Peanut Butter Chocolate Filled Banana Bread

 Banana bread is such a delicious snack and its truely a classic! I'm pretty sure most of us grew up eating banana bread (I know I did!!). My mom would often bake banana bread for us and I always loved it when she would put chocolate chips in it. This time I decided to depart a bit from the classic and changed it up by putting a layer of peanut butter chocolate yumminess in the middle of this loaf. It was a total success. The loaf has disappeared quickly in our house with requests for a repeat being made frequently. :) So, today I'm going to share this delish recipe with you.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Filled Banana Bread
Recipe adapted from Starting Out by Julie Van Rosendaal

Ingredients:
Banana Bread:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup low fat greek yogurt (honey or vanilla flavour is nice, but plain is okay too)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Filling:

• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
• 1/4 cup milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray an 8x4 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until well combined - mixture will have the consistency of wet sand. Add the bananas, eggs, yogurt and vanilla and beat until wel blended.
3. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and gently stir with a spatula until just combined.
4. Pour one half of the batter into the prepared pan. Then prepare the peanut butter and chocolate mixture by combining all four ingredients and stirring until smooth. Spread chocolate peanut butter mixture on top of batter in pan, then top with the remaining banana bread batter.
5. Bake in preheated oven for one hour and ten minutes, or until the top is cracked and springy to the touch. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

This is such a great twist on a classic recipe. It comes together really quick - perfect to make for a Sunday morning breakfast or to bake up and take in lunches. :)

This post has been linked up with the Recipe Party over at the Sweet Spot! Head on over and check out the other delectable goods other bloggers have created this week. :)

Happy Baking my Friends!! I'm looking forward to a marathon weekend in the kitchen, so you should have some yummy posts to look forward to next week. :D

Chocolate Banana Bread

I am always down for banana bread. Whats not to love? Sweet, light, fluffy and served warm it is just delicious. Now add a bit of chocolate to that mix and you've got a banana "bread" that can sub in for dessert in a pinch. The chocolate just adds that extra bit of decadence that takes this from a snack to a dessert. It really is a special recipe that even non-banana bread lovers will enjoy. Try out this recipe next time you have some over-ripe bananas hanging out in your fruit bowl (or freezer...).


This recipe is from Tyler Florence's cookbook - Tyler's Ultimate in the dessert section. I know his recipes usually involve dirtying every-other dish in your kitchen, but this one is different! You will only dirty two bowls (one of which could just be dusted out since it only holds dry ingredients) and the pan you bake it in. So if you're the kind of person who doesn't like baking because it makes your kitchen too dirty and you have to do too many dishes - make this recipe. You will be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is and how quick the cleanup is afterwards. You may just find yourself making this over and over again!

Chocolate Banana Bread
Recipe from Tyler's Ultimate

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened, plus more to grease the pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (less if you use salted butter)
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
• 2 large egs
• 3 very ripe bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I probably added about double that amount because I like my vanilla)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9x5 inch loaf pan (or any other baking dish the batter will fit in). Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. In another bowl, cream butter until lightened in colour, then beat in the chocolate, eggs, bananas, and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overbeat.
2. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake until toothpick stuck into center of the bread comes out almost clean, 50-60 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool at least 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

I hope you enjoy this recipe - I know our family did! The key is in beating the butter til fluffy and then not overbeating the batter after you add the dry ingredients. The batter doesn't need to be smooth - just make sure it is evenly moistened. Happy Baking my Friends! I hope you're enjoying your weekend. :)

Best Banana Bread Ever... Seriously!

It happens to everyone - you don't eat your bananas fast enough and suddenly you have a bunch of brown, soft bananas on your hands. You don't want to waste them, but they're not exactly fit to just eat on their own. Make banana bread with them! Its quick, easy, delicious and can be healthy too (depends on the recipe you use!). You can be in and out of your kitchen in one and a half hours - 15 minutes of prep time and about 1 hour and 5 minutes in the oven. Not a bad deal for such a delicious tasting treat!

My favorite banana bread recipe is from a cookbook I received as a wedding present called The Best Bake Sale Ever written by Barbara Grunes. Its such a great cookbook - every recipe I've baked out of it has been a success. Any way, on to the recipe!

Just-The-Best Banana Raisin Brean

Minimally Adapted from The Best Bake Sale Ever

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp each baking powder and baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature (for a lower fat alternative, substitute 1/2 or all of the butter with unsweetened applesauce)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (to cut down on sugar, you can use splenda brown sugar in place of real brown sugar)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (3-4 very ripe bananas)
• 1 cup chocolate chips (or omit this all together for plain banana bread)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray or grease a non-stick loaf pan (9x5 inch).
2. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter for a few minutes until it changes colour (should be almost white). Add sugars and continue beating until fluffy and light (about 2 minutes). Add the egg, beat well. Mix in the bananas. Beat in flour mixture. Add chocolate chips, raisins or whatever you're adding to the batter.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in center of preheated oven for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Cool bread in pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto wire rack and turn right side up to cool completely.

This banana bread recipe is great! Be sure to use really ripe bananas - they blend into the batter nicer and also impart more flavour into the bread. While you're at it - double the recipe and make two loafs - you'll eat it all, don't worry! Enjoy!

Happy Baking my Friends!