Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread (DF, GF)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread! One bowl, few ingredients; to give you a naturally sweet & lightly salty banana bread that is of course dairy free and gluten free! 

Can you believe that I actually only like bananas in the form of banana bread or in my smoothies? I hate the taste of them alone! Same goes with chocolate, I prefer it to be bitter and dark versus sweet tasting. So, for this I used cacao powder since it is bitter tasting, full of antioxidants, and contains no sugar! The ripe bananas and the touch of honey that I used in the recipe already give the bread a natural sweetness, so I didn't want it to be too sweet with regular chocolate. 

To start you need a few ripe bananas and a few other ingredients that you probably already have; peanut butter, eggs, almond flour, vanilla, honey, cinnamon and just your blender or one bowl! To give the bread a little crunch, I added in chopped walnuts but you can always sub that out for anything else or even chocolate chips! 

From start to finish it will take you about an hour, but it is very simple to prepare! I usually under-bake my banana breads slightly because I *love* when the middle of each slice is still a little gooey with crispy edges. Usually I would suggest waiting about an hour before slicing a few pieces, but I can never help myself. Sometimes it will crumble apart a bit if you slice it too early but if you aren't serving it to anyone, does it matter?! 

I also usually keep mine in the fridge or will keep it on the counter top if I know that I will finish it within a few days. Either way is fine, but try to cut one slice at a time to prevent the other slices from becoming stale! 

I haven't tried any subs such as a flax/chia egg for eggs, but maple syrup will work instead of honey and you can of course sub any nut/seed butter of choice! I hope you like this chocolate peanut butter banana bread that is perfect for any time of the day or night! I usually smear a little peanut butter on top with sprinkled chia seeds or almond milk cream and of course just plain either heated up or cold! It isn't overly sweet, but has the perfect amount of banana flavor, it is a little nutty, and a has a touch of chocolate flavor! 

You can also check out my recipe; Maca Almond Banana Bread (it is completely flourless!) or my Banana Bread Muffins!

Here is the recipe!
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 40-45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Yields; 10-12 slices

What you need:

3 medium ripe bananas, peeled
2 large eggs
3 tbsp. honey (or maple syrup) 
1/3 cup peanut butter crunchy (any nut/seed butter, regular is fine)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp. baking powder
few dashes of sea salt
cinnamon (I use a lot!)
pinch of nutmeg
1/4 cup cacao powder (or more for richer taste)
2 cups almond flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
optional add ins: dairy free chocolate chips, chopped dates, chopped bananas etc. 

What you need to do:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and either line a 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper or spray with coconut or olive oil. (To prevent from sticking or burning on bottom)

2. Either add everything to your blender or one bowl EXCEPT for the walnuts and any additional add ins. Mix until well incorporated. 

3. Once mixed, add in the walnuts and anything else of your liking. Mix slowly or by hand. 

4. Add the batter to the prepared baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Check the bread after 35 minutes by sticking a knife in the middle. If nothing comes on the knife, it is done! IF the knife isn't clear bake for an addition 5-10 minutes. 

Let the banana bread cool for 30 minutes to one hour before slicing! Will last up to a week!