A New Breakfast of Champions
I love banana bread in all kinds of variations but I was thrilled to see a recipe in Cooking Light for this Peanut Butter Banana Bread – not something I had tried yet! I was a little unsure if the peanut butter would be overwhelming but there is really just a hint of nutty flavor. The creamy peanut butter seems to just give it moisture and the chopped peanuts just a little crunch. The original recipe called for a glaze made of powdered sugar, milk and peanut butter but I was looking for breakfast and not dessert so I left it off. I tweaked the recipe a little bit more and used whole wheat flour and light butter sticks. I also lowered the sugar amounts.
I made a loaf – it makes a big loaf – and we ate it for breakfast and after school. The kids loved it! We generally toasted it and put cream cheese on top but I saw the kids slicing pieces and eating it plain. So I made another loaf but with hesitation. I was afraid the novelty would have worn off and my husband and I would end up eating the whole thing way after it’s prime. Ta-da!! It was gone in a few days.
Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 and 1/2 cups mashed banana, 1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt, 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter, 3 tablespoons of melted light butter and 2 large eggs. Mix well with an electric mixer. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1/3 cup packed brown sugar and beat until blended.
In a small bowl, mix 1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup ground flaxseed, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice. Add the flour mix to the banana mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped dry-roasted peanuts. Pour the batter into a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan and then remove and cool completely.
I’ll take a little break for a few weeks but I will be making this again. Maybe next time I’ll try almond butter and almonds or maybe Nutella… ok, that’s dessert again!
~ The Mildly Manic Mom
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Thos looks the delish! What does the flaxseed do? Can i substitute it? Im all out at the moment, but im afraid leaving it out will result in a runny loaf or something
Xoch, the flaxseed is there to add a little extra health boost. I may add a couple tablespoons of flour if I left it out completely. This is still – hands down – my favorite banana bread!! Enjoy.