A close up header shot of a couple pieces of banana bread with a brigadeiro swirl.

Life Changing Banana Bread with a Brigadeiro Swirl

Listen, I know the last thing that anybody needs is another banana bread recipe. I mean, isn’t banana bread so 2020? But like, this banana bread recipe is special. Why is that, you ask? Well, it’s got brigadeiro running through its veins. By that I mean that I swirled freshly made brigadeiro into both the center and the top of this loaf. It definitely makes this banana bread a bit less healthy, but who are we kidding, banana bread is basically breakfast cake anyway. Might as well embrace it and make it a wonderfully decadent treat.

So what is brigadeiro?

For those of you who don’t know, brigadeiro is a Brazilian dessert. It’s made of butter, cocoa powder, and sweetened condensed milk. It’s been one of my absolute favorite chocolate treats since I was introduced to it by one of my best friends, who is Brazilian. Her mom still makes it for me from time to time, and I die of happiness every time she does.

Normally, brigadeiro is made into small truffles and covered in sprinkles. For this bread, however, I decided to swirl the brigadeiro into the batter while it was still hot! I had a hunch that it would be a dreamy combo, but wasn’t totally sure about how to integrate it. Thankfully, my swirling technique worked like a charm!

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Life Changing Banana Bread with a Brigadeiro Swirl

Keyword banana bread, brigadeiro

Ingredients

Brigadeiro

  • 1 tbsp Butter (unsalted)
  • 14 oz Sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/4 cup Cocoa powder

Banana bread

  • 1/2 cup Butter (unsalted)
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 2 Large eggs
  • 1 cup Mashed overripe bananas (I used about 4 bananas but it will vary based on size)
  • 2 cups All purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 8ish tbsp Brigadeiro (From the recipe above!)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit and grease a bread pan with butter or cooking spray.
  • Make the brigadeiro! To do this, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Then add the condensed milk and cocoa powder and stir to combine. Continue stirring regularly as the mixture begins to thicken. Keep stirring/cooking until it's fairly thick and when you draga spatula through it you can see the bottom of the pot for a couple seconds before it comes together again. Once you've reached this point, remove from heat and set to the side.
  • Now make the banana bread batter. Cream together the butter and sugar. I like to use a stand mixer for this but you can also do it by hand or with a hand mixer.
  • Add the eggs, mashed banana and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar and mix to combine.
  • In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Then add this dry mixture to the wet one and stir until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
  • Pour half the batter into the greased pan. Then add about 4 tbsp brigadeiro and swirl with a toothpick or a knife. Next, add the rest of the batter, followed by another 4 tbsp brigadeiro and another swirling. (Note: you can use more or less brigadeiro than this calls for based on preference. If you follow this exactly, there will be a bit extra so you've got wiggle room.)
  • Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the top is brown and shiny and when you place a toothpick through the middle it emerges clean. Then remove from the oven and move to a cooling rack for a bit before slicing!

And that’s it! If you follow this recipe to a t, you’ll be left with a bit of extra brigadeiro. Feel free to transfer it to the fridge and then roll it into little balls and cover them with sprinkles for a more traditional brigadeiros experience. Or if eating it off the spoon is more your style, do that. I may or may not have gone with the latter option. Either way, it’ll make for a truly delightful treat.

If you make this, let me know in the comments or on Instagram! I always love hearing from you! Oh, and if you’re looking for more Brazilian dessert, check out this recipe for bolo de fubá, which was created by my friend Caroline! Fun fact, she’s also the one who introduced me to brigadeiros. And if you’re looking for another banana bread recipe, here’s a vegan version with cardamom and guava.

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