Chocolate Hazelnut Breakfast Bread With Marshmallow Fluff Drizzle Recipe

If a spoonful of Nutella sounds like your ideal breakfast, we have an elevated version that checks all the sweet boxes. Mashed recipe developer Patterson Watkins shares this chocolate hazelnut breakfast bread with marshmallow fluff drizzle, and it's pretty much as close to morning cake as you can get while still feeling like you've been properly nourished. This recipe incorporates ripe bananas and hazelnut butter for extra sweetness and fiber. The marshmallow drizzle on top adds a little pop of fun, but it can easily be skipped if you're short on time.

Aside from enjoying this with a cup of coffee at breakfast, you can serve it mid-morning or mid-afternoon for a well-deserved pick-me-up. Watkins describes the way the ingredients come together harmoniously in this tantalizing bread. "You have those bittersweet chocolate notes, that silky marshmallow creaminess, and this earthy-sweet pop from the hazelnuts," she comments. "Texturally, it is exciting, too: moist and rich with fun palate play from the chopped nuts and mini chocolate chips." Don't just take her word for it — whip this up and taste the magic for yourself.

For this recipe, you'll need vegetable oil, softened butter, and hazelnut butter. Next, get brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs, and mash up some ripe bananas. As far as dry ingredients, you'll need all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and dark cocoa powder. Finally, garnish the bread with mini chocolate chips, crushed hazelnuts, and marshmallow creme.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Line a 5x9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and grease with cooking spray.

Place oil, softened butter, and hazelnut butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Whisk until smooth and blended.

Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, and mashed banana to the bowl.

Whisk until smooth and blended.

In a separate large bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and cocoa powder until combined.

Add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and whisk to combine into a thick batter.

Transfer batter to the prepared loaf pan and spread out the top evenly.

Sprinkle batter with chocolate chips and crushed hazelnuts.

Bake for 60 minutes or until cooked through, then remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, carefully remove the bread from the pan and gently peel back the parchment paper.

Microwave marshmallow creme in 30-second intervals until slightly runny, then drizzle over the loaf.

Allow marshmallow topping to cool before slicing and serving the breakfast bread.

While Watkins identifies this recipe as a breakfast bread, that doesn't mean you should limit yourself to serving it first thing in the morning. "This is one of those decadent treats that I would love to make for any breakfast or brunch potluck or gathering," she shares. As she points out, "It has this magical duality that many breakfast foods have (like donuts, danishes, and muffins) at that intersection between pastry and dessert." Plus, it's a welcome treat for adults that still channels the sweet morning cereals of your childhood. Per Watkins, this chocolaty concoction tastes like "a blend of Count Chocula, Lucky Charms, and Honey Bunches of Oats."

Of course, there's nothing wrong with saving this chocolate hazelnut bread all for yourself. Watkins recommends wrapping up individual slices and keeping them in the freezer. That way, you can thaw and lightly toast a piece any time to start your day off right with chocolate. As she says, "It is just such a happy food."

A thick slice of chocolate hazelnut breakfast bread with marshmallow fluff drizzle is sure to hit the spot, but if you want to stretch it a little further, then it's a good idea to serve it alongside other dishes. "If you're planning on serving this as part of a larger breakfast or brunch spread, I can easily see the loaf snuggling in nicely with other baked goods and savory selections," Watkins suggests. 

If you're sticking to a simpler spread, she notes, "Fresh fruits and yogurts would be good breakfast bedfellows for this loaf too! I'm thinking ripe berries, stone fruits, and the like." These fresh options also help balance out the rich sweetness of the loaf, while a strong cup of coffee or chilled glass of milk would wash it down perfectly. If you want to be the most popular person at the office, consider sharing this chocolate hazelnut bread with your colleagues in the break room.