Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Best. Banana. Bread. Ever.

The four people who tried this banana bread all agreed. It is the perfect combination of banana, chocolate and peanut butter.

When I found this recipe in Taste of Home, it went on my list of projects. It was lower on the list because my husband isn't a big fan of banana bread. He said he'd probably eat it if it had chocolate and peanut butter, so I gave it a whirl. Now, he's dubbed it the most delicious banana bread and is asking me to make it again already. (Another batch is on my list for today, but I'm plotting to convert the bread recipe into cupcake format!)

Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Peanut Butter Crumble
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Batter
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients until crumbly, and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating one at a time until blended. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Stir into creamed mixture just until moistened.

Grease two 8 x 4 loaf pans. Spread 1/4 of the batter into the bottom of each pan. Sprinkle each pan with 1/4 of the crumb mixture and 1/2 the chocolate chips. Fill each pan with the remaining batter, and top with remaining crumb mixture.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.