Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread (Printable)

Moist banana bread swirled with creamy peanut butter and rich chocolate chips, perfect for breakfast or an indulgent snack.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
06 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1/3 cup neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
08 - 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, plus extra for swirling
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Mix-ins

11 - 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

# How-to Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until evenly blended.
03 - In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas, sugar, oil, peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy.
04 - Add dry ingredients to wet mixture. Fold gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
05 - Fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
06 - Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan. Drop extra peanut butter in dollops over the surface and swirl gently with a knife to create marble pattern.
07 - Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
08 - Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The peanut butter swirl creates pockets of creamy richness throughout each slice
  • Perfectly balances chocolate intensity with natural banana sweetness
  • Moist enough to eat plain but decadent enough to feel like dessert
02 -
  • Overmixing once the flour hits the wet ingredients will make the bread tough, so gentle folding is key
  • The toothpick test is your best friend here because the chocolate can confuse you about doneness
  • Letting it cool completely before slicing might be torture but it gives the crumb time to set properly
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients mix together more smoothly and prevent the batter from separating
  • If the top is browning too quickly, tent it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking

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