Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Bread

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This healthy Peanut Butter Banana Bread is moist and packed with peanut butter banana flavors. Made in a bowl with simple ingredients, this quick bread will become a staple in your kitchen. You won’t ever guess it’s healthy and refined sugar-free!

Banana and peanut butter are a match made in heaven. For real, anytime I bake my moist protein banana bread I end up slathering the slices with it. So I thought, why not making directly a healthy banana bread with peanut butter in it?!

What I love about this recipe is its versatility! You can customize it mix-ins like blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, or go for chocolate chips. You can even turn it into muffins or a cake. Craving my healthy banana cake, that’s exactly what I did. I then topped it with a delicious pb frosting and peanut crunch. Too good to be healthy!

Ingredients and substitutes

This recipe calls for just a handful of simple ingredients. Here are all the details along with substitutes; the precise ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.

• Egg – One large egg helps bind the batter and enrich the flavors. To make vegan banana peanut bread, replace it with one flaxseed egg.
• Ripe bananas – You’ll need two ripe or overripe bananas, those speckled bananas that are sweet and flavorful. As a replacement, use 1 cup (220 g) of applesauce.
• Peanut butter – For a healthier bake, I recommend natural peanut butter without added sugar or oil, a little salt is okay. Creamy or crunchy will both work, and you can also replace it with PB2, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter.
• Greek yogurt – The yogurt makes this quick bread moister without using oil or butter. Full-fat or minimum 2% fat Greek yogurt is recommended, but dairy-free alternatives such as coconut or soy yogurt will also work.
• Maple syrup – This adds natural sweetness together with the bananas. Feel free to substitute it with honey, agave, date syrup, or sugar-free syrup.
• Oat flour – Use homemade or store-bought oat flour, gluten-free if necessary. Great replacements are almond flour, whole-wheat pastry flour, and all-purpose flour. For more protein, swap part of the flour with protein powder (more on this later).
• Baking powder – This acts as a leavening agent, helping it rise.
• Vanilla extract – A dash of vanilla extract perfectly complements the flavors in this moist peanut butter banana loaf.
• Pinch of salt – Necessary to balance sweetness and enhance the flavors. You can skip it if using salted peanut butter.

Healthy peanut butter frosting

This is totally optional, but for more flavor a topped my moist peanut bread with a rich and creamy icing. Surprisingly healthy, because it’s made with a combination of Greek yogurt, cream cheese, peanut butter and powdered sweetener. For fewer calories, I used non fat yogurt and cream cheese. But also full fat or dairy-free options work. What is important is that the yogurt has a thick texture. Regarding the sweetener, I used monk fruit, but any other option will work.

How to make peanut butter banana bread

1. Step 1 – Prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare a 7.9-inch (20 cm) loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper or lightly greasing it with oil. For a peanut butter cake, you can prepare a 7×7 brownie pan instead (as I did).
2. Step 2 – Mix wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth, then mix in the peanut butter, Greek yogurt, egg, maple syrup, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Stir until everything is well combined.
3. Step 3 – Add dry ingredients. Next, add the oat flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Depending on the bananas size, you might need to adjust the texture. Add a bit more oat flour if the batter feels too runny, or a splash of milk if it seems too thick.
4. Step 4 – Bake. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Step 5 – Let cool. Let the bread cool before slicing and serving it. It tastes even better if enjoyed on day two, after it has sit in the fridge overnight.

Once cool, I served mine with a Greek yogurt icing on top. To prepare it, just mix all the ingredients (Greek yogurt, cream cheese, peanut butter and sweetener) in a medium bowl until creamy. The frosting is totally optional, but it does make the bread more indulgent.

