No eggs? No problem! This easy Marbled Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread is not only egg-free but also gluten-free and refined sugar-free. Naturally sweetened with ripe bananas and dates with delicious swirls of rich dark cocoa and creamy peanut butter. This guilt-free treat freezes perfectly, making it an ideal choice for last-minute gatherings or a delightful addition to your breakfast brunch board.
We originally published this recipe on May 9, 2013. It has been updated in 2025 with new photos, videos, and helpful recipe tips.
Jump to:
- Vegan Banana Loaf Ingredients
- Guilt Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Spread
- How to Make Marbled Banana Bread
- Recipe Tips
- Help, I Only Have 3 Bananas!
- Fun Additions and Toppings
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage
- Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)
- Breakfast and Brunch Breads and Muffins
- Eggless Marbled Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Vegan Banana Loaf Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
Bananas – 4 large very ripe bananas or about 2 cups mashed. I know what you are thinking, but they are black! Yes, they are but this is when they are the sweetest. When we have bananas that are extra ripe, but we do not have time to bake, we remove the peel and freeze them. Frozen bananas are delicious in chocolate peanut butter banana smoothies, banana bread, and matcha brownies.
Tip: To quickly ripen bananas for this recipe, store them in a paper bag and they will be ready in 1 to 2 days.
Oil – You can use any neutral flavored oil of choice. Melted coconut oil or even a light olive oil can be used.
Vanilla – brings all the flavors together.
Dates – We used ½ cup finely chopped red dates (jujubes) or you can use date paste to lightly sweeten the marbled banana bread.
Dry Ingredients
Flour – King Arthur measure for measure Gluten Free 1:1 flour is what we used for this banana bread recipe. We have also tested the recipe with all-purpose flour. Both types of flours work well.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda – These are the leavening agents. Be sure to check the expiration dates. Choose a brand that is gluten free – if you are celiac.
Salt – Just a pinch brings out the natural sweetness of the bananas and dates.
Guilt Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Spread
We used to make this moist banana loaf bread with Nutella - until we noticed all the refined sugar, carbs, and palm oil. Yikes! This version is lightened up and delicious without the guilt.
Creamy Natural Peanut butter – To keep this eggless banana bread refined sugar free, choose a natural peanut butter. We have also made this recipe with almond butter and other seed butters like pumpkin seed butter.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Gives the spread a rich and decadent chocolate flavor.
Honey or Maple Syrup – to sweeten. If you are following a vegan diet, you may want to choose maple syrup to sweeten.
How to Make Marbled Banana Bread
- In a large bowl add the wet ingredients, mash bananas, oil and vanilla and mix.
- Add dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix.
- Add the dry ingredients into the mashed banana wet ingredients along with the chopped dates.
- Mix peanut butter, cocoa powder, honey or maple syrup and vanilla.
- Pour banana bread batter into a lined loaf tin.
- Dollop spoons of the chocolate peanut butter spread on the banana bread batter.
- Swirl and mix the chocolate peanut butter spread into the egg free banana bread mixture.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) for 50 to 60 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.
Recipe Tips
- Use ripe bananas for a sweeter banana bread.
- Spoon and level flour into the measuring cups to prevent over packing.
- Mix the dry ingredients separately before adding to the wet ingredients to ensure even mixing of the leavening agents.
- Microwave the peanut butter (or nut of seed butter of choice) for 15 to 20 seconds before mixing in the cocoa powder, honey or maple syrup and vanilla. It makes it is easier to mix the sauce.
- Try our Coffee Sauce in exchange for the chocolate and peanut butter spread for a fun addition.
- If you use previously frozen bananas, be sure to drain any extra moisture before adding it to your banana bread recipe.
Help, I Only Have 3 Bananas!
This easy Marbled chocolate peanut butter banana bread calls for 4 large bananas. Inquiring minds want to know…can you make this banana bread with only 3 bananas? You sure can, but it will not be as sweet.
Try adding ¼ cup non-dairy or dairy of choice to substitute for one banana. This helps loosen the banana bread batter. Even canned coconut milk works well in this recipe.
Fun Additions and Toppings
- Chocolate chips
- Nuts of choice
- Drizzle of peanut butter or nut or seed butter of choice on top before serving
Serving Suggestions
Our favorite way to enjoy this marbled chocolate peanut butter banana bread is warm or toasted with a cup of tea, coffee or spiced golden milk. However, it is also delicious at room temperature or chilled. If you used coconut oil instead of a light flavored oil, it is best to warm in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds before serving.
