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Peanut butter and banana are a delicious match, and together they make a really good loaf. This peanut butter banana bread is soft and incredibly moist, with plenty of chocolate chunks and a thick peanut butter glaze on top. It has all the delicious flavor and appeal of banana bread with the bonus of peanut butter flavor in there too. If you like banana bread and you’re also a peanut butter fan, this loaf is going to become a new favorite. Try it for brunch or enjoy it as a sweet snack.
Why You’ll Love It
This soft, moist banana loaf has peanut butter, chocolate chunks and a thick peanut butter glaze.
Moist, tender slices: The middle of the loaf is soft and tender and the edges have a little crispness.
Thick glazed top: The topping makes this loaf more interesting than plain banana bread.
A versatile treat: It’s just as delicious for brunch as it is for a mid-afternoon sweet snack when you need an energy boost. If you love peanut butter and bananas, you just have to try it!
You might also like Hawaiian banana bread, Bisquick banana bread, Starbucks copycat banana bread and banana bread crumb cake.
Banana Peanut Butter Bread Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Creamy peanut butter: Use a smooth, no-stir peanut butter for the loaf and glaze. I tried natural peanut butter but it separated and made the texture a bit greasy, so it’s best not to use that.
Ripe bananas: These are for both sweetness and moisture. I find that overripe bananas (with lots of brown or black spots on the peel) mash the easiest and have a richer, sweeter flavor.
Melted butter: Adds richness and blends smoothly with the peanut butter.
Brown sugar and granulated sugar: Sugar sweetens the batter and help create a moist middle.
Eggs: Eggs bind the batter.
Sour cream: Helps with the texture and adds moisture to the banana peanut butter bread.
All-purpose flour and baking soda: Form the structure and provide lift without baking powder.
Chocolate chips or chunks: Melt in uneven spots here and there. You can use any kind.
Powdered sugar and milk: Create a thick peanut butter glaze that drizzles easily over this flavorful banana bread.
How to Make Peanut Butter Banana Bread
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Prepare the pan: Grease a loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
Start the batter: Whisk the melted butter, peanut butter and both sugars in a large bowl until smooth. Add the eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl, then stir them into the banana mixture. Stir the chocolate chips into the banana bread batter.
Bake the bread: Pour batter in the prepared loaf pan and bake.
Cool the loaf: Leave the bread in the pan briefly and then transfer it to a wire cooling rack and let it cool fully.
Drizzle the glaze: Whisk the peanut butter, powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle it across the top of the cooled loaf.
Substitutions and Variations
Plain Greek yogurt swap: Replace the sour cream with the same amount of plain Greek yogurt.
Choose another chocolate: Use milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate chips. I haven’t tried white chocolate but that might be an interesting touch. Or you could try some chocolate chips and some peanut butter chips.
Add crunch: Use crunchy peanut butter in the batter. I would still use creamy peanut butter for the glaze, to keep it smooth.
Try a gluten-free blend: Swap the whole wheat flour for a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour baking blend.
Skip the peanut butter completely: You can replace the peanut butter in both the loaf and glaze with smooth almond butter. Sunflower seed butter would also work if nuts need to be avoided too.
Leave off the topping: Skip the glaze for a less sweet loaf.
Make muffins or mini muffins: Divide the batter between lined muffin cups and bake at 350°F for 18 to 22 minutes. For mini muffins, check after 10 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
With a drink: Enjoy this delicious recipe with an iced lavender matcha latte or cinnamon dolce latte.
With brunch: Serve it with your breakfast favorites, perhaps spirulina smoothie bowls, a fried egg sandwich or my sausage apple breakfast casserole.
As a sweet snack: Grab a pineapple peach smoothie or state fair lemonade and treat yourself to a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack.
How to Store
Store: Keep unglazed bread covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Refrigerate glazed bread in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Wrap unglazed slices and freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Thaw: Let frozen slices thaw at room temperature. Add the glaze when thawed.
Top Tips
Choose bananas with plenty of brown spots: Very ripe fruit mashes easily and adds a stronger banana taste.
Let the butter cool slightly: Hot melted butter can make the peanut butter mixture greasy.
Measure the flour lightly: Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level the top. Scooping directly from the bag can add too much.
Stop stirring when the flour disappears: Extra mixing can make the loaf dense.
Add the milk gradually: Start with a small amount and add more in small splashes until the glaze falls from your whisk in thick ribbons.
Glaze when cool: Warm bread thins the glaze and makes it run down the sides.
Cover a darkening crust: Place foil loosely on top if the crust browns before the center is ready. Also, I like to use a light-colored nonstick loaf pan for even baking.
Banana and Peanut Butter Loaf FAQs
Too much flour or too much mixing can create a dense loaf. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level the top. Stop stirring when the dry streaks disappear.
A crack is normal. The surface firms up as the center rises in the oven.
The bread may have been warm or the glaze may have had too much milk. Let the loaf cool fully and add the milk in small splashes.
Peanut Butter Banana Bread Recipe
Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Equipment
- Loaf Pan 9 x 5-Inch
Ingredients
For the Bread
- ¾ Cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ Cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ Cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ Cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, large
- 3 bananas, ripe or overripe, mashed
- ½ Cup sour cream
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ Cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Teaspoon baking soda
- ½ Teaspoon salt
- ¾ Cup chocolate chips, or chunks
For the Glaze
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
Make the Batter
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Add the eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips or chunks.
Bake the Banana Bread
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Add the Glaze
- In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and milk until smooth and pourable.
- Drizzle the glaze over the fully cooled bread.
Notes
Let the butter cool slightly: Hot melted butter can make the peanut butter mixture greasy.
Measure the flour lightly: Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level the top. Scooping directly from the bag can add too much.
Stop stirring when the flour disappears: Extra mixing can make the loaf dense.
Add the milk gradually: Start with a small amount and add more in small splashes until the glaze falls from your whisk in thick ribbons.
Glaze when cool: Warm bread thins the glaze and makes it run down the sides.
Cover a darkening crust: Place foil loosely on top if the crust browns before the center is ready. Also, I like to use a light-colored nonstick loaf pan for even baking.
Nutrition
This easy banana bread recipe gives you a soft, moist texture that makes it so comforting. Peanut butter gives it a roasted, nutty edge and the chocolate chunks add pops of sweetness. The glaze tops the loaf with a sweeter peanut butter finish. It still has all that familiar banana flavor you know and love about banana bread but with a little more richness from the peanut butter and chocolate.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
