Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Bread

This moist and gluten-free Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Bread is an easy breakfast recipe made with chocolate chips, almond flour, and maple syrup! It’s simple and the best for busy mornings or as an afternoon snack!

Video: let’s make peanut butter banana bread!

If you don’t know by now, you’re about to find out that I’m a total sucker for banana bread. My blog can probably tell you that, as there are countless recipes perfect for using up overripe bananas!

Growing up, it was always a special treat when my mom would bring banana bread or banana muffins home from our local bakery. I’ve always loved them and am slowly but surely working on my folder of straight banana bread recipes!

One thing that I love about peanut butter banana bread is the combination fo sweet and salty. That is my favorite flavor combination and one that I try to create as often as possible! This recipe achieves that with chocolate chips, peanuts, and sea salt. Let’s just say this is probably my favorite variation to date!

This loaf of bread is completely gluten-free, is super moist, and is filled with incredible flavor. You’re going to love it!

Peanut butter banana bread ingredients

Healthy peanut butter banana bread uses two sets of ingredients: wet and dry. We’ll mix them separately and then add them together to ensure that everything is incorporated as well as possible. Many of these ingredients are probably already in your pantry, so gather them up and let’s make some banana bread!

Wet Ingredients

• Bananas (should be overripe)
• Natural peanut butter
• Maple syrup
• Eggs
• Vanilla

Dry Ingredients

• Almond flour
• Baking soda
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Dairy-Free chips)
• Toppings: Crushed peanuts and sea salt

Tools needed to make this healthy bread

You’ll only need a select number of tools for this recipe, which is great for clean up purposes! The smaller the mess, the better the recipe. Right?!

• Bread pan
• Parchment paper
• Nonstick spray
• 2 large mixing bowls
• Stirring utensil
• Potato masher (optional)
• Measuring cups: 1/4 tsp, 1 tsp, 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, and 1 cup

How to make healthy peanut butter banana bread

If you’ve ever baked something, whether it be simple box brownies or complex snickerdoodles, you’ll be able to make this banana bread. It’s so easy you could probably do it with your eyes closed! Prep will only require about 10 minutes, and from there it’s smooth sailing (or… baking).

To begin making your own healthy bread, start by preheating the oven to 350F so that it can heat up while you create the batter.

Then, prepare a loaf pan with either parchment paper or nonstick spray. By cutting a little piece of parchment paper, throwing it into the bottom of the pan, and spraying it with nonstick spray, your banana bread will easily come right out of the dish. Leave little “wings” on the side of the paper so that you can pull the loaf right out! Take a look at the video above to see this in action.

In a large bowl, whisk the mashed bananas. They should be completely mushy, and you’ll want to avoid leaving clumps behind. I like to use a potato masher for this.

Once the bananas are mashed, add the peanut butter, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla, and mix thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until completely combined.

Then, fold in the chocolate chips.

Once everything is mixed, pour the batter into the loaf pan. Top with chocolate chips and crushed peanuts for an extra tasty result!

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

And there you go! Easy, healthy banana bread that’s made with peanut butter and other wholesome ingredients. It’s perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or a post dinner dessert!

Healthier ingredients for a nutrient-rich dessert

This banana bread features many ingredients that I love to use in my baked goods. All are healthier, less-processed options that supply many nutrients including potassium, fiber, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, and more.

Bananas
It will come as no surprise, but the bananas in this recipe supply so many nutrients and really help to make this a healthy snack! You’ll get a sweet serving of potassium, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C in each bite.
Tip: The darker the peel, the sweeter the banana! We’ll want these super ripe for our bread.

Natural peanut butter
Peanut butter is always one of those ingredients where it’s worth it to go organic or all-natural. The other stuff is packed with preservatives, so the extra dollar for organic is worth it. This ingredient supplies the bread with zinc, magnesium, and lots of protein!
Tip: The brands from Trader Joes and Whole Foods are my favorite.

Maple syrup
My go-to sweetener, maple syrup supplies the best dash of sweetness. It’s not overpowering at all. It’s my favorite way to give my recipes a touch of natural sugar!

Almond flour
Almond flour is great alternative to all-purpose flour. It’s more nutrient-rich and just so happens to work perfectly when making banana bread!

Dairy-free chocolate chips
Finally, I like to stick with dairy-free chocolate chips in my recipe. It usually means I’m using dark chocolate, and I’m okay with that! You can feel free to use your favorite type.

Ingredient substitution options

There are a number of ingredietns that can be substituted throughout this recipe if need be. This list comes in handy if you find yourself missing an ingredient or simply wanting to use something else.

• Peanut butter: Peanut butter can be substituted with any nut butter, as well as nut-free alternatives like sunflower seed butter. These can be used at a 1:1 ratio.
• Maple syrup: If you don’t want to use maple syrup, feel free to use honey or molasses instead. Start with a smaller amount than what’s called for of maple syrup, and just add to taste.
• Eggs: For a vegan bread recipe, substitute the eggs with 1/4 cup of applesauce each. You can also create chia seed “eggs” by mixing 1 tbsp of seeds with 3 tbsp of water. Allow it to form a gel-like consistency before adding to the bowl with the wet ingredients.
• Chocolate chips: Finally, chocolate chips can be omitted or substituted with anything you’d like. You can use peanut butter chips, caramel chips, etc. You name it, and it’ll probably work!

How to store banana bread

This bread can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. Keep it sealed in an airtight container.

Alternatively, it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Again, be sure to use an airtight container.

If you’d like to save this bread for later use, it can be frozen for up to 3 months. I like to freeze a batch every now and again so that I have something on deck when I get a craving for something sweet!

Some more bread-y recipes to try

If you loved this chocolate peanut butter banana bread (which I hope you did!), here are some more bread ideas that you can try!

• S’mores Banana Bread
• Paleo Pumpkin Bread
• Healthy Gingerbread Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Healthy Whole Wheat Blueberry Bread
• Carrot Cake Banana Bread