Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Note: When measuring out the flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cups. Do not scoop the flour out of the container with your measuring cup. This will cause a dry loaf. The flour will be compacted in the cup.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or softened butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Give it a stir.
- In another mixing bowl, add the smashed bananas, peanut butter, beaten eggs, oil, brown sugar, cane, and vanilla. Mix till combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix till just combined. Stir in the peanut butter chips. You do not want to over mix.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top. Place in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes. You want to make sure that when you insert a toothpick or knife that it comes out clean and not wet (my loaf took 1 hour and 20 minutes).
- Take the loaf out of the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the outer edges to loosen the loaf. Turn it out onto a wire cooling rack. Let it cool completely. Serve and enjoy!
- Notes: I loosely covered my loaf with aluminum foil after 40 minutes of baking so the top would not be overly browned.
- You can also substitute the peanut butter chips for chocolate chips, nuts or just omit them.
Video
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Let us know how it was!Why this Peanut Butter Banana Bread stays moist and tender
The loaf’s texture comes from several ingredients working together. Ripe bananas add moisture and natural sugars that soften the crumb and boost sweetness. Peanut butter contributes fat and body; fat shortens and tenderizes the crumb, giving a richer mouthfeel (a substantial amount of nut butter can also make the crumb feel slightly denser than plain banana bread). Added oil keeps the crumb tender and helps the loaf retain moisture as it cools. Brown and cane sugars attract and hold moisture while adding flavor depth. Take care with flour measurement (spoon into the measuring cup rather than scooping) and mix just until combined—excess flour or overmixing can reduce tenderness and lead to a tighter, drier crumb.
How ripe should the bananas be and why it matters
“Ripe” here means bananas that are soft and heavily spotted or turning brown. Very ripe bananas mash easily, release more sugars, and deliver stronger banana flavor, which helps both sweetness and moisture in the loaf. Firmer, mostly yellow bananas are less sweet and less mashable, which can result in a milder flavor and a less tender texture.
How to tell when your loaf is done (visual cues and quick checks)
The toothpick or knife test is the standard check: insert into the center and expect a few dry crumbs rather than wet batter. A few additional cues that align with that test:
- Top and edges: The top will be golden and the loaf may pull slightly away from the pan edges as it finishes baking.
- Uneven browning: If the top becomes quite dark while the center still seems unset, loosely tenting with foil can prevent further browning while the middle finishes baking.
Watch Dr. J Make Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Watch Dr. J make Peanut Butter Banana Bread and see how it comes together.
