Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Banana Bread

I hear tell that some people like sandwiches made with peanut butter and bananas. To me, that just sounds, you know, gross. Grossy gross gross. But then, I am not a huge fan of bananas by themselves. Mixed up in things, sure. Eating a banana straight up? Egads.

Even so, the idea of mixing bananas with peanut butter and Reese's peanut butter cups all in a bread form? Somehow that makes sense. Don't try to figure that out, brains are just weird that way.

I had high hopes for this bread, and I suspect they were not entirely met because I put in a touch too much peanut butter in the batter. Peanut butter in the batter - say that ten times fast. Butter batter, batter butter, butter batter butter batter butter butter batter.

Ahem. Back to the bread. I also suspect this would've been better had I actually been able to find those itty bitty mini Reese's in the local Von's (that's the Safeway equivalent for those not in SoCal), but as the local Von's has an extremely limited candy selection, it was not meant to be. Nonetheless, it is a bread that has grown on me over time. I'm not sure if this is a fact about banana breads in general, but they seem to be better after you let them sit. Am I making this up? It's possible I am, but I swear maybe I've heard that before? Whatevs!

The point is - if you are one of those Elvis types who likes peanut butter and banana sandwiches, you'll probably like this bread. Get to it.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Banana Bread
(via Cookies & Cups)

3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz bag of Reese’s Mini cups (or approx 20 chopped up small cups)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease your loaf pan with butter or shortening.

In a medium bowl whisk together your flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.

In a large bowl stir together your bananas, peanut butter, oil, egg and sugars.

Pour your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Batter will be lumpy. Embrace the lumpiness.

Fold in your Reese’s Mini cups (or chopped up small cups) and spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake for approx 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges of the pan with a knife and remove from loaf pan, transferring bread to a cooling rack.

In photos:

Since I could not find the mini Reese's at the local grocery store, I got some regular small cups and just cut them up. I used about 20.

Full confession time: not all 3 of my bananas were super ripe. I had one in the freezer from ages ago, plus two newish ones. I stuck the two newish ones in a paper bag with an apple to get them to soften up some.

Bananas, egg, oil, sugars and peanut butter mixin' it up. I think I put in a touch too much peanut butter. I was going the guesstimate route, as I hate having to clean out a measuring cup with peanut butter gunk on it.

Mix in your dry ingredients. Dough-y!

Fold in your Reese's.

Put it in your loaf pan. I think mine is 9x5inches. This would be better in an 8x4, but it's okay.

Bake it up!

Let it sit for a few, then run a knife around the edges. Plop it out and let it cool some more.

Whoops, mine went droopy in the middle! Didn't cook it quite long enough, but I hate nothing more than a dry bread, so I'd prefer a little droop than that!