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
No problem! I recommend slicing the loaf and cooking it in a skillet (preferably cast iron) with butter to toast it! Spread the warmed slices with Nutella for an extra tasty treat.
Using a baking pan that’s too small or overmixing the batter will result in a banana bread that sinks in the middle.
Yes, fill the cavities of a standard muffin pan lined with cupcake liners ¾ full of batter and bake at 350°F/177°C for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
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Moist Banana Hazelnut Bread
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 9x5 Loaf 1x
Description
Easy Moist Banana Hazelnut Bread is made with nutty brown butter and swirled with a thick ribbon of Nutella for a delicious combination. Creamy yogurt and overripe bananas create the perfect soft & moist loaf. Serve this bread warm with a smear of Nutella for a delicious treat!
Ingredients
- 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 200 g (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 165 g (¾ cup) light brown sugar
- 55 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 380 g (3 medium) very ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 120 g (½ cup) Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 90 g (¾ cup) chopped toasted hazelnuts
- 55 g (3 tablespoons) Nutella, warmed to a pourable consistency
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until the butter has brown specks throughout. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside to cool but not thicken.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the sugars to the butter and whisk vigorously for 1 minute.
- Add the mashed bananas, eggs, vanilla, and Greek yogurt and mix to combine.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Add the hazelnuts and mix to combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Pour the Nutella over the batter and swirl with a knife.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan before removing and slicing.
Notes
Storage: Store covered at room temperature for 2 to 3 days or up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Freezer: Tightly wrap the completely cooled loaf or slices in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Place in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw on the counter to room temperature before serving.
Banana Hazelnut Muffins: Fill the cavities of a standard muffin pan lined with cupcake liners ¾ full with batter and bake at 350°F/177°C for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
Paul says
Came out perfect. Delicioussssss.
Maria Pagiotas says
Hi Paul! So happy you loved this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Barbara says
Can we omit the hazelnuts? Thank you
Maria Pagiotas says
Hi Barbara! Yes, you can omit all of the hazelnuts and it will still turn out delicious 🙂
Kristen says
This really is so moist and delicious! My family loved this loaf. I will definitely be making this again soon.
Maria Pagiotas says
Hi Kristen! So happy you loved this banana bread! Thank you for sharing!!