Storage
This eggless banana bread can be stored in a sealed container up to 3 days. Maybe longer but it never – ever lasts that long (smiling). It is best to store it in the refrigerator to prevent molding in humid climates. The loaf can be frozen up to 3 months.
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Yes, you can use use frozen bananas in banana bread. However, please defrost first and then drain the extra banana liquid. Please note that when you freeze bananas, they will seep out extra liquid as it defrosts. If using all frozen bananas for your recipe, you may need to add an extra half or whole frozen banana to compensate for this lost liquid.
You can use one of these methods to defrost frozen bananas for baking.
Refrigerator Method: Place frozen bananas covered in the refrigerator overnight to thaw.
Room Temperature: Thaw uncovered for a couple of hours in a bowl.
Microwave Method: defrost at half power for short bursts of time in a microwave safe dish.
You can ripen your unripe bananas in the oven. This will make them sweeter. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F (148 C). Pop your whole un-peeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake for about 45-60 minutes until they look terrifyingly black. I know they look like something from a horror film. Even though the skin is black, the inside is beautifully sweet and ripe. These baked whole bananas are perfect to use in baking or other culinary uses.
Breakfast and Brunch Breads and Muffins
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Eggless Marbled Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Equipment
- 1 9 x 5 loaf pan oiled and lined with parchment paper
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 4 whole bananas large - very ripe mashed (see recipe notes)
- ⅓ cup oil light neutral flavored (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup dates chopped packed (We used red dates - jujubes)
Dry Ingredients
- 1 and ¾ cups flour measure for measure 1:1 gluten free flour or regular all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Chocolate Peanut Butter Spread
- ⅓ cup peanut butter creamy - We used natural without sugar (see recipe notes)
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup to keep vegan
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Banana Bread Batter
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Grease and line 9 x 5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Allow the parchment paper to hang a couple of inches over the edges.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the wet ingredients; mash bananas and then add oil, vanilla, chopped dates and stir. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients; flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix together.
- Slowly, a little a time use a fork to mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Spread
- Heat up peanut butter or other nut/seed butter for about 15 - 20 seconds in the microwave to soften slightly. Add in cocoa powder, honey or maple syrup and vanilla and stir until smooth. It will be thick like a spread.
- Spoon the banana batter into the prepared loaf pan. Add dollops of the chocolate peanut butter spread on top of batter. Swirl back and forth with a butter knife on top or mix and create a marbled effect.
- Bake Eggless Marbled Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread for 50 - 60 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly.
- Hold on to the edges of the parchment paper to remove the eggless marbled banana bread. Slice and Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Use ripe bananas for a sweeter banana bread. To quickly ripen bananas for this recipe, store them in a paper bag and they will be ready in 1 to 2 days.
- Spoon and level flour into the measuring cups to prevent over packing.
- Mix the dry ingredients separately before adding to the wet ingredients to ensure even mixing of the leavening agents.
- Microwave the peanut butter (or nut of seed butter of choice) for 15 to 20 seconds before mixing in the cocoa powder, honey or maple syrup and vanilla. It makes it is easier to mix the sauce.
- If you use previously frozen bananas, be sure to drain any extra moisture before adding it to your banana bread recipe. You may also need to add one extra frozen banana due to the water loss and thawing process.
Eva Taylor says
I'm not a Mom but boy would I love a slice if this warm right out of the oven. Your dad is a very clever man, 66 years of marriage is quite the accomplishment these days. We have 27 years and that's rare too!
thecompletecookbook says
Your dad sounds like a sweetiepie!
I love that you can ripen bananas in the oven - never knew that and Almost Diet sounds perfect to me!
Have a wonderful Mothers Day Bam.
