Imagine melting a bunch of Ferrero Rocher chocolates and pouring that deliciousness over banana bread. That ridiculous idea is what led to this incredible creation. This Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Banana Bread is slathered in a homemade chocolate-hazelnut ganache, with lots of chopped hazelnuts.
It is rich, moist, and layered with deep chocolate flavor, sweet banana, and a nutty hazelnut crunch. It’s an elevated take on classic banana bread that feels indulgent without a ton of work. Seriously, the entire topping is made in the microwave in a few minutes.
Now, inventing my own banana bread recipe is a feat I have yet to take on. There are so many delicious recipes out there and one in particular that I just don’t want to change so it felt like the best base for my crazy crunch idea. The banana bread base for this recipe comes directly from the Flour Bakery recipe as recommended by the indominable Pancake Princess. When you know it works, why mess with perfection?
Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Banana Bread
Ingredients
Banana Bread
- 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour 210 grams
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 230 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil 100 grams
- 3 1/2 very ripe bananas peeled and mashed about 1.5 cups or 340 grams
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Coating
- 4 ounces 60% chocolate chopped, 113 grams *you can use semisweet if you wish
- 3/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts 85 grams
- 1/4 cup hazelnut chocolate spread like Nutella, 75 grams
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 60 grams
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 28 grams
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Banana Bread
- Preheat the oven to 325F and line a 9X5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Make sure to leave overhang of parchment paper on both sides of the loaf so you lift it out of the pan after baking.
- In a small bowl, add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, add the sugar and eggs. Using a hand mixer (you can also do this in the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until you can see a color change. The mixture should be light and fluffy.
- Slowly stream in the oil while mixing then add in the mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla extract. Mix until combined and then fold in the reserved dry ingredients. Fold batter to make sure that there are no dry spots. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Every oven is different so starting at 55 minutes, check for doneness. The loaf is done when the top is golden brown and a knife or toothpick inserted into the loaf comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes.
Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Coating
- Remove cooled loaf from pan and place onto a parchment-lined sheet pan or a cooling rack with parchment paper underneath.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the finely chopped chocolate, hazelnut spread, heavy cream, hazelnuts, butter, and salt. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring the mixture in between with a non-stick spatula. (If you have a powerful microwave, microwave in 15-second intervals so the chocolate does not burn.) Once the mixture is fully melted, pour over the top and sides of the loaf, using an offset spatula to patch up any spots you missed. When the entire loaf is covered, place the sheet pan or cooling rack with the loaf in the refrigerator to set for at least 10 minutes.
- Remove from the refrigerator and slice.
- Bread can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days.
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