Banana Bread with Chocolate and Peanut Butter satisfies so many different cravings. Chocolate, check. Peanut Butter, check. Fruit so you feel like you are eating well, check. This bread was made for your brunch, or to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea as a mid afternoon snack. This banana bread would pair well with Homemade Hot Chocolate! It is a fantastic way to use up any bananas you didn’t get around to eating before they turned brown, and it is something that can be mixed up quickly with minimal effort.
My son, Connor, is the banana bread consumer in this house, and he gives this recipe his stamp of approval. The best review I received, however, was from my daughter, Carson. It may be an unpopular opinion, but Carson and I do NOT like bananas. I know they are full of potassium, and as runners we should find a way to tolerate bananas for the nutrition they offer, but we just can’t do it.
When I made this bread, though, Carson was drawn to the peanut butter and chocolate (can you blame her?), and she gave it a try! Focusing on the things she liked, she could pretend the banana wasn’t there and could “almost enjoy it.” She described this banana bread as “almost tolerable” and that is high praise. Really, what baker doesn’t want to hear that the recipes she creates are almost edible? I’m smiling at the glowing review!
This recipe started with the banana bread recipe my mom has been making for my entire life. I made a few changes, and then added chocolate because, why wouldn’t you? The peanut butter is a glaze on top, and it is completely optional. Peanut butter does, however, go really well with chocolate and banana. Go ahead and give the peanut butter a try. Just think, you will be adding protein to the potassium rich bananas!
Pro Tips:
It’s helpful to leave a few inches of parchment that overhang the sides of your baking pan. This allows you to lift the loaf out of the pan when the bread has cooled a bit. Cooking spray works well, and I use it in combination with the parchment, but bits of chocolate have a tendency to stick to the bottom of any unlined pans.
I generally cook sandwich bread in my glass pan, but most quick breads or sweet breads get made in the metal pans. I have only tested this recipe in a metal loaf pan and cannot guarantee result made using other methods. Loaf pans generally come in 8.5″ x 4.5″ or a 9 x 5. Either size will work, but the 9 x 5 will yield a slightly more flat looking loaf.
Since bananas aren’t the most popular fruit in my house, they can go brown before I turn around twice. I’m not always ready to whip up banana bread, but I don’t want to toss them away. Fortunately, brown bananas keep well in the freezer. I tend to peel them, smash them, and store them in a freezer safe container where they are ready to be made into bread when convenient.
Chocolate chunks will get more melty throughout the bread. Chocolate Chips will keep their shape and stay in place better. If I have chunks leftover after making chocolate shavings, those go into the bread. If not, chips it is.
The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, but you should measure with your heart. I have added up to 1 cup of chocolate and still had success.
Two tablespoons of milk will yield a spreadable peanut butter topping. You can add more milk if you want a pourable glaze. I was practicing some photography and attempted to capture (somewhat unsuccessfully) the pouring of the glaze, so the recipe pictured has a mix of thick and thin peanut butter topping.
As much as I love natural peanut butter, the traditional creamy Jif or Skippy yields the best consistency in desserts.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread
A classic banana bread with chocolate chips and a peanut butter glaze that is perfect for brunch, or to enjoy with a warm beverage as an afternoon snack.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes plus cooling
- Category: sweet breads
- Cuisine: dessert
Ingredients
For the Bread:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
approximately 1 cup ripe mashed banana (two large or three medium bananas)
1/2 cup chocolate chips*
For the Glaze:
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk*
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a metal loaf pan (usually 8.5 x 4.5 inches) with cooking spray and line with parchment such that parchment overhangs sides by a few inches.
In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer and bowl, blend butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients to combine, then add the banana. Stir in the chocolate, then spoon the mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake for 45-50 minutes.
As the bread cools, prepare the glaze by mixing melted butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and milk. This can be done by hand in a medium sized bowl. When the glaze has the consistency you like, and the bread has cooled to room temperature* pour/spread the glaze over the loaf.
Notes
Add chocolate to taste. I have added up to 1 cup of chocolate chips to this recipe with success.
You may want to add more milk if you would like a pourable peanut butter glaze.
Make sure the loaf is cool before adding glaze, or the peanut butter will run off the top and down the sides of the loaf.
Keywords: peanut butter, banana, bread, chocolate, brunch
Leave a Reply