Hazelnut Banana Bread Bars with Nutella Swirl
Whether you enjoy them for breakfast or dessert, these hazelnut banana bread bars are sweet, nutty, and delicious! They feature an easy Nutella swirl on top for a fun, decadent flair.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (1/2 a stick)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup mashed banana (about 1 large overripe banana)
- ½ cup toasted hazelnuts* (chopped)
- ¼ cup Nutella hazelnut spread (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line an 8x8in or 9x9in square baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together melted butter and brown sugar for at least one minute. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add mashed banana. Stir with a spatula until the batter is mostly smooth, with a few flour streaks left.
- Add the toasted hazelnuts. Gently fold them in with the spatula, until no flour streaks remain. (Do not over-mix!)
- Spoon the batter into the baking dish. Smooth out on top with a spatula.
- Dollop small amounts of Nutella evenly over the batter, leaving space between each dollop. Lightly draw a butter knife through the batter in different directions, creating a swirled pattern.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean (with just a few crumbs).
- Remove the pan from the oven. Once cooled, slice into bars and enjoy!
Notes
*To toast chopped hazelnuts: spread evenly on a sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 5-7 minutes, stirring once in between. For whole hazelnuts, bake for around 15 minutes, then remove their outer coating (if needed) by rubbing them with a kitchen towel. Once cooled, chop them into small pieces.
To store: After slicing the banana bread bars, store them on the counter (wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container wrapped in paper towels) for up to 3 days.