Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Transform overripe bananas into this Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread for a treat that everyone will love! Made with cocoa powder, peanut butter, maple syrup, and more.

Save the bananas… it’s time for banana bread

Didn’t eat your bananas in time? That’s okay, because there are so many different things you can make with overripe bananas. For today, we’re transforming them into a delicious, healthy chocolate peanut butter banana bread that’s perfect for dessert or with your morning coffee.

The great thing about this peanut butter bread with chocolate chips is that it’s a very simple recipe to put together. It’s no more difficult than making boxed brownies!

When all is said and done, you’ll have a delicious loaf of fluffy, flavorful bread that the entire family will enjoy.

Ingredients in peanut butter chocolate chip banana bread

Healthy chocolate peanut butter banana bread is made with just what you’d expect: flour, baking soda, bananas, and eggs. But one ingredient that you may not have expected is the cocoa powder. Rather than simply adding chocolate chips, we’re making the bread itself chocolatey.

• Oat flour: We will start with an oat flour base in the amount of 1/2 cup.
• Cocoa powder: Then, 1/2 cup of cocoa powder will be used to give the actual bread that delicious, rich chocolate flavor!
• Baking powder: Include 1 tsp of baking powder to help the bread rise properly.
• Baking soda: Likewise, include 1/2 tsp of baking soda.
• Salt: To give a bit of extra flavor, I like to throw in 1/4 tsp of salt.
• Bananas: Next, you’ll of course need the bananas! 2 large bananas will be plenty (or 3 small bananas). Once mashed, you should have about 1 cup of banana.
• Eggs: To help the ingredients bind together, we will use 2 eggs.
• Peanut butter: Next we will use peanut butter for the pb portion of the flavor! 1/4 cup is plenty.
• Maple syrup: For an all-natural sweetener, include 1/4 cup of maple syrup.
• Vanilla: Add 1 tsp of vanilla for taste.
• Chocolate chips: Finally, include 1 cup of chocolate chips, reserving a few extra for the top if desired.

What you’ll need to make this dessert

Healthy peanut butter banana bread is pretty tame on the kitchen tool front. All you need is a bread pan, two mixing bowls, a few stirring utensils, and measuring cups!

• 9×4 bread pan
• Small mixing bowl
• Stirring utensil
• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk

For measuring, you will need the following sized cups: 1/4 tsp, 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, and 1 cup.

How to make healthy chocolate peanut butter banana bread

To make this chocolate chip banana bread we’ll start by mixing the dry ingredients, and then we’ll move onto the wet. Once everything is mixed, combine the dry and wet ingredients together, toss it all in a bread pan, top with chocolate chips, and bake!

Here’s the complete rundown:

To begin, prehet the oven to 350F and grease a 9×4 bread pan.

Then, in a small bowl, mix the oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas and eggs. Then mix in the peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined. Once mixed, stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the greased bread pan and top with more chocolate chips if desired.

Bake for 38-42 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Whether you’re out of key ingredients or wish to try something different, here are some easy ingredient swaps that you can make for this recipe.

• Oat flour: Out of oat flour? Grab your regular jar of rolled oats, and blend with a blender or food processor. Ta-da, oat flour!
• Eggs: No eggs, no problem. One alternative is to use 1/4 cup of applesauce (so you’ll need 1/2 cup for this bread). Another option is to make chia seed eggs. For this recipe, mix 2 tbsp of seeds with 6 tbsp of water. Once it has formed a gel-like consistency, add it where the recipe calls for eggs.
• Maple syrup: If you’re not a fan of maple syrup, you can use honey or molasses instead. Start with a slightly smaller measurement, and add to taste.
• Peanut butter: Any nut butter will work in place of the peanut butter, as will your favorite nut-free butter alternative (like sunflower seed butter).
• Chocolate chips: For a taste that’s a little different but just as decadent, sub the chocolate chips with white chocolate.

How this bread is healthier

You may be wondering how this bread is healthier than a standard chocolate chip banana bread recipe. The answer is simple! I just removed two key “not healthy” ingredients and replaced them with higher nutrient options.

Oat flour
First up, oat flour is a great alternative to all-purpose flour. It’s lower in carbs, higher in protein, and higher in fiber, and it’s gluten-free!

Maple syrup
Second, I swapped white sugar with my favorite ingredient alternative: maple syrup. This all-natural sweetener gives banana bread the perfect amount of sweetness while serving as a healthier, lower-glycemic option.

Storing leftovers

This banana bread can be kept on the counter at room temperature either in a sealed container or covered with plastic wrap. It can also be stored in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 3-4 days for the freshest flavors.

If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!

Can’t get enough peanut butter? Here are some more tasty desserts that feature the star ingredient. You’re going to love those PB&J bars!

• Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free)
• Healthy Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
• Healthy Peanut Butter Pie (Dairy Free)
• Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups

Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa