Brown Butter Peanut Butter Chocochip Banana Bread
Toasty brown butter, creamy peanut butter, and dark chocolate make this banana bread a very good reason to rescue those spotty bananas. The crumb is soft and moist, with mellow banana sweetness and little pockets of bittersweet chocolate. I love how the browned butter brings a deeper, nutty flavour to every slice. Put the kettle on and give the loaf a little time to cool before you cut in.
Brown Butter Peanut Butter Chocochip Banana Bread
| Prep 20 minutes | Bake 55–65 minutes |
| Cooling 1 hour 10 minutes | Total 2 hours 25–35 minutes |
| Servings 1 loaf (10 slices) | Pan 9 × 5 inches |
Course: Dessert / Baking
Ingredients
- 375 g over-ripe bananas (peeled, mashed)
- 115 g unsalted butter (weighed before browning)
- 90 g creamy peanut butter (room temperature)
- 100 g dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg (50 g without shell, room temperature)
- 5 g vanilla extract
- 190 g all-purpose flour
- 5 g baking soda
- 3 g salt
- 85 g dark chocolate chips (60% cacao or higher)
Instructions
Prepare and brown the butter
- Prepare: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan with parchment, leaving an overhang for lifting.
- Brown: Melt the butter in a light-coloured saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling and scraping the bottom gently, until the milk solids are golden brown and smell nutty. Immediately pour into a large heatproof mixing bowl, including the brown bits.
- Cool: Let the butter cool for at least 5 minutes, until warm rather than hot. Mash the bananas while it cools.
Mix the batter
- Whisk the wet ingredients: Whisk peanut butter and brown sugar into the warm brown butter until smooth. Whisk in the egg and vanilla, then stir in the mashed bananas.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
- Fold: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Fold with a spatula just until the flour disappears, then fold in the chocolate chips. Stop mixing as soon as they are distributed.
Bake and cool
- Bake: Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and level the top. Bake for 55–65 minutes. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out with a few moist crumbs and no wet batter; avoid testing through a melted chocolate chip.
- Cool: Leave in the pan for 10 minutes. Lift onto a wire rack and cool for about 1 hour, or until completely cool, before slicing.
Pro Tips & Substitutions
Keep the brown bits: The 115 g is the starting butter weight. Scrape the toasted milk solids into the bowl for their flavour; do not keep cooking until they turn black.
Choose your peanut butter: Use smooth, creamy peanut butter and mix any separated oil back in before weighing. Smooth almond butter is an option, though its flavour and the final texture will differ.
Check the centre: If the top colours before the loaf is done, loosely cover it with foil and continue baking. Let the loaf cool fully so the soft crumb slices cleanly.
Store and freeze: Once completely cool, store airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days. Bring slices to room temperature or warm gently to serve. Freeze individually wrapped slices for a ready-to-toast treat.
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