🙂 Mandy xo
Eha says
Thanks Bobbi for your kind words. It's just that the Hippocratic Oath saying 'First do no harm' I find it SO hard not to comment. I basically did not so much because of your recipe but because quite a few of your readers obviously use the product: even give it to their children for breakfast! Thank you very much for the link: to be honest I do not eat or serve anything like this at all even with less fat and sugar! And I shall 'keep out' when similar recipes are posted in the future: I already do on quite a few 'cake-happy' blogs 😀 ! Have a good weekend: I'll be gardening in a drizzle!!
dianeskitchentable says
That looks so moist & delicious I could lick the screen & be happy. You know I never even heard about this Nutella until a few months ago & I now I can't figure out why I didn't latch on to this earlier. I think I'm going to mention your father's advice to my husband - I think he'll see the wisdom in it (at least if he would like to continue to get meals served at home).
Happy Mother's Day to you - I'm sure the boys have got something really special already lined up for you. Hopefully you won't be doing homework on Mother's Day!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Happy Mothers Day to you Diane! You know it is funny that you said this as I think that is exactly what I will be doing on Sunday...Homework hell..as all of the last of the year projects are do, etc....LOL Well maybe at least the boys can do the dishes...
Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen says
To me, this is one of the best Mother's Day treat! Happy Mother's Day to you!
thatskinnychickcanbake says
SO pretty! I love how you made such a beautiful design with your Nutella. I bet it's delish!!!
jothetartqueen says
Bananas and nutella always go great! Am sure all mothers would love this one.
Happy mother's day BAM! Have a real special weekend!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Happy mums day to you too!
sweetsimplestuff says
Your dad is a very smart man 😉 Your bread looks and sounds delicious!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Brenda. My dad is going to turn 89 in a few days. I will always treasure every chance that I get to talk to him on the phone as he is still my guiding source.
Eha says
I have been sitting at my keyboard for quite awhile wondering whether to be honest or to be diplomatic. None of us methinks want to be negative. I totally am about Nutella. I guess I'll hope that each and every reader does their own research via Mr Google where plenty of medical/university based information is available. We have the freedom of choice: at 21 grams of sugar and 11 grams of fat [some of it trans-fat] per US 'helping' this is one 'goodie' which very definitely is not used by me and should/hopefully will be banned. To each their own: some people still smoke or drink to excess also: to me this is worse! Sorry . . . I have always been honest at whatever cost . . .
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Eha, I am happy that you are honest. Tandy at Lavender and Lime makes her own homemade nutella with fructose and less fat. Here is the link...http://tandysinclair.com/chocolate-hazelnut-spread/
Carine says
It looks absolutely delicious. I am not sure I can wait to be a mother one day to try this one though 😉
ChgoJohn says
Buongiorno, BAM! This sure does sounds like a delicious loaf of bread. Adding Nutella to banana bread is pure genius! I bet that disappears in your house as soon as it's cool enough to cut. And you're right, it would make a great surprise for Mom. So long as someone cleans the kitchen before she sees it. 🙂
I hope your Mothers Day is full of surprises big and small, BAM. Have a wonderful day!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Gratzie John. I second that notion as long as the kids keep the kitchen clean on Mothers day. Kids if you are reading this comment, that would be the best gift ever just not having to clean up the kitchen for one day. I love cooking but really dislike the whole cleaning up part. Have a super weekend. I heard the weather is Michigan is beautiful warm and sunshine. Enjoy. BAM
dedy oktavianus pardede says
Unfortunately,
nutella is banned over my place, i guess they had a problem with the customs...
the other brand did't suits for my licking
i guess i had to salivating by ypur beauty cake for a while...hehehe
Healthy World Cuisine says
No need to worry any longer about customs, you can make your own homemade nutella...http://tandysinclair.com/chocolate-hazelnut-spread/. Tandy from Lavender and lime will help you get all sorted. Take care, BAM
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
I am totally in Nutella heaven with this banana bread! After I made my nutella banana bread, my kids always prefer to eat Nutella version than regular banana bread. Your closeup bread shot is making me drool. I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day!!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Arigato gozarimasu Nami-san. Wishing you a super mother's day weekend and I hope your family spoils you rotten. Ja Mata, BAM
Norma Chang says
Your Dad is a very wise man.
Beautiful loaf of bread. I too love the ripening banana in the oven tip, thanks for sharing..
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Norma. I think everyone would love my dad.. He always know just the right thing to say. I guess we all improve with age and in a couple of weeks he will be 89. Miss him dearly. Take Care, BAM
Dawn says
I love the low sugar and fat aspect of this bread!! My mother is a diabetic, and even though she doesn't avoid sugar like she should - this might just allow her to do that!!