Queensland bananas, naturally ripened without gas, bought directly from the grower are one of my favourite indulgences. Delicious as these bananas are though, they are not immune to rapid ripening and deterioration hastened by our summer humidity, so when a banana’s skin begin to darken, I peel it, chop into chunks then pop it into the freezer. There is always a bag of bananas in my freezer.
Most of the frozen bananas are turned into breakfast pancakes, but if the amount gets out of hand I’ll whip up a batch of banana muffins or a cake.
I’ve had this Donna Hay recipe from her now defunct eponymous magazine on my ‘must try’ list for quite a while now. I anticipated quite a dense loaf thanks to the addition of oats and I imagined a savoury sweetness from the added peanut butter, not really a cake but more a loaf to slice, slather with butter and enjoy for a quick breakfast, or with a cuppa for afternoon tea.
I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a delicious treat, easy to make, and worthy of being added to my already substantial list of recipes to bake with very ripe bananas.
I’ve added a little salt to intensify the savoury notes and modified the original method a little for ease of preparation.
Peanut Butter and Banana Loaf
2 eggs
1/2 cup natural yoghurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
340g bananas, mashed
1/3 cup olive oil
140g crunchy peanut butter
1 cup wholemeal spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/3 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 160C.
Grease a large loaf tin 12cm X 28cm and line with baking paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, yoghurt, vanilla extract, bananas and olive oil until well incorporated.
In a second bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder, then add to the wet ingredients along with the oats and sugar.
Mix together to thoroughly combine.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf tin and scatter the chopped peanuts over the surface.
Press the nuts down gently so they stick into the batter.
Bake in the middle of the oven until cooked in the centre when tested with a skewer, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Remove to a wire rack to cool.
Slice thickly
More recipes for baking with ripe bananas:
Buckwheat Banana Cake with Pecans
Banana Pineapple and Ginger Cake
This looks so good! What an awesome spin on banana bread 😊
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thanks
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Mouth watering!
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😃
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I love banana bread… especially with walnuts. Seems like peanut butter and banana shake hands very well in a friendly manner! I have a lot of peanut butter..! Going to try this.. thanks for sharing
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You’re welcome, peanuts work very well with banana, hope you enjoy the recipe
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OMG this sounds amazing! While living in OZ i got addicted to Banana Bread, but never had it with peanut butter…yummmmm! One day i try this 🙂
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Peanut butter is a nice twist to an old favorite, hope you like it
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What a great idea to add peanut butter with a crunch! 💕
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Thanks Bernice, not my idea but definitely one worth copying
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Sounds delicious and a good one to add to the comfort food list.
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Hi Debi, nice to see you visiting. It’s a nice twist to a banana loaf
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This looks great, and like it would make a hearty and healthy breakfast!
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You’re right, a reason to get out of bed in the morning
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All the yums for this, looks amazing!
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Thanks Katy
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Wonderful recipe! Love this delicious peanut butter bread.
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Thanks, it’s a lovely twist to conventional banana bread
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I love the addition of peanut butter. Very indulgent.
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Thanks, just discovered that kids love the flavour
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I love making banana bread and I love peanut butter. I’m not much of a baker, but I would love to try this. Thanks for sharing your recipe and modifications.
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You’re welcome, it’s a straight forward recipe, no tricks
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Good to know! I’m trying to lose a few more pounds before I venture into yummy baked goods. My husband has dropped 40 pounds (he’s at his weight goal) and I’m down 20. I have 5 to 10 pounds to go. Then…PB and Banana bread, here I come.
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This sounds good even though ‘bananas’. Eek. I can stand them if they are cooked like this in a loaf as the banana taste seems to calm down. I didn’t know Donna Hays’ magazine had gone belly up?!
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Not belly up, but DH decided to slow down, redirect her energies, move on, just compiling books now. I like ‘nanas more than ever ….
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Oh, I didn’t know Donna Hay Magazine was no more. I used to pick it up now and then, back in the days when I frequented bookstores (which I guess answers the question given that I, like so many people, don’t really frequent bookstores anymore). Banana and peanut butter is such a good combination.
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Still publishing books, just not the mag. You’re dead right Michelle, banana and peanut butter are great together
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This recipe sounds so delicious. I wish the bananas were as lovely as your just picked Queensland ones. Down in good old Vic, the price has gone through the roof- somewhere between 5 and 5 collars a kilo now, and of course, they are picked green. I’ll save recipe this for later.
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Yikes, are they cashing in on the floods? No reports up here of banana crop damage. I reckon gas really ruins fruit, although I guess in a cake the textural nuance is lost. This is a nice twist to the perennial favourite
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Yes, I love the peanutty element.
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Banana bread is one of the very few foods which makes a baker out of me and I have a feeling this recipe will replace the one in my kitchen folder! Like the spelt flour and oats naturally and have not added peanut butter , , , Above all shall be more confident about freezing the inevitable aging bananas giving me a dirty look from the fruit bowl: have not peeled and cut up – how practical !
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Banana bread is universally loved and a few different options helps alleviate the boredom. This is a good one Eha
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Yum!!!!
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Indeed 🙂
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