Peanut butter bread is moist, rich and bursting with peanut butter flavor. Add chocolate chips or spread peanut butter onto this quick bread and enjoy it for breakfast or as a snack! 

loaf of peanut butter bread cut into slices on white background

All these years I’ve been baking and I’ve never made or even tried peanut butter bread!

Banana Bread is one of my favorites so if I am going to make a quick bread, that’s my go-to.

But once I tried peanut butter bread, I realized it’s a contender for the top spot in my heart against banana bread!

If you want to add chocolate chips to this recipe, DO IT! It tastes like a giant reese’s cup then!

slice of peanut butter bread with peanut butter on white plate on white background

Ingredients

creamy peanut butter: adds flavor

granulated sugar & brown sugar: adds sweetness and flavor

egg: binds the batter together by providing structure

vegetable oil: adds fat and moisture 

buttermilk: makes the bread moist & fluffy

vanilla extract: adds flavor

all purpose flour: flour is necessary to build structure

baking powder: helps to leaven and lift the batter

salt: just a pinch to balance the sweetness and enhances the other flavor

How to make peanut butter bread

  1. Combine the peanut butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with electric mixer.
  2. Add in eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract.
  3. Add the dry ingredients.
  4. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake. 
hands holding peanut butter bread batter in metal pan

How to properly measure flour

  • Fluff the flour with a fork
  • Use a spoon to scoop the flour into your measuring cup
  • Use a butter knife to level off the flour in the measuring cup

Sticking the measuring cup straight into the bag of flour will result in too much flour to be packed into the cup, which can result in dry peanut butter bread.

Gluten free peanut butter bread

I have made this bread multiple times with King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour with great success. You can also try another brand of gluten free all purpose flour. Be sure to measure the flour properly. 

cooked peanut butter bread in metal loaf pan on white background

How to freeze peanut butter bread

To freeze the whole loaf: allow it to cool completely, then wrap well in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Place inside a ziplock bag. To thaw, place the wrapped bread in the fridge overnight.

To freeze individual slices: allow the loaf to cool completely and slice. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap then in aluminum and place inside a ziplock bag. To thaw, place a slice in the fridge overnight. Or unwrap and microwave for 30 second intervals.

Total time required

  • 5-10 minutes to prep the batter
  • Bake for 60-70 minutes at 350ºF
  • 30-60 minutes to cool
slice of peanut butter bread on white plate on white background

Quick bread pro tips

Tip #1 – Do Not Over Mix the Batter

  • I have been guilty of this myself and I am learning to be okay with lumps in my batter. For quick bread, do not use your electric mixer to beat in the dry ingredients, using a spatula and mixing by hand will give you more control. “Mix just until incorporated” means mixing the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until you can just no longer see any flour streaks. Yes, you should still scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl, but do that as you’re mixing in the flour.

Tip #2 – Be careful to not over bake the bread

  • Sometimes the bread can trick you, it can look done on the outside but still be doughy in the middle. That’s when tenting the bread with aluminum foil comes in handy. It protects the top from becoming too brown, overcooked or crusty. 

Tip #3 – Know what size loaf pan you have

  • There’s two popular loaf pan sizes – 9×5 and 8.5×4.5. Even though the numbers are similar, the pans actually differ in size by 15%. The 8.5×4.5 pan will yield a tall, more domed bread and will take 5-10 minutes longer when baking. The total suggested bake time for a 8.5×4.5 inch pan is 55-65 minutes and 9×5 inch pan is 45-60 minutes.
loaf of peanut butter bread cut into slices on white background

More breads & muffins

Peanut Butter Bread

4.39 from 222 ratings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 4 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
Peanut butter bread is moist, rich and bursting with peanut butter flavor. Add chocolate chips or spread peanut butter onto this quick bread and enjoy it for breakfast or as a snack! 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter, not natural
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350º F. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer until combined, 1-2 minutes. 
  • Beat in the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract, mix briefly. Gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing on low to prevent over mixing. Be sure to mix just until combined.
  • Spray a loaf pan (either 9×5 or 8.5×4.5 – it’s important to know what size pan you have) with non-stick cooking spray. Transfer the batter to the pan and spread even with a spatula. 
  • Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes check to see if the bread is browning too much. If so, tent the bread with aluminum foil and bake for 10-20 more minutes. **If you didn’t tent at 45 minutes, check again at 55 minutes, then tent, and bake for 10 additional minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
  • The total suggested bake time for a 8.5×4.5 inch pan is 55-65 minutes and 9×5 inch pan is 45-60 minutes. Be sure to know what size your pan is. 
  • Allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing or removing it from the pan.

Notes

The recipe is accurate when it calls for 1 tablespoon of baking powder.
Add 1 & 1/2 cups chocolate chips when mixing in the dry ingredients if desired. 
There’s two popular loaf pan sizes – 9×5 and 8.5×4.5. Even though the numbers are similar, the pans actually differ in size by 15%. The 8.5×4.5 pan will yield a tall, more domed bread and will take 5-10 minutes longer when baking. The total suggested bake time for a 8.5×4.5 inch pan is 65-70 minutes and 9×5 inch pan is 60-65 minutes.
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast
Author: Beth
Calories: 284kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 288mg, Potassium: 209mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 78IU, Calcium: 104mg, Iron: 2mg
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