I finally perfected my Reese’s Peanut Butter Banana Bread by tweaking the peanut butter swirl and adding one unexpected pantry ingredient, and in this post I share the single trick that ensures a consistent crumb whether you serve it at room temperature or chilled.

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I never meant to make another loaf, but one afternoon I found myself smashing very ripe bananas and stirring in creamy peanut butter, curiosity winning. My take on Reese’s Peanut Butter Banana Bread isn’t polite or fussy, it’s loud, slightly messy and full of surprises hidden inside.

I like that you can eat this Peanut Butter Banana Bread warm, at room temp or even chilled, each way changes the texture and keeps you guessing. It’s not textbook, has quirks and crumbs, and every slice makes me wonder what happens if I add more peanut butter next time.

Ingredients

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All-purpose flour: mostly carbs, little protein, gives structure and texture to loaf.
Peanut butter: adds protein, healthy fats, and lots of peanut flavor and richness.
Bananas: natural sweetness, fiber, potassium, and moist texture when mashed.
Butter: mostly saturated fat, makes the crumb tender and rich.
Brown and granulated sugar: adds sweetness and moisture, increases calories and carbs.
Eggs: provide protein, emulsify, help rise and bind ingredients together.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: chocolate candy, adds sugar, pockets of melty peanut butter.
Sour cream or Greek yogurt: adds tang, moisture, and slight acidity for tenderness.

Ingredient Quantities

1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup (120 g) creamy peanut butter, room temp (crunchy works too)

1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (110 g) packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups mashed, the riper the sweeter)

1/4 cup (60 g) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

1 cup chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (about 8 to 10 cups), plus a few extra for the top if you want

Coarse sea salt for sprinkling, optional

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment, leaving an overhang for easy lifting, or lightly grease and flour the pan.

2. In a bowl whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp fine salt and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon if you want that warm note.

3. In a large bowl stir together 1/2 cup melted and cooled unsalted butter, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar until mostly smooth. Using room temp peanut butter helps it blend better.

4. Add 2 room temp eggs one at a time, beating a little after each, then stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract.

5. Mix in 3 very ripe mashed bananas (about 1 1/2 cups) and 1/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt until combined. Don’t worry about a few lumps, those are fine.

6. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and fold gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Overmixing will make the loaf tough, so stop when you can’t see streaks of flour.

7. Fold in 1 cup chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (reserve a handful for the top). Yes the cups get melty and gloriously messy, that’s the point.

8. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top, then scatter the reserved chopped Reese’s over the loaf and sprinkle a little coarse sea salt if you like sweet and salty.

9. Bake at 350°F for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs but not wet batter. If the top browns too fast after 30 to 40 minutes tent loosely with foil.

10. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, lift out using the parchment and finish cooling on a wire rack. Serve warm, at room temp or chilled. Store airtight at room temp for 2 days, refrigerate up to a week or freeze slices up to 3 months.

Equipment Needed

1. 9×5 inch loaf pan, lined with parchment or greased and floured
2. Parchment paper plus nonstick spray or softened butter for greasing
3. Two mixing bowls, one large and one medium
4. Measuring cups and spoons (or a kitchen scale if you like grams)
5. Whisk for the dry stuff and to help beat the eggs a bit
6. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for folding, dont overmix
7. Fork or potato masher to mash the bananas
8. Sharp knife and cutting board to chop the Reese’s cups
9. Cooling rack, oven mitts and a toothpick to check doneness

FAQ

Q: What temp and how long do I bake this? A: Bake at 350°F (175°C) in a greased 9×5 loaf pan for about 50 to 60 minutes. Start checking at 50 minutes with a toothpick; it should come out with a few moist crumbs not wet batter.

Q: Can I use crunchy peanut butter or swap out the sour cream? A: Yes. Crunchy PB works fine and adds texture. Sour cream can be swapped 1:1 with plain Greek yogurt or even buttermilk if that’s what you have.

Q: Why use both butter and peanut butter, isn’t that too much fat? A: They do different jobs. Melted butter adds richness and a tender crumb, peanut butter gives flavor and extra density. Together you get a moist, flavorful loaf not just peanut taste.

