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.
deliciouslynell says
I was sold at nutella! :3
On Top Of Spaghetti says
Wow, this looks gorgeous! Bookmarked! Another way to ripen bananas is to carry them around with you in your handbag for a day. I don't know why it happens, but they always seem to go very dark after spending time squished between my purse, keys and mobile! 😉
Healthy World Cuisine says
I will have to give your handbag banana ripening method a try.
Hannah (BitterSweet) says
Diet nothing, that looks like an amazing treat! Love how fudgy and gooey that nutella ripple looks.
Daisy@Nevertoosweet says
That's such a good tip!!! I never knew you could ripen your bananas in the oven! Thank you so much will need to try that next time but I usually have overripe bananas rather than green ones in my fruit basket hehee 🙂 Great recipe and it really does look pretty healthy with Apple sauce!
Hope you had a lovely Mother's day with your family!
thehungrymum says
oh, yeah baby. This is just amazing - yummo.
Raymund says
Happy Mothers day! that Nutella bread looks awesome its hard to believe something with the word diet can look like it. Mmmmmmm!
Asmita (@FoodieAsmita) says
This looks insanely yum! Just wish I could have a slice right now as I am sipping my morning tea. Happy Mother's Day!
zerrin says
Happy Mother's Day! This banana bread looks really so moist and love that you used applesauce instead of lots of oil. Great idea!
Amy Tong says
Happy Mother's Day to you too! I love your almost diet nutella banana bread. I'm crazy on both...lol, not the diet part, but the Nutella and Banana bread parts. 😛 Thanks for sharing.
Kathleen Richardson says
BAM, hope you have a restful Mother's Day and that your boys do a super job cleaning things up! I love that Nutella "jar" which looks like it can become a drinking glass. Years ago we used to keep jelly jars as drinking glasses and just this week I found a mustard jar that will be a small drinking mug (with handle) after it's emptied.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Happy Mom's Day to you Kathleen! You know you are right you can use those nutella jars as drinking glasses when you are done. Actually they work quite nice!
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker says
Looks sensational Bobbi! Love how healthy this version of the Nutella banana bread is. Hope you're having a stellar Mother's Day!
Kristy says
I love how you made the pattern with the nutella over the top of the loaf. Looks so pretty! You know we love our banana bread. I'm not a chocolate (or chocolate flavor) fan, but the kids would just adore this. 🙂 And I had no idea you could self-ripen bananas. How clever! I'll remember that when I finally empty my freezer of ripe bananas. 😉 Happy Mother's Day to you too!!!! I hope your son's trip to Thailand is going well!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Happy Mums day to you! I just skyped with my son in Bangkok and he is doing great. I am so happy that he has this opportunity, but of course I miss him. take care
Georgina says
This looks wonderful! Nutella is such a lovely treat, and goes so well in all sorts of cakes and breads. I love the combination with the ripe banana here.
Karen says
I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day. Almost diet always catches my attention.
dedy oktavianus pardede says
Thx for the link Bam..
i've try that later on, i just brought a n germany product hazelnut with some picture of almond and choco in the jar....
not really suits for my licking, less hazelnut but just enought for choco spread..
it's more like buter i think...