Recipe variations

• Higher in protein – Replace ½ cup (50 g) of oat flour with the same amount of protein powder. I recommend casein or vegan protein powder, vanilla flavor tastes best.
• Low calorie (PB2) – To cut calories, swap regular peanut butter for powdered peanut butter (such as PB2 or PBFit). Just mix the powder with a little water or milk until it reaches a creamy consistency.
• Vegan – Replace Greek yogurt with dairy-free alternatives like Greek-style soy yogurt, and swap the egg for a flax-egg or chia egg.
• Mix-ins – Stir in a handful of chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, pecans, dried cranberries, or fresh blueberries. You can also try my healthy peanut frosting.
• Muffins – Turn this recipe into moist banana bread muffins by baking the batter in cupcake molds at 350°F (180°C) for 20-25 minutes.

Banana bread tips

• Use ripe bananas – The riper, the better! Those speckled, almost-too-soft bananas bring natural sweetness and extra moisture to your bread. If yours aren’t quite there yet, pop them in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 10 minutes to speed up the ripening process.
• Don’t overmix your batter – Stir just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can make your pb loaf dense and chewy instead of light and fluffy. A few lumps in the batter are fine.
• Enjoy on day two – Trust me, this healthy banana peanut bread gets even better overnight! After cooling, store it in the fridge, and by the next day, the flavors will have improved, and the texture will be extra moist. It’s hard to wait, but it’s so worth it.

Storage directions

Once out of the oven, let the bread cool completely. First in the pan, then on a wire rack or plate. After that, you can dig in right away or save it for later. Here’s how to store it.

• At room temperature – Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• In the fridge (recommended) – It keeps fresh for up to 4 days. You can eat it cold or warm it up in the oven or microwave for 10-15 seconds.
• In the freezer – Slice it up and freeze in ziplock bags for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in the oven or microwave until warm and fluffy.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best peanut butter for banana bread?

I always recommend using natural peanut butter with no added sugar or oils. Just peanuts and a pinch of salt, if desired. Whether you go for creamy or crunchy is totally up to you; both work well here. If you’re looking for a lower calorie option, powdered peanut butter mixed with a little water or milk is a great swap (or try my low calorie banana bread!).

Can I use powdered peanut butter?

Absolutely, just mix powdered peanut butter (such as PB2) with little water or milk in a bowl, until it gets smooth and creamy. Then use it in same amount of the regular for the batter.

Can I make a peanut butter banana cake?

Yes, as an alternative you can bake the batter into a 7×7 inch brownie pan. That’s exactly what I did when shooting this recipe! Just keep in mind that your dessert may require fewer minutes in the oven, though.

More healthy banana bread recipes

Optional Peanut Butter Frosting

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare a 7.9-inch (20 cm) loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper or lightly greasing it with oil. For a peanut butter cake, you can prepare a 7×7 brownie pan instead (as I did).

• In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth, then mix in the peanut butter, Greek yogurt, egg, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Stir until everything is well combined.

• Next, add the oat flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated.Depending on the bananas’ size, you might need to adjust the texture. Add a bit more oat flour if the batter feels too runny, or a splash of milk if it seems too thick.

• Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool before slicing and enjoying.

Optional Peanut Butter Frosting

• In a medium small bowl, combine Greek yogurt with cream cheese, peanut butter and a sweetener of your choice. Mix until you get a smooth and creamy icing.

• Once cool, top the banana peanut butter bread with frosting, if desired.

Peanut butter cake

• As an alternative to banana bread, you can bake the pb batter in a 7×7 inch brownie pan and make a moist cake. That’s what I did and what you can see in the pictures.

Storage directions

• To store: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for a maximum of 4 days. Enjoy cold or warm it up in the oven or microwave.
• To freeze: Slice and store in ziplock bags for up to 3 months.
• To reheat: Thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm in the oven or microwave until soft.

Nutritional values

• Nutritional values are approximations calculated by third party apps.
• Macronutrient breakdown and calories do not include the optional peanut butter frosting.

Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 177.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.2g | Protein: 5.4g | Fat: 6.4g | Saturated Fat: 1.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.4g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 15.9mg | Sodium: 114.9mg | Potassium: 210.7mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 9.1g | Vitamin A: 35.9IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 74.8mg | Iron: 1.2mg