We’ve all done it: spotted that great-looking bunch of bananas at the grocery store, perfectly ripe and ready to eat. So you bring them home, make a smoothie or two, add one to your morning granola, and before you know it, you have a few extra ripe bananas on your countertop, destined to be made into banana bread.

Unfortunately, this happens in our house more than I care to admit. Fortunately, banana bread is delicious and, for the most part, easy to make. To keep from getting into that “oh no, not banana bread AGAIN” slump, I like to keep a couple of recipes in rotation, including this Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread. Here’s why I like it:

1. The batter comes together in under 15 minutes, and you don’t need any special equipment (no need to break out the stand mixer).
2. It tastes like cake (seriously)! If you closed your eyes, you’d think you were eating a decadent chocolate cake- it is so moist! After baking, store it in a sealed plastic bag or tightly wrap it in the loaf pan to help preserve all the flavor and keep it from drying out.
3. It has peanut butter in the batter and on top, and I love peanut butter. You can probably get away using natural peanut butter in the actual banana bread here, but not for the drizzle. I’m not sure if you have ever tried melting and drizzling natural PB, but it is almost impossible to do. I used Kraft for both the batter and for drizzling. I also like melting the PB before adding it to the batter. PB is notoriously hard to stir. Heating it for 30 seconds or so will solve this problem.

For more banana bread recipes, check out my Sunday Morning Banana Bread or One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1-2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup peanut butter, slightly melted (microwave for about 30 seconds, but also depends on your microwave)
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ banana, sliced for the top of the bread (optional)
2-3 tbsps creamy peanut butter, for drizzle (optional, but highly recommended)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, add the mashed bananas, slightly melted peanut butter, oil, sugar, and egg, whisking to combine. Stir in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, stir to combine.
4. Pour into loaf pan and top with banana slices if you are using them. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
5. Once the loaf is slightly cool, melt peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl (or on the stovetop over low heat) until it is slightly runny (about 30 seconds). Drizzle over the loaf. Enjoy!

If you decide to try this recipe, let me know what you think in the comments below or tag me on Instagram using @chrissymeetsworld or #chrissycooks.

Sincerely,
Chrissy xx