Photo: Leigh Loftus
The question: is banana bread bad for you? is what brings a lot of readers to this site, according to my good friends at Google Analytics. The answer: of course not. Now, I’m not saying that banana bread – or for that matter, peanut butter banana bread – is health food, but that everything in moderation is A-OK.
I mean, think about it. Broccoli is great for you but if you ate too much of it, there would likely be some unpleasant side effects just as there would be if you ate, say a loaf of this peanut butter banana bread.
Photo: Leigh Loftus
I’m not really one to toot my own horn so I’ll admit that this was a Cooking Light recipe that I saw on the cover of the magazine and couldn’t resist recreating. I’ll also admit that more than one of my friends who sampled this called it the best banana bread they’d ever tasted.
It has just enough peanut butter to lend a slightly nutty taste and moist texture without overpowering the banana flavor. There is a glaze that will push this right over the line that it’s already straddling between “bread” and “cake” that I opted not to use but if you make this, don’t hold back on my account.
Photo: Leigh Loftus
Peanut butter is whipped into the basic recipe for a moist banana bread with a hint of nutty flavor. A small amount of chopped roasted peanuts offers delightfully surprising crunch.
- 1½ cups mashed ripe banana
- ⅓ cup plain fat-free yogurt
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1½ cups)
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
- Cooking spray
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- To prepare bread, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until blended.
- Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
- Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool.
11 Comments
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Steve
November 1, 2010 at 2:20 pmNow this is something new; will have to try it this weekend 😉
Kristina
October 29, 2010 at 1:22 pmI realize how warped I am because it delights me that you brought up the negative side effects of eating too much broccoli. But you already know I’m weird like that.
I was eying this recipe from that magazine as well. It looks amazing.
leslie
October 28, 2010 at 9:27 pmHey..if it has fruit in it..it is healthy! Carrot cake is diet food in my book too!!! !
Cynthia
October 28, 2010 at 3:55 pmIsn’t it amazing the things that bring people to our blogs? 🙂
Natalie
October 27, 2010 at 2:34 pmOh wow I have to try this for Chloe. She loves peanut butter!
Sues
October 25, 2010 at 6:07 pmThe only thing better than banana bread is banana bread with peanut butter somehow involved. Yup, everything in moderation! 🙂
Daryl
October 25, 2010 at 1:26 pmInteresting combination. I made banana bread thiw weekend, actually got the recipe from your blog. I didnt have applesauce so I substituted it with pumpkin and it was very moist and delicious.
Pamela
October 24, 2010 at 3:52 pmI made this one, too. It was really good and I am looking forwardto baking it again soon.
Joanne
October 23, 2010 at 12:22 pmI love seeing what random things bring people to my blog. I think a lot of people actually get there by “are plantains bad for you” which is random in general.
I love the sound of this PB and banana bread. I love banana bread as is but anything with PB in it just makes it that much better.