Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prepare Your Baking Environment
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175°C). Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with a parchment paper sling, ensuring the paper overhangs the sides to create handles for easy lifting. Alternatively, grease the pan with nonstick cooking spray and lightly flour it, tapping out any excess.
Brown the Butter and Combine Wet Ingredients
- In a small saucepan or skillet, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the butter turns a rich golden brown and emits a nutty aroma. Watch carefully to prevent burning. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas thoroughly with a fork, leaving a few small chunks for texture if desired. Add the creamy peanut butter and the slightly cooled, fragrant browned butter to the mashed bananas, stirring until well combined and creamy.
- Next, stir in the packed light brown sugar, the room temperature large egg, and the pure vanilla extract. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and evenly incorporated.
Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. This helps distribute the leavening agent and salt evenly.
- Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined, with only a few streaks of flour remaining. Avoid overmixing, as this can lead to a tough, dry bread.
Bake to Perfection
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and carefully spread it evenly with a spatula. Place the pan in your preheated oven and bake for 50-65 minutes.
- Check for doneness at the 50-minute mark by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If not, continue baking and check every 5 minutes until done. If the top browns too quickly, you can loosely tent it with foil.
Cooling and Serving
- Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes to set.
- After 10 minutes, run a knife around the edges to loosen the bread, then carefully use the parchment sling handles or invert the pan to remove it. Let the peanut butter banana bread cool completely on the wire rack until just slightly warm. Slice and serve.
Nutrition
Notes
This peanut butter banana bread stores well on the counter for up to 3 days, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. For longer storage, cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and then place in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Always use very ripe, brown bananas and avoid overmixing the batter for the best texture. Proper cooling on a wire rack prevents a soggy bottom. Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.