Peanut Butter Banana Bread {9g Protein}
What’s not to love about banana bread that’s made with added peanut butter goodness and chocolate chips? Sounds like heaven, right? Your kitchen will smell so good while this is baking, and everyone will love it. I always have ripe bananas on hand, and I am always looking for different banana bread flavors. And this one was a winner.
Tips before you get started
- You do not have to use peanut butter; any other nut butter you have on hand will work. I love almond butter as well.
- Use really ripe bananas for the best flavor. They will give you that banana flavor and add the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Adding sugar-free chocolate chips and swapping the sugar with a low-calorie alternative will cut down on calories per slice.
- You must allow the banana bread to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing it.
Ingredients needed and swaps
Below is a list of the ingredients I used to make this chocolate chip peanut butter banana bread. Full measurements are listed further down below in the recipe card.
- Bananas: Go for ripe and spotty bananas. Crazy enough, some people don’t like bananas, so you can swap them for pumpkin puree or mashed sweet potatoes. If you are leaning more towards sweet potatoes, then you may like my sweet potato bread.
- Sugar: Light brown sugar or cane sugar is what I usually use. Coconut sugar is also a great option, and you can certainly use a low-calorie sweetener for baking.
- Yogurt: Plain Yogurt or Greek yogurt works. I like Greek yogurt because it adds extra protein, and you will end up with 9 grams of protein per slice.
- Oil or butter: I use Coconut oil or avocado oil. Other oils work, or even melted butter. You do you.
- 2 large eggs: needed for binding. Can be swapped with ground flax or egg substitutes to make a vegan option.
- Nut butter: Creamy peanut butter works so well for this recipe, but other nut butters will work.
- Vanilla Extract
- Flour: 1 ½ cups flour of choice, I mostly use all-purpose, but any other flour will be fine.
- Baking powder, baking soda, and salt
- Chocolate chips: dark chocolate chips. You can swap this with a sugar-free option, a dairy-free option, or any nuts like walnuts or pecans.
How to make peanut butter banana bread
Here is how you can make this peanut butter banana bread perfectly each time.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper or baking oil spray.
1️⃣ Make the wet batter
In a bowl, mash the bananas, add the sugar, eggs, yogurt, oil, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Using a whisk, combine all the ingredients thoroughly.
✏️ You can either use a whisk or a fork to mix this part.
2️⃣ Combine wet and dry ingredients
Pour in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a spatula, mix to incorporate.
✏️ You do not have to worry about overmixing the batter here. You will still have to add the chocolate chips and mix again.
3️⃣ Add the chocolate chips and bake
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, top with more chocolate chips, and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
✏️ You can get creative here and even add in some chopped walnuts or pecans.
4️⃣ Allow it to cool
Allow the bread to cool for 20 minutes before removing it from the pan and letting it cool for another 10 minutes on a wire rack. Slice and enjoy.
✏️ You must allow the bread to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing. 10 minutes is good enough.
Common Questions
Yes. You will need 2 to 2-1/4 cups of almond flour to replace the all-purpose flour for this. Keep in mind that almond flour will make this banana bread very moist, and the consistency will vary.
This peanut butter banana bread will last up to 20 days in the fridge. I have left it covered on my kitchen counter for 24 hours, and I then store the leftovers in the fridge.
Yes. You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Wrap it well and place it in a freezer-safe bag.
Variations
- Instead of chocolate chips, you can add pecans or walnuts. Raisins or chopped dates will also work well.
- Don’t like bananas? Swap it with an equal amount of pumpkin puree or sweet potato puree.
- Make it Vegan: To make this vegan, use dairy-free chocolate chips, plant-based yogurt, and replace the eggs with flax eggs. I would swap the 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons of ground flax. Mix the ground flax with about 1/4 cup of water and let it sit for a few minutes.
- Gluten-free option: Be sure to use a gluten-free flour option.
- Add more protein: Consider adding a scoop of vanilla protein powder for some added protein.