Q: My Reese’s melt into the batter, any fix? A: Toss chopped cups in a tablespoon of flour before folding in so they don’t all sink or melt. Fold them in at the very end, gently, and reserve a few pieces for the top.

Q: Can I make muffins or use a different pan? A: Yep. For muffins, fill a standard 12-cup tin 2/3 full and bake at 350°F for 16 to 20 minutes. If you use an 8×4 pan expect a slightly taller loaf and longer bake time, check earlier for doneness.

Q: How should I store or freeze it? A: Cool completely first. Store at room temp wrapped or in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. Refrigerate up to 5 to 7 days. For longer keep, slice and freeze in a zip-top bag up to 3 months; thaw slices at room temp or toast them.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Banana Bread Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All-purpose flour: swap with equal whole wheat pastry flour for a nuttier, slightly denser loaf or use a 1:1 gluten free all-purpose blend (texture may change)
Unsalted butter, melted: use melted coconut oil 1 to 1 or a neutral vegetable oil 1 to 1, keeps the bread moist but flavor will shift a bit
Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt: use 1/4 cup buttermilk or make a quick sub with 1/4 cup milk + 1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar, let sit 5 minutes
Chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: use 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips plus 1/4 cup peanut butter chips or chopped roasted peanuts for crunch, or just peanut butter chips if you want

Pro Tips

1. Weigh your flour if you can, otherwise spoon it into the cup and level it off dont scoop straight from the bag or your loaf will come out too dense and dry. A little extra banana or a tablespoon of yogurt will fix slightly dry batter.

2. If your bananas arent super ripe toss them in the oven at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes or nuke them 20 seconds to soften and darken, that brings out more sweetness and banana flavor. Roasted bananas give a nice caramel note you wont get from plain mashed ones.

3. Keep the peanut butter cups from turning into a chocolate soup by tossing them in the freezer for 10 minutes before chopping then fold them in at the last second, or reserve most for the top so you get pockets of candy instead of one big melty blob.

4. Let the loaf rest at least 20 to 30 minutes before slicing, or chill briefly to firm up, otherwise the crumb just tears. For clean slices use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, and wrap or freeze slices fast to keep them from getting soggy.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Banana Bread Recipe

Recipe by Tessa Jones

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

servings

Calories

441

kcal

Equipment: 1. 9×5 inch loaf pan, lined with parchment or greased and floured
2. Parchment paper plus nonstick spray or softened butter for greasing
3. Two mixing bowls, one large and one medium
4. Measuring cups and spoons (or a kitchen scale if you like grams)
5. Whisk for the dry stuff and to help beat the eggs a bit
6. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for folding, dont overmix
7. Fork or potato masher to mash the bananas
8. Sharp knife and cutting board to chop the Reese’s cups
9. Cooling rack, oven mitts and a toothpick to check doneness

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup (120 g) creamy peanut butter, room temp (crunchy works too)
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (110 g) packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups mashed, the riper the sweeter)
1/4 cup (60 g) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1 cup chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (about 8 to 10 cups), plus a few extra for the top if you want
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment, leaving an overhang for easy lifting, or lightly grease and flour the pan.
In a bowl whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp fine salt and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon if you want that warm note.
In a large bowl stir together 1/2 cup melted and cooled unsalted butter, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar until mostly smooth. Using room temp peanut butter helps it blend better.
Add 2 room temp eggs one at a time, beating a little after each, then stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Mix in 3 very ripe mashed bananas (about 1 1/2 cups) and 1/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt until combined. Don’t worry about a few lumps, those are fine.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and fold gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Overmixing will make the loaf tough, so stop when you can't see streaks of flour.
Fold in 1 cup chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (reserve a handful for the top). Yes the cups get melty and gloriously messy, that's the point.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top, then scatter the reserved chopped Reese's over the loaf and sprinkle a little coarse sea salt if you like sweet and salty.
Bake at 350°F for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs but not wet batter. If the top browns too fast after 30 to 40 minutes tent loosely with foil.
Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, lift out using the parchment and finish cooling on a wire rack. Serve warm, at room temp or chilled. Store airtight at room temp for 2 days, refrigerate up to a week or freeze slices up to 3 months.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.