Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Banana Bread (Vegan GF-Option)

 A rich and fudgy dark chocolate banana bread studded with juicy raspberries and laced with swirls of chocolate spread throughout, this banana bread is easy to make and is a great dessert of afternoon snack. Spread with a homemade raspberry buttercream and Chocolate Raspberry Kisses, it’s also an impressive dessert.

If you were to cross chocolate fudge cake with banana bread and throw in a few raspberries, I am pretty certain this is what you’d get. The latest addition to my Banana Bread of the Month challenge is one for the chocolate lovers. Although it’s really rich and decadent, it’s made from pretty wholesome and simple ingredients with a few extra decorations to really make this a showstopper.

It’s been a while since’ I’ve done a fully chocolate banana bread, and I have to say this is the fudgiest of them all. the texture is soft and fudgy with a great crumb and sticky swirls of chocolate spread throughout. These are added for extra chocolate wow factor and really take this Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Banana Bread to the next level. The other additions I am in love with are:

• Chocolate Raspberry Kisses: these are the best chocolate nut butter cups. A thick chocolate shell surrounding lots of chocolate spread or chocolate nut butter (try them with my mocha almond butter) with half a raspberry inside.
• Fresh raspberry buttercream: I love a good buttercream and adding fresh raspberry puree to vegan butter and icing sugar is a game changer. The flavour is fruity and fresh and cuts through the sugar sweetness. Also, the colour is too pretty and 100% natural.
• Extra chocolate: I like to drizzle over some extra melted chocolate for the extra chocolatey goodness.
• Sprinkles: I do love a good sprinkle and think they make bakes a lot more fun, so this one has some pink and white sprinkles for good measure.

All of these make this banana bread extra special, while the loaf itself is equally as impressive and so easy. The batter comes together in one bowl and is a simple and trusty mix of :

• Banana: I always weigh the mashed banana as the sizes can really vary. As always, the riper the better for banana bread.
• Lemon juice and plant-based milk: this acts as a natural binder and curdles like a buttermilk does.
• Coconut sugar: this is my favourite sugar for baking, but you could use golden caster sugar, too.
• Sunflower oil: I like the softness that sunflower or olive oil lends to cakes and bakes, but you could also try melted coconut oil.
• Vanilla: for flavour – skip it if you don’t have any.
• Flour: this recipe calls for plain flour and a recommended 1:1 GF blend with xantham gum will work, too. You could also try spelt or wholemeal flour, although the loaf will be a bit denser.
• Cacao powder: or cocoa powder, although I always opt for one without added sugars. The richer the flavour of the cacao, the richer the loaf.
• Bicarbonate of soda: for rise.
• Raspberries: I use fresh raspberries although I can imagine frozen would work. Toss the berries in some flour beforehand to prevent them from sinking and save a few for the top.
• Chocolate spread: this is the hidden magic ingredient that takes this Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Banana Bread to the next level. Drop spoonfuls of the vegan chocolate spread halfway through the batter and then on top and then drag a knife through to make rough swirl patterns. 

Bake this Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Banana Bread until firm to touch and an inserted skewer comes out basically clean and allow to cool fully. Once frosted and decorated, this is such an impressive banana bread to serve as dessert of for afternoon tea and it feels like a fudgy chocolate cake combined with the naturally sweetness of bananas, all laced with sticky mouthfuls of chocolate spread.

This Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Banana Bread is naturally vegan with easy gluten-free swaps and will last well for a few days once frosted or you can freeze the unfrosted loaf for a later day, too. It is light and moist with a really fudgy texture thanks to the chocolate spread and the vibrant burst of juicy raspberries really contrasts well.

If you are looking for more banana breads and chocolate bakes, how about my:

• Vegan Double Chocolate Brownie Cake for 2
• Snickers Banana Bread
• Hidden heart Banana Bread
• Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread
• Toffee Pecan Banana Bread

Chocolate Raspberry Kisses (Vegan GF)

• Servings: 12
• Time: 15 minutes plus chilling
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Delicious and fudgy chocolate cups filled with a hidden raspberry and lots of luscious chocolate spread or nut butter. These are no-bake, simple and quick to make and are delicious on their own as truffles or on top of this Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Banana Bread.

Ingredients

• 200g dark chocolate
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 50g chocolate spread or chocolate almond butter
• 6 raspberries, halved

Directions

1. Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil.
2. Line a tin or plate with 12 mini cupcake cases and place in a spoon of melted chocolate, spreading it up the sides slightly. Freeze for 10 minutes to set.
3. Place on some of the chocolate spread or chocolate nut butter and half a raspberry. Cover with the remaining chocolate and place in the fridge for 20 minutes to set.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Banana Bread (Vegan GF-Option)

• Servings: 10-12, makes one loaf
• Time: 70 minutes plus cooling
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

A rich and fudgy dark chocolate banana bread studded with juicy raspberries and laced with swirls of chocolate spread throughout, this banana bread is easy to make and is a great dessert of afternoon snack. Spread with a homemade raspberry buttercream and Chocolate Raspberry Kisses, it’s also an impressive dessert.

Ingredients

Banana Bread:
• 120ml plant-based milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 bananas (300g)
• 70g coconut sugar
• 120ml sunflower oil
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 150g + 1 tsp plain flour or GF plain flour
• 40g cacao powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• A pinch of salt
• 150g raspberries
• 80g vegan chocolate spread
Frosting:
• 80g raspberries
• 75g vegan butter
• 250g icing sugar
To decorate:
• Chocolate Raspberry Kisses
• Melted chocolate
• Raspberries
• Sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180*C and line a loaf tin with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, add the milk and lemon juice and leave to curdle for 5 minutes. Now mash the banana and add to the bowl along with the sugar, oil and vanilla essence.
3. Stir together most of the raspberries (save 5-6 for the top) with 1 tsp flour and toss.
4. Sift in the flour, cacao powder and bicarbonate of soda and add in the salt. Whisk to a smooth batter and fold in the raspberries.
5. Pour half the batter into the tin. Drop on teaspoons of the chocolate spread (use half of it) and top with the rest of the batter. Spoon over the rest of the chocolate spread and the raspberries. Drag a knife through the chocolate spread to make swirls on top.
6. Bake for 50-55 minutes until an inserted skewer comes out clean (apart from the chocolate spread parts) and cover with tin foil for the last 10 minutes.
7. Allow to cool fully in the tin on a wire rack.
8. Make the frosting by first blitzing the raspberries until really smooth and strain through a sieve if necessary. Now beat the butter until soft then add in 2 tbsp of the raspberry puree and gradually add in the icing sugar and continue to mix util creamy and light. Add more puree as needed.
9. Spread the frosting all over the cooled banana bread and top with the Chocolate Raspberry kisses and any other toppings.

I look forward to hearing what you think of this Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Banana Bread so please leave a comment below and tag me in your bakes, I really do love seeing them! I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello! 

With fudgy chocolate banana love x