If you've been looking for the ultimate brownies, you've found them here. These peanut butter banana brownies are super-moist with a decadent texture and the flavors of chocolate, peanut butter, bananas, and chopped walnuts.
We absolutely love brownies in our home. We've been making all kinds of variations for years. One of our favorites these days is this recipe for brownies with banana and peanut butter. They're extra moist and chewy, and the classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate works so well with the banana and chopped walnuts!
This peanut butter banana bars recipe was inspired by our other banana brownie recipe, and it pairs well with these muddy buddy cookies for even more chocolate flavor and fun texture.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: Every ingredient in this recipe is a kitchen staple. You might not have to shop for anything!
- Easy to Make: This recipe is made like any other brownie. It just takes a little mixing and baking!
- Unexpected, Delicious Flavor: Biting into these brownies is like biting into a chocolaty, fudgy peanut butter banana bar. It's an unexpected flavor combination everyone will love.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few basic kitchen staples to make these delicious brownies. In fact, you very well could have everything you need in your kitchen right now.
- Butter: Butter adds richness and the fat necessary to make these bananas super moist.
- Very Ripe Bananas: Mashed bananas add moisture and deep, rich banana flavor to the brownies.
- Egg: Egg binds the brownie batter together and adds more fat necessary for wonderful brownie texture.
- Sugar: A mix of white and brown sugar adds sweet flavor and strikes the perfect flavor balance between the two.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: Melted peanut butter makes a pretty swirl on top of the brownies and adds even more peanutty flavor.
- Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chips: Chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips make these brownies explode with chocolate peanut butter flavor in every bite.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a warm note that works perfectly with the other flavors in the brownies.
- Chopped Walnuts: Chopped walnuts add crunch and an earthy, nutty flavor to the brownies.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
Substitutions and Variations
Don't have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change up these brownies with banana and peanut butter.
- Walnuts: For even more peanut flavor, add chopped peanuts or pecans in place of walnuts. You can also feel free to add any of your favorite chopped nuts. They all work!
- Gluten-Free: Use 1:1 gluten-free flour to make a gluten-free version of these brownies.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: Use crunchy peanut butter or chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella) instead.
- Mashed Bananas: Use canned pumpkin puree instead for different flavor.
Instructions
Making these brownies is no more difficult than traditional brownies. Just mix and bake!
Combine the dry brownie ingredients and set aside.
Beat the butter until it's light and fluffy. Then, add the sugars and beat again.
Beat in the egg.
Mix in the vanilla and mashed banana.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in small batches until the batter is formed, being careful not to overmix.
Fold in the baking chips.
Spread the brownie mix evenly in a prepared pan and drizzle melted peanut butter over the top.
Swirl the peanut butter into the batter with a knife or a wooden skewer.
Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
Allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Hint: Be careful not to overmix the brownie batter. You should mix it until everything is just combined and no further. This helps prevent gluten formation and tough brownies.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy these brown butter brownies, reese’s brownies, M&M brownies recipe, Old-Fashioned Peanut Brittle or chocolate chip banana bread.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for 4-5 days and allow to come to room temperature on counter before serving.
Room Temperature: Store in an air-tight container for up to two to three days.
Freezer: Wrap the brownies in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
Defrost: Defrost the brownies on the counter and enjoy!
What to Serve with Peanut Butter Banana Brownies
Tips
There's nothing much to making these brownies. So we only have a few simple look-outs to ensure they're the best they can possibly be.
- Use very ripe bananas so they mash easy and provide the most banana flavor.
- Mix the brownie ingredients until just combined but no further. Overmixing creates excess gluten which will make the brownies dense and tough.
- Leave an overhang on either side of the pan when you line it with parchment paper. These will become handles that allow you to easily remove the brownies from the pan for slicing.
- Use a metal pan instead of glass as heat is distributed more evenly for best results.
- Slice your brownies after they've fully cooled. This ensures even, neat cuts, and brownie squares that won't fall apart.
FAQ
Do you have questions about these peanut butter banana brownies? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about brownies with banana and peanut butter.
Peanut butter banana brownies are a cross between banana bread and peanut butter brownies. These brownies have a super moist texture and the perfect combination of banana, chocolate, and peanut butter flavors.
Peanut butter banana brownies taste like a cross between brownies and banana bread with a healthy dose of peanut butter added to the mix.
Store your brownies with a slice of white bread in an air-tight container at room temperature. The moisture from the white bread will keep the brownies soft.
Video
More Banana Recipes
Do you like bananas? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Peanut Butter Banana Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup very ripe bananas mashed (about 3 large bananas)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
- ¼ cup peanut butter chips
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter melted
- ½ cup walnuts chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper so that some of the paper sticks up above the sides. This makes removing your bars easier.
- In a medium sized bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon together. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, mix the butter until it’s light and fluffy. About 1 minute.
- Add the brown and granulated sugars and mix again until the butter and sugar mixture is fluffy. 1-2 minutes.
- Mix in the egg, vanilla, and banana. Next, begin adding in the dry ingredients in small batches, mixing as you go. Be careful not to overmix.
- Fold in the nuts, chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.
- Spread your mix out into the baking dish. Pour the melted peanut butter on top and swirl it into the batter with a knife or wooden skewer.
- Bake at 350º for 35-40 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center appears to be almost set. Allow to cool on rack before slicing. Test to see if it’s done by inserting a knife in the center. It should come out with a few moist crumbs attached.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas so they mash easy and provide the most banana flavor.
- Mix the brownie ingredients until just combined but no further. Overmixing creates excess gluten which will make the brownies dense and tough.
- Leave an overhang on either side of the pan when you line it with parchment paper. These will become handles that allow you to easily remove the brownies from the pan for slicing.
- Use a metal pan instead of glass as heat is distributed more evenly for best results.
- Slice your brownies after they've fully cooled. This ensures even, neat cuts, and brownie squares that won't fall apart.
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