Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bread with Walnuts

This peanut butter chocolate banana bread is made with Reese’s peanut butter chocolate spread and a whole lotta deliciousness. It’s a pound cake worthy of the name.

If you're a regular reader you have probably seen the recipe for Momzie's Banana Bread on the blog. My Mom used to make it all the time and it was always absolutely delicious.

Honestly, we never said no to Mom's banana bread. It was one of the things she made well, and we always fought over who got the very last piece of it. It was something we all loved so many an argument was started over that last piece!

Over the years I've made so many variations on my Mom's recipe it's almost ridiculous. I love playing around with different flavour combinations.

One of my favourite recipes is my Banana Coconut Sweet Bread. There is something about the combination of banana and coconut that just makes my heart skip a beat.

For this recipe, I added Reese's peanut butter spread, plus some chocolate chips and walnuts.

My instinct was to drizzle a chocolate ganache over top of these, but I figured it might be overkill. So, I dialled back my tendency to overdo everything and let the flavours speak for themselves.

I know, right! You're thinking "who the hell is this woman and what has she done with Kim". I realize I'm known for over the top recipes but I assure you it's still me.

Seriously, I haven't been taken over by pod people. At least, not that I'm aware of.

This recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bread was previously shared on Food Fanatic. I used to be their resident chocolate fanatic.

Ingredient Notes:

• Flour - All purpose flour is used for this recipe.
• Baking Powder - This is an important ingredient so do not omit or substitute it.
• Salt - Table salt is used for this banana bread. Use whatever type of salt you prefer. Salt enhances the sweetness of other ingredients so do not omit, unless you need to do so for health reasons.
• Butter - You can use salted or unsalted butter in this banana bread recipe. Either is fine.
• Sugar - This recipe calls for granulated sugar. Again, do not substitute as it will change the taste and texture of the bread.
• Eggs - Large eggs are used for this recipe. Be sure to beat the eggs prior, which can be done easily with a fork or whisk.
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Spread - Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Spread is used in this recipe but I know it can be difficult to find. If you cannot find it, you can substitute a different brand. You can also just make your own peanut butter chocolate spread by mixing ½ cup of peanut butter and ½ cup of chocolate spread. They make plain chocolate spreads which is preferred in this case, but if you can't find it then use a chocolate hazelnut spread.
• Bananas - Use over-ripe bananas for banana bread whenever possible. You can mash them in a bowl with a fork or pop them in your mixer.
• Chocolate Chips - Milk chocolate chips were used for this recipe. If you prefer semi-sweet or dark those will work just as well.
• Walnuts -  You can use whole pieces or broken, it really does not matter much for this banana bread.

How to Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bread

1. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Then, spray non-stick spray over the loaf pan you are using. Be sure to coat the wells evenly. You can also use parchment paper if you like. Set the mini loaf pan aside.
3. Grab a medium sized bowl and add flour, baking powder and salt to it. Then, sift the ingredients in a sifter one time. Set bowl aside.
4. Next, grab another medium sized bowl, add the butter and sugar to it. You can mix it by hand, or use a stand or hand mixer. Mix the two together until it well combined and creamy.
5. Add the eggs to the butter-sugar mixture, mix well by hand, or with a hand or stand mixer.
6. Then, add the peanut butter chocolate spread to the bowl and mix again.
7. Next you are going to combine the ingredients together by slowly adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, add about a third at a time. Mix, then add more, and continue until all the ingredients are combined well.
8. Add the mashed bananas, chocolate chips and walnuts to the bowl. Mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon for this step. Do not use a hand mixer or stand mixer as it will chop up all your chocolate chips and walnuts too finely. Mix just long enough to incorporate the ingredients.
9. Grab the mini loaf pan and pour the banana bread batter into the wells evenly. They should be ¾ full, that way there is room for the bread to rise as it bakes.
10. Place the pan in the preheated oven on the middle rack. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the tops of the bread are golden brown.
11. Once the bread is finished baking, carefully remove the pan from the oven and place on the counter. Let it cool for about 5 minutes inside the pan.
12. Then, invert the pan onto a cutting board or wire rack, they should pop right out. If not, use a butter knife to gently slide them out. Place the mini banana bread loaves on a wire cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.
13. Serve on its own, or butter, jam, or marmalade.

How to Store Banana Bread:

First, be sure to allow the bread to cool completely before storing it.

Store the bread in an airtight container in a cool dry place in your kitchen.

Banana bread can be stored safely on counter this way for up to 3 or 4 days.

Generally, banana bread is best stored on counter, not in the refrigerator. Storing it in the fridge will remove moisture and can dry your bread out.

Can Banana Bread be Frozen:

Again, you want to be sure the banana bread is cooled completely before storing it.

When freezing banana bread, I recommend wrapping each mini loaf really well with plastic wrap before placing it in an airtight container or freezer bag. This also allows you to take smaller servings over time.

Banana bread can be frozen for 3 to 4 months, as long as it is stored correctly.

How to Make Your Own Peanut Butter Chocolate Spread:

To clarify, I used Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Spread when I first made this. I know people have had trouble finding it. You can use any other brand for this recipe. Or make your own, instructions below!

Instructions:

To yield 1 cup of peanut butter chocolate spread mix together ½ cup of peanut butter and ½ cup chocolate spread.

Or you can just add each directly to the bowl as you make this. Easy peasy!

Other great Chocolate Recipes from around the web:

• Baked Fudge
• Peanut Butter Brownies
• The Best Brownies in the World
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Coffee Truffles
• Peanut Butter Pie from My Baking Addiction
• S'mores Campfire Cups from Kiss My Smoke
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Lava Cakes from Sally's Baking Addiction

Places to stalk Cravings of a Lunatic!

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest

Instagram ~ YouTube ~ Kiss My Smoke

Take some time to peruse my recipe index. You can find lots of dessert recipes, plus tons of chocolate recipes.

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Toodles! xx