Bacon Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Bacon Peanut Butter Banana Bread.

May 29, 2012

Or in alternating titles, How To Trash Up Your Banana Bread.

I mean, I guess maybe Elvis would be my friend if he was still kickin’ but I don’t even have any hope there. So you’re just gonna have to put up with me and my bacon banana bread.

Hmmpf.

For some of you, that may sound like an absolute nightmare. Like my mom. She just cannot handle bacon in baked goods or sweets and I assure you she has already clicked that X in the corner before getting this far. But for those of you who enjoy toasting bread, slathering it with peanut butter, layering on banana slices and crumbling some pig on top… I’m thinking you could get behind this.

Because if these flavors were cool enough for Elvis… they’re probably too cool for all of us.

This also takes banana bread to a whole new breakfast level. It’s always been an easy, portable and fantastic choice in the morning, but bacon seals the deal. Total breakfast foods!

As if the deal even needs sealing.

This bread is chock full of your traditional bananas (um, duh), a hint of peanut butter, and lots of crumbled bacon. Oh… and even some bacon grease. Yesssss. I did.

If you want your banana bread super peanut buttery, I highly suggest dropping in some peanut butter chips to up the ante. I chose to leave them out since my snack of choice tends to be a slice covered in a thick layer of peanut butter, and I still wanted the banana and bacon flavors to shine.

Either way though… this is winning.

Bacon Peanut Butter Banana Bread

[adapted from my triple fudge banana bread]

makes one 10 x 6 loaf

6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large egg

2/3 cup loosely packed brown sugar

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup bacon drippings resulting from cooking bacon

4 bananas, mashed (about 2 1/4 cups mashed)

1/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add bacon, cooking until crisp and fat is rendered. Remove bacon and let drain on a paper towel until ready to use. Reserve 1/4 cup of bacon drippings and set aside.

Spray a loaf pan liberally with non-stick spray or grease with butter. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon then set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk egg and sugar together until smooth. Whisk in vanilla extract, peanut butter, bacon drippings and butter, then add bananas and milk and mix until combined. Add in dry ingredients slowing, mixing with a spoon until batter comes together. Fold in bacon until it’s equally distributed.

Pour batter into loaf pan. Set pan on a baking sheet, then bake for 45-50 minutes, or until center is set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove bread from oven and let cool completely before cutting.

Note: if you’d like even more peanut butter flavor, stir in a big handful of peanut butter chips!