This recipe came from a weekend when I had five bananas turning black on the counter, a bag of espresso powder I bought for something I never made, and a bottle of Kahlua that had been sitting in the cabinet since a dinner party two years earlier. All of it went into a cast iron skillet and came out as the darkest, richest banana bread I have baked.
It is marbled. You make one batter with brown sugar, buttermilk, and five mashed bananas, then pull out half a cup and mix it with melted semi-sweet chocolate and Kahlua. Both batters go into a greased 9-inch cast iron pan in alternating spoonfuls, and you drag a butter knife through them in lazy swirls. The espresso powder is in the dry ingredients, not the chocolate portion, so the coffee flavour runs through the whole bread, not just the dark streaks. It bakes at 180C (350F) for 35-40 minutes and the edges come out crisp from the cast iron while the centre stays dense and fudgy. The three impulse-buy ingredients finally earned their place in the kitchen.
How to Make Skillet Chocolate Espresso Banana Bread
Get the Bananas Brown
You need five very ripe bananas, the kind with brown spots all over the skin. If yours are still yellow, bake them at 180C (350F) for 20-30 minutes in their skins until they are brown and soft. Let them cool slightly before mashing.
Underripe bananas do not have enough sugar or moisture. The bread will be dry and bland instead of sticky and sweet.
Marble, Do Not Mix
Pour half the plain batter into the greased cast iron pan. Drop alternating spoonfuls of plain and chocolate-Kahlua batter on top. Take a butter knife and drag it through the batter in slow S-curves.
One or two passes is enough. If you swirl too much, the batters blend together and you lose the marble. You want distinct streaks of dark and light when you slice it.
Use Cast Iron
Use a 9-inch cast iron skillet. The cast iron holds heat evenly and creates a crust on the bottom and sides that a regular baking pan cannot match. Grease it well. The bread releases cleanly if the pan is properly seasoned and buttered.
Skillet Chocolate Espresso Banana Bread
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: Serves 12
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
Espresso and Kahlua add a grown-up twist to this classic. A marbled chocolate swirl makes it extra special.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cups (118 ml) semi-sweet chocolate
- 5 bananas (2 1/3 cups) bananas
- 1/2 cups (118 ml) (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cups (237 ml) light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cups (79 ml) buttermilk
- 3/4 cups (177 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp espresso powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp Kahlua
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9” cast iron pan.
- Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave in short increments, then cool to room temperature.
- If bananas aren’t brown and speckled, bake at 350°F (177°C) for 20-30 minutes, or until browned and soft. Let cool slightly before mashing.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and espresso powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk brown sugar into melted butter, followed by eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk.
- Add mashed bananas, then gently fold in dry ingredients.
- Combine 1/2 cup batter with cooled chocolate, Kahlua; mix until homogenous.
- Pour half the batter into the prepared pan, then alternate spoonfuls of chocolate and plain batter.
- Gently swirl batter with a butter knife to create a marbled pattern.
- Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- For a richer chocolate flavor, use dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free blend.
- Store leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 50
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skip the Kahlua?
You can substitute 2 tablespoons of strong brewed coffee. The Kahlua deepens the chocolate flavour and adds slight sweetness. Coffee alone gives bitterness without sweetness, which still works.
What if I do not have espresso powder?
Finely ground instant coffee works. Use the same amount. The espresso powder dissolves into the dry ingredients and gives the whole bread a background coffee flavour.
Can I bake this in a regular pan?
Yes, a 9-inch round cake pan or a loaf pan works. The crust texture will differ. Cast iron gives a dark, firm edge. A regular pan gives a softer crust. Grease well and check at 30 minutes.
