Loaded Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Loaded Peanut Butter Banana Bread

You know how much I love peanut butter by now, right? Because I really, really, reallyreally need that fix every day. Preferably in some kind of peanut butter cup, but I’ll take the stuff straight up as well. Stirred, not shaken. With a spoon!

Years ago, I was part of a tour group in a foreign country. We stopped in a grocery store, and there on the shelf was a jar of Peter Pan, imported and outrageously marked up in price. I bought it immediately and without any hesitation, despite the fact that everyone in my group was mocking me for spending so much on a jar of peanut butter.

Well, folks, the laugh was on them. I sat on the tour bus, opened the jar, inhaled the sweet aroma and looked up, only to realize that the entire bus was eyeing my Peter Pan with what can only be described as mad lust. And for the rest of the trip, people kept asking if they could have a taste. They missed it so much, you see, and I was the smart one. I was also nice and shared, but not after a whole lotta “I told you so” lectures.

Loaded Peanut Butter Banana Bread

It was at that moment that I realized how powerful peanut butter was, and how much I wanted to try doing everything I could with it. So that’s at the root of so much of my baking, including this banana bread.

Loaded Peanut Butter Banana Bread

There’s a lot going on here. First of all, I added some nutrients to the batter by using peanut butter instead of actual butter, and I also used oat flour rather than all-purpose. Oat flour works really well in banana bread. Just imagine what oats do in other recipes, and you’ll start to see it! Plus, if you use gluten-free oat flour, that will help out your friends who can’t eat gluten. And oat flour is far better for your body than the white stuff.

Loaded Peanut Butter Banana Bread

But of course, life is about balance. So with the nice healthy adjustments, I also put in peanut butter chips, milk chocolate chips and mini peanut butter cups. A lot of them. Because peanut butter, chocolate and banana is a surprisingly addictive combination, and you’re hearing this from somebody who’s not that into bananas. In fact, when Ben and Jerry’s banana peanut butter Greek frozen yogurt came out, I never expected to like it, much less get addicted to it. But it happened! That stuff is the best!

Loaded Peanut Butter Banana Bread

This banana bread mixes up quickly in one bowl. Then you just pop it in the oven and try to be patient! The hardest part is being patient. Everything else is easy peasy.

I would also like to point out that I’m a gooey cake person. Not underbaked, but definitely on the gooey side. The oat flour helps with that and I’m a sucker for its softness. I prefer my cake cold (don’t judge!), but you can see that I photographed it while it was still warm with the chocolate all melty.

Loaded Peanut Butter Banana Bread

So happy Monday. My day is always so much better when there’s banana bread for breakfast!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter (creamy)
  • 3 overripe bananas
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, chopped in half
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

 

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mash the bananas. Add in the other ingredients (except the chocolate and candy) and mix thoroughly. Reserving a few of each, fold in the peanut butter cups, peanut butter chips and milk chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the top with the reserved candy.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool and cut into slices.

 

 

Mir

I fulfill many roles in life: wife, mother, teacher, everlasting learner. This site is dedicated to one role that expresses my creativity in ways that I find consistently challenging and rewarding: baker. Inventing new ways to enhance food, especially if that food involves chocolate or peanut butter (or both!), is a passion of mine. I look forward to sharing my ideas with you.

This Post Has 12 Comments

  1. Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen

    This banana bread certainly is loaded! Just look at all of that melty, chocolatey, peanut butter goodness! You had such a good idea to up the nutrition of this bread by using oat flour. I’m sure it tastes delicious too!

    1. Mir

      Thanks, Kristine! If I was going to load it up with all that candy, I needed to do something to redeem the nutritional value!

  2. Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust

    I bet they were jealous. PB is truly gold. I love those brownies!!

    1. Mir

      PB is gold. You speak the truth!

  3. Erin | The Law Student's Wife

    Yay for balance. I want to keep mine with a slice of this chocolicious bread in each hand 🙂

    1. Mir

      You are hilarious! Now that’s balance!

  4. Winnie

    Absolutely GREAT banana bread
    I’d definitely loooooooooooove to have a big slice of it to eat 🙂

    1. Mir

      I have to admit, I are more then a giant slice. Thanks, Winnie!

  5. Trish - Mom On Timeout

    Yes, yes, and yes. Had me at chocolate 🙂 Awesome banana bread Mir!

    1. Mir

      Thanks, Trish! Always gotta have the chocolate!

  6. Tash

    This looks amazinnnnggg! If I make this, can I still spread some extra peanut butter on it afterwards? 😉 Yum!
    Tash recently posted…The most heavenly Carrot Cake of all time – Frosted with cream cheese and pecansMy Profile

    1. Mir

      I love the way you think, Tash!

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