I love… (Day 14) + Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread

In honor of Valentines day, I wrote a post a day about all of the things that I love for 14 days! It’s been quite a journey of LOVE. Check out Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, and Day 13!

So, there’s something I haven’t told you all.

I need to make a GRAND proclamation to the WORLD!

There’s this guy… and I love him. Like, a lot.

He’s very handsome.

And he’s also very smart.

I seriously think he is the smartest guy I know.

He ridiculously funny.

And usually pretty sarcastic, which makes watching shows like The Bachelor extremely entertaining.

He loves when I cook and bake for him.

So, I made him this banana bread.

And then I loaded it with mini peanut butter cups.

Because he loves peanut butter and chocolate.

And peanuts.

Because he loves peanuts.

And bananas… duh.

Because he HATES bananas. Just kidding, he likes bananas too.

I’d like to introduce you to…

My dad!

He’s my extra special Valentine this year.

Isn’t he just adorable.

P.S. I apologize for the quality of the photos below, they are from the years when people still used film and printed their photos at the drugstore (yeah, I know it was quite primitive). And then they were retaken with an iPhone and texted to me. Then I emailed them to my email, downloaded them to my computer, and edited them. It’s like an technology oxymoron.

I’ve gotten a bit taller over the years.

And I also wear my hair a bit differently now.

Mom, Dad, Me — A polaroid of my dad, mom, and me. This is probably one of my favorite pictures.

This is the part of the post where my dad is reading and probably hoping his coworkers don’t know his daughter has this blog. Because they would probably blackmail him with this picture of him as Minnie Mouse.

I love you, Daddy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Makes about 16 medium or 9 large squares

This banana bread is the KING of banana breads. It is adapted from my favorite banana bread recipe. It is moist, sweet, chocolatey, and rich. Enjoy it with your morning coffee or a big glass of milk.

Ingredients

For the streusal

1 cup mini peanut butter cups
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder

For the batter

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 1/3 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 large)
3 tablespoons buttermilk or plain yogurt (you can also sub-in non-dairy milk, if desired)

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 x 8 baking dish.
Prepare the streusal: In a medium bowl, place mini peanut butter cups, brown sugar, peanuts, cocoa, and cinnamon. Mix. Set aside.
In a medium-large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, and salt. Set aside
In a stand mixer (or a hand held mixer), cream the butter, egg, and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add the bananas and buttermilk, mix to combined. Add the dry mixture and mix until just combined. Be care to not overbeat the batter.
Spread half of batter in the butter dish. Sprinkle with half of the streusel. Repeat with remaining batter and streusel
Bake bread for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick/cake tester placed in the center comes out clean. Top will be nice and golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Storage: In an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. It may also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month

Recipe adapted from this banana bread

Related Recipes

Chocolate-Walnut Banana Bread

Peanut Butter Pretzel Granola Bars with Chocolate Chips

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies with Peanut Butter Cups

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Brownie Crunch Bars

No-Bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Oat Bars (gf)

Vegan Chocolate Mousse Pie (v and can be gf)

Dark Chocolate Saltine Cracker Toffee

Homemade Snicker Bars

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Pie

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mousse Pie

Looking for more Cooking College Chick? Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest! You can also subscribe on the upper right hand bar to receive email updates! Happy Cooking!!!