Everyone’s favorite cake masquerading as a bread. # 405: Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread

I’ve always wanted to make a loaf of fancy banana bread with a split banana baked into the top but this is the first time I’ve ever managed it. Despite how simple it sounds, it required something that I rarely have on hand: fresh ripe bananas. I’m that person who reaches for the almost over-ripe bananas at the store and then immediately adds them to my freezer banana stash when I get home. Someone’s gotta balance out all the green banana fans!

Having an ever-replenishing mountain of frozen bananas isn’t a problem since I tend to make banana bread or “banana bread” oatmeal every other week. Imagine oatmeal with defrosted bananas, cinnamon and mini chocolate chips. SO GOOD.

This recipe came from Erin McDowell’s book Fearless Baker, and it’s got more bells and whistles than I normally incorporate. A creamy chocolate nut butter swirl, a giant handful of cacao nibs for crunch and a fancy banana split on top? Bring it on!

I swapped out the Nutella for chocolate peanut butter spread (work with what ya got) and did a double take at the amount of cacao nibs involved. In the end, they just added a subtle crunchy texture like chopped nuts.

I remembered at the last second to save an extra banana for decoration – phew!

Melted butter + sugar = glittery wet sand.

I tend to leave chunks of banana instead of blending it all perfectly smooth. A, I’m impatient and B, texture is fun.

Today’s halftime show: chocolate swirls. I’d like to think that swirling it in the middle instead of on top helps keep it from over-toasting in the oven, but really I think it was just competing with real estate on the top with the sliced banana.

Art.

I’m finally learning from my past mistakes and added a thick strip of parchment paper perpendicular in the pan to use as handles to lift the loaf out. Flipping it out onto my hand still works unless you’ve got a cute design on top that doesn’t pair well with a handprint.

Ta-da! Adding a little foil hat halfway through baking kept the top from getting too enthusiastic in the heat.

Happy munching!

Recipe from: The Fearless Baker by Erin McDowell