Nutella and banana are a pretty unbeatable duo. Pack the two into a loaf pan and you’ve got yourself an impressive-looking marble dessert that’s not long for this world.

I’m normally all for substitutions, but I have to admit this banana bread is near perfect for look, taste and texture. I wouldn’t change a thing. Using frozen bananas was really key for me because they don’t leave any chunks and mix really well with not a ton of effort.

I didn’t specify the baking pan size because I find that banana bread is forgiving when it comes to baking times. As long as you use a medium-sized loaf pan that isn’t too large so the batter thins out, or too small so the batter oozes all over your oven, you’re good.

The recipe I used is from Rachael Ray’s website here. I added in some walnuts and altered the pouring method (as suggested by my wonderful baking buddy Taiya) so that you don’t have to stir it up once it’s poured into the pan.

Ingredients

Makes 1 loaf of banana bread

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little more to flour the pan
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup mashed banana)**I used frozen bananas and thawed them out—perfect for baking
• 1/2 cup Nutella, or another chocolate hazelnut spread
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a medium-sized loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray, then dust thoroughly with flour. Set aside.

Combine sugar, flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, oil, and banana, and mix well to combine. Stir in walnuts. Take half of the batter and put in a separate medium-sized bowl.

Combine with 1/2 cup Nutella and mix well. If your Nutella is too stiff, soften in the microwave for 10 seconds or until it loosens. Place alternating spoonfuls of the batters in the prepared loaf pan; try to make it even as this is what gives it the swirled effect.

Bake for 55-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely (if you can wait that long before digging in). Cutting the loaf into slices is definitely easier once it’s 100% cooled off.