Peanut Butter Bread Recipe

I used a simple pantry trick to turn basic ingredients into a Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip loaf that comes together faster than you think.

I never planned to fall this hard for a Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip quick bread, but here I am. It’s super moist and oddly addictive.

The smell of creamy peanut butter melting with semisweet chocolate chips drags me to the counter every time, and slicing a warm piece feels almost wrong in the best way. It’s soft yet holds up when you want a thick bite, and the chocolate shows up like a little surprise in every forkful.

If you like unexpected treats that aren’t loud but stick with you, this might be your new favorite, trust me you wont be bored.

Ingredients

• Peanut butter: rich in protein and healthy fats, it adds savory sweetness and moisture.
• All purpose flour: main carbs, gives structure, can make bread slightly tender if overmixed.
• Granulated and brown sugar: sweeteners, brown adds caramel notes and a bit more moisture.
• Butter: adds richness and tenderness, it makes flavor better and crumb softer.
• Eggs: they bind ingredients, give lift and protein, make the crumb lighter.
• Sour cream or yogurt: adds tang, moisture and keeps bread tender, it reacts with leaveners.
• Chocolate chips: give sweet pockets, mostly sugar and fat, they’re optional for richer bites.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 220 g)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter (about 240 g)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened (about 115 g)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g)
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (50 g)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (about 120 g)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 to 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (120 to 170 g)

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment, leaving an overhang so you can lift the bread out easy later.

2. Whisk together 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp fine salt in a bowl and set aside.

3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1 cup creamy peanut butter and 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl down once.

4. Add 2 large eggs one at a time, mixing after each until combined, then mix in 1/2 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt) and 1 tsp vanilla extract until the batter is smooth. Using room temperature eggs and butter helps everything come together.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two additions, folding gently with a spatula or mixing on low just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not over mix or the bread will get tough.

6. Toss 3/4 to 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips with about a tablespoon of the reserved flour mixture (this helps stop them from sinking) then fold the chips into the batter. Save a few chips to sprinkle on top if you want.

7. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top and sprinkle the reserved chips on top. Tap the pan gently on the counter once or twice to remove any big air pockets.

8. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 50 to 60 minutes. Start checking at 45 minutes; if the top is browning too fast, tent loosely with foil.

9. Let the loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes, then use the parchment overhang to lift it out and cool completely before slicing. Slicing warm can make it crumbly, but a warm slice with butter is hard to resist.

10. Quick tips: measure flour by spooning into the cup and leveling, not scooping. If your peanut butter is very stiff warm it a few seconds in the microwave so it mixes easier. If you want more peanut flavor add a pinch of flaky salt on top before baking.

Equipment Needed

1. A working oven set to 350°F
2. 9 by 5 inch loaf pan plus parchment paper and a little butter or cooking spray to grease it
3. Two mixing bowls, one large for wet stuff and one medium for dry
4. Stand mixer or hand mixer for creaming the peanut butter and butter (or a sturdy wooden spoon if you want to do it by hand)
5. Whisk for the dry ingredients
6. Rubber spatula for folding and scraping the bowl clean
7. Measuring cups and spoons, and a kitchen scale if you use grams
8. Small bowl to toss the chocolate chips with a bit of flour
9. Wire cooling rack to cool the loaf evenly
10. Toothpick or cake tester to check doneness

FAQ

Peanut Butter Bread Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All-purpose flour → Whole wheat pastry flour, 1:1. Use the same weight or volume for a nuttier flavor and slightly denser crumb. If you only have regular whole wheat, swap 1:1 but expect a firmer loaf and add 1–2 tbsp extra sour cream or milk if it seems dry.
• Creamy peanut butter → Natural peanut butter or sunflower seed butter, 1:1. Stir natural PB well so the oils are reincorporated before measuring. Sunflower butter is a great nut-free option but may darken the crumb and taste a bit different.
• Unsalted butter → Solid coconut oil, 1:1 (melted and cooled a bit). Gives a tender, slightly more moist loaf and keeps the peanut flavor. If you use salted butter instead, just skip or cut back on the added salt.
• 2 large eggs → Flax “eggs” for vegan/egg-free: mix 2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water, let sit 5 minutes until gelled (makes two eggs). Texture will be a touch denser, but it works fine in quick breads.

Pro Tips

1) Warm stuff to the same temp. If eggs and butter are room temp everything mixes smoother and you wont overmix trying to force it, but dont melt the butter. Quick trick: sit eggs in a bowl of warm tap water for 5 to 10 minutes and grate cold butter or zap it in the microwave for 5 to 8 seconds at a time until soft.

2) Keep the chips from sinking. Tossing them in a little flour helps, yes, but using mini chips or chilling the batter 15 minutes before baking works even better. You can also stir in a tablespoon of cornstarch to firm the batter slightly so the chips stay suspended.

3) Use a thermometer and watch the top. The loaf is done at about 200 to 205 F or 93 to 96 C in the center. If the top browns too fast, loosely cover with foil after 30 to 40 minutes. Rotating the pan once halfway through can help it bake evenly if your oven has hot spots.

4) For clean slices and better texture let it cool fully, or chill it for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing. A warm serrated knife gives a nicer cut on a fresh slice so run the blade under hot water, dry it, then saw gently. Leftovers keep well wrapped in parchment then in a container, or freeze single slices for later.