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Rustic Tuscan Banana Bread with Chocolate, Hazelnuts and Espresso

A delightful twist on classic banana bread, this Tuscan-inspired recipe features rich dark chocolate, crunchy hazelnuts, and a hint of espresso. The mascarpone glaze adds a creamy, decadent finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients
  • 1 1/3 cup unbleached flour sifted
  • 2/3 cup almond flour sifted
  • 1 1/2 tsp Instant espresso
  • 1 package Lievito per dolce or 1 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
Wet Ingredients
  • 2 large eggs separated
  • 3 ripe bananas 3 large or 4 smaller, mashed
  • 1 cup Brown Sugar or coconut sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter or 1 stick
  • 5 oz plain or vanilla thick yogurt
Add-ins
  • 1 cup roasted chopped fine hazelnuts remove skin after roasting then chop
  • 1 cup chopped dark chocolate
Mascarpone Glaze
  • 8 oz mascarpone cheese
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp almond milk

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350F (176C). Butter and dust a 9” x 5" loaf pan with sugar and cinnamon.
  2. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
  3. Beat egg whites to firm peaks and refrigerate.
  4. Mash bananas in a bowl and set aside.
  5. Whisk butter and brown sugar, add egg yolks, then yogurt.
  6. Fold bananas into wet ingredients, then dry ingredients, being careful not to overmix.
  7. Fold in egg whites, hazelnuts, and chocolate gently.
  8. Pour into prepared loaf pan, drizzle with sugar and cinnamon, and decorate with banana slices. Bake for 60-70 minutes.
  9. Cool, remove from pan, and place on a serving platter.
  10. For the Mascarpone Glaze: mix all ingredients until pourable. Drizzle over bread and serve.

Notes

For best results, use very ripe bananas and avoid overmixing the batter to keep the bread light and airy.