Banana bread ingredients
The ingredients in this classic banana bread are likely already in your pantry! The one change is that I add creamy peanut butter for a salty-sweet combo. Grab the ingredient list below!
- overripe bananas (a must!)
- cake flour
- baking soda
- kosher salt
- unsalted butter, melted
- brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- large eggs
- Greek yogurt
- vanilla bean paste (can substitute pure vanilla extract)
- creamy peanut butter!!
How to make banana bread
What I love most about baking banana bread is that it verrry often comes together in about 10 minutes. This easy banana bread recipe is no different!
First, whisk together your dry ingredients in a large bowl — bread flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside.
Why do you use cake flour?
Great question! Cake flour has a lower protein content than regular all-purpose flour and results in a tender, more delicate baked good. Of course, using all–purpose would be fine, but you’d want to steer clear of using something like bread flour, which has a higher protein content and is used to produce lots of gluten (think denser doughs!)
In a separate bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet, until just fully incorporated.
Next, pour half the batter into a prepared loaf pan (pictured here is 8″ x 4″). Melt ½ cup creamy peanut butter in a microwave for 30-45 seconds, then swirl half of it into the batter.
Pour remaining banana bread batter on top, then top it off with the remaining peanut butter. Swirl once more, then bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs.
How long to bake banana bread
This recipe bakes for 50-55 minutes in a 350F oven.
How to store banana bread
Banana bread keeps best on a countertop, NOT in a refrigerator — the cold air will dry it out.
Cover in plastic wrap, tightly with aluminum foil, or store in an airtight container.
This peanut butter banana bread is best eaten in 4 days or less. It’ll last up to a week, but it begins to dry out after 4 days.
Tip: a day old slice can be brought back to life with 15 seconds in a microwave!
Freezing banana bread
To freeze, simply allow bread to cool completely to room temperature, then slice and place in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Banana bread will keep in a freezer for up to 3 months.
Another option is to wrap and freeze individual slices. Then you can grab and go whenever you like! To defrost, either heat individual slices in a microwave or toaster oven for a few minutes until thawed (less in a microwave) or defrost overnight on the counter.
How to make banana bread moist
This is such a common question!! My secret ingredient is ALWAYS Greek yogurt. It has a way of keeping the bread nice and moist. Also, I love to bake banana bread with brown sugar in addition to granulated white sugar. The molasses in the brown sugar helps it stay moist!
This simple, homemade peanut butter banana bread will quickly become your go-to recipe! We are just crazy about it — and I hope you will be too!
If you make this peanut butter banana bread, please let me know by leaving a review below!
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For more simple, homemade baked goods, check out the following recipes:
- Easy lemon poppy seed muffins with simple glaze
- Quick and simple apple cinnamon bundt cake (with grated apples!)
- Holiday chocolate-dipped biscotti with pecans
- Chocolate raspberry rugelach cookies
- Magnolia banana pudding recipe
- Simple flourless chocolate cake
This was originally posted in January 2018 and has since been updated with tips and tricks that will make it easier for you to recreate at home.
Peanut butter banana bread
Ingredients
- 3 overripe bananas mashed
- 1 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line an 8"x4" loaf pan with parchment paper. Spray with nonstick baking spray, then set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together bread flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together butter and sugars until thoroughly combined, about 1-2 minutes. Add mashed bananas, eggs, greek yogurt, and vanilla bean paste, then whisk until smooth.
- Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until barely combined and no streaks of flour remain. Pour half of banana bread mixture into prepared loaf pan.
- Place peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl (I use a 2 cup measuring cup) and heat for 30-45 seconds in a microwave until smooth and creamy. Pour have of melted peanut butter on top, then use a clean knife to swirl into the batter. Repeat with remaining banana bread batter and peanut butter, swirling again with a clean knife.
- Bake in the center of a preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean. Rest for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
I would love to continue receiving these recioes, Thank you debbie49601@yahoo.com Thank you !
Absolutely, will add you to my email list. Thanks for the support!
I made this today. It is good, however, the peanut butter swirl did sit on the top in places, and when it came out of the oven it had turned into weird hard blobs. Also, your photo shows a white swirl in the cake. What is that from? The banana cream cheese mixture gets completely blended into the flour, if I read the recipe correctly.Is there a step missing? Thank you!
Diane, I am SO sorry to hear this didn’t wow you! The smooth texture of the batter comes from the mashed bananas (which can become purée-like), but the texture of the cream cheese remains a little more firm, even when well mixed. So unless you whip them until completely homogenous, there will be streaks of cream cheese throughout. I like it this way (because it tastes like cream cheese frosting!). The flour does get folded in with the cream cheese mixture, but just barely until there are a few flour streaks left. This will ensure the banana bread isn’t too dense or overworked.
Regardless, thank you so much for leaving feedback! It lets me know that I should readdress this recipe and more clearly write out the instructions. I appreciate your taking the time!