Nutella Banana Bread

This Healthy Nutella Banana Bread is seriously delicious. Let's be honest - banana bread with swirls of chocolate hazelnut spread, there is no way it can be bad. Do you love bananas? You will also want to try these Three Ingredient Banana Pancakes and Banana Oat Bars.

What if I told you could "spice up" your banana bread with rich, creamy Nutella AND enjoy it AND it will come in at under 150 calories?

Would you laugh at me? I would have! When I first heard about chocolate banana bread, I know I laughed. Those two things just don't seem to go together. After all, when you're watching what you eat and your calorie intake, every little bit counts.

But then, then I made this bread on a whim (because, as doubtful as I am about some recipes, I can never truly know till I try them myself) and calculated the nutritional information and you know what? It works! I actually don’t have too many words to describe how yummy this banana bread is, except you may want to make sure you give some away or have lots of people around because it is much too easy to eat a lot of. (And therein lies the rub — while you CAN eat this, it's easy to overeat, so remember to only eat a serving then walk away!)

Plus, the recipe couldn't be easier. I simply combined a low-fat banana bread recipe with rich Nutella to create a truly decadent bread that's low in calories  I mean, 150 isn't bad when we're talking chocolate, right?

How do you make Nutella Banana Bread?

The first thing I do is to preheat the oven so it's ready to cook when my bread is all mixed together. In this case, I set the oven to 350 degrees and get to work mashing up the bananas with the back of a spoon. I set the bananas aside.

Next, in a medium bowl I beat together the cream and the sugar. I use my trusty stand mixer, but you can use a hand mixer if you like. (I just find a stand mixer to be easier and less messy.) After the cream and sugar is mixed together thoroughly, I gently stir in the egg whites using a wooden spoon, then I add the mashed bananas, vanilla, and apple sauce and mix well.

In another separate bowl, I mix together dry ingredients. You want to do this in a separate bowl so that the flour, baking soda, and salt are combined well before putting them in with the wet mixture. Otherwise, you're liable to get a chunk of baking soda in the middle of your bread, which will not be good.

Slowly, I mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they are good and combined (be careful not to overwork it). I warm up the Nutella for a few seconds in the microwave. This ensures that it will be easier to mix into the bread. I first pour the banana bread mixture into the greased bread pan then I spoon the Nutella right on top of the bread and, using a knife, I spread the Nutella into the bread using swirling motions to get it incorporated into every bite.

Pop the whole loaf into the oven and bake it for about 40-45 minutes or until it's cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let it cool before eating and try your very best to eat only one serving at a time!

How do you customize Banana Bread?

The great thing about bread is that you can customize it (a bit, you can't go too overboard with extras or it won't bake correctly). In fact, this banana bread was customized to add Nutella into it. Here are other ways I've customized banana bread:

• If you don't want to use Nutella, you can add mini chocolate chips right to the top of the bread before you pop it in the oven.
• If you are a fan of nuts, try adding walnuts to the bread right before baking (mix them in). About a half a cup should do...halves or pieces (or both)...up to you!
• Add a teaspoon of almond extract instead of vanilla if you're feeling a nutty vibe but don't want to actually eat the nuts. (Or do both — go crazy!)
• Make banana muffins using this recipe. You'll get about 8 large muffins or 12 medium-size ones. Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes, depending on the size of your muffins.
• If you love the flavor of bananas, thinly slice a fourth ripe banana and add the pieces into the mix after you've put it in the loaf pan. You can either sink the pieces into the bread using a knife, or layer them on top.
• Add raisins or craisins to the mix at the end for a little bit more texture, tang, and sweetness.

How do you know when banana bread is done?

If you have a fickle oven or just aren't sure your bread will be done (or will be over done) in the 40-45 minutes I allot in this recipe, then begin checking it at about the 30-minute mark. Insert a toothpick into the center and if it comes out clean (minus a little Nutella here and there), then it is done. If it's not done, put it back in the oven for 5-minute increments until that toothpick is clean. Remember to wipe off the toothpick each time before sticking it back in to test again.