Neapolitan Banana Bread Puts A Colorful Spin On A Classic Treat

Banana bread is by far one of the most versatile home-baked treats you can make. One banana bread recipe has endless possibilities when you consider the multitude of extra flavors and ingredients you can add to this luscious fruit-infused batter. Next to changing the type of flour or swapping in coconut oil for butter, there are also many creative ways to upgrade both the visual appeal and flavor of your favorite banana bread recipe. Besides adorning your next cake with handfuls of chocolate chips, walnuts, or coconut, why not try making your next pan of banana bread more whimsical with fun and colorful layers and flavors?

Sure enough, there's a genius way you can upgrade both the color and flavor of your next banana bread loaf with a few simple ingredient additions. When you think of Neopolitaton-flavored treats, you probably think of the tri-colored ice cream in all its vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry glory. While the beginning of Neopolitan ice cream was inspired by traditional spumoni and the colors of the Italian flag, most of us think of Neopolitan-flavored foods as pink, white, and brown striped desserts. Thanks to the rich, dark shade of chocolate and the lively, bright color of strawberries, there's a simple, effective way to transform your usual banana bread into a neatly layered Neapolitan treat.

If you've been looking for a new and creative way to add more depth to your extra-moist banana bread, make a layered loaf with a tasty Neopolitan essence. After you've assembled your banana bread batter, separate the mixture into three bowls. Leave one untouched, as this one will serve as the vanilla layer. For the strawberry layer, add enough pulverized freeze-dried strawberries to the batter until you see a noticeable color difference. If you're only dividing enough batter to make one loaf of bread, this will likely range from 1 to 3 tablespoons of freeze-dried fruit. Do the same for the chocolate layer, but instead of freeze-dried strawberries, use cocoa powder and chocolate chips until your portioned batter is a rich shade of brown.

To prepare your banana bread for baking, add the chocolate layer, followed by the portion of classic banana batter, then finish off your pan by spreading over the strawberry layer. As your bread cools, you can further imbue this upgraded treat with a color-coded glaze. Make a simple yet thick milk and powdered sugar glaze and divide the mixture into three bowls. Add freeze-dried strawberries, vanilla, and cocoa powder to each portion, glazing the top of your bread in sections of pink, white, and brown, respectively. Next to following this method, there are a few additional ways to add a Neopolitan spin to your next banana bread loaf.

If you want to lean more into the classic flavors and colors of a Neopolitan-inspired treat, look to the Italian flag for inspiration. When ice cream makers in the U.S. took on this frozen delight, they attempted to mirror the colors green, white, and red to honor the Italian flag. If you want to create authentic Neopolitan banana bread, separate your batter as instructed above. Instead of adding freeze-dried strawberries, add crushed freeze-dried cherries to one portion and swap out the cocoa powder and chocolate chips for a spoonful of pistachio cream and crushed pistachios. If you don't want to trouble yourself by ordering pistachio cream online, you can also use a spoonful or two of pistachio pudding mix. Then, all you need to do is assemble your banana bread in layers, bake, and enjoy.

Apart from recreating the Italian flag, if all you're truly after is an upgraded afternoon snack, you can also create a Neopolitan flavor profile by adorning your banana bread batter with extra ingredients. Add chocolate chips and chopped dried strawberries to your batter before baking. You can also make traditional banana bread with no add-ins, but upon serving, add freshly chopped strawberries or cherries and a spoonful of easy chocolate sauce. Next time banana bread is on the menu, consider adding a bit of Neopolitan flair to achieve multiple colors and flavors in just one simple snack.