Peanut Butter Bread
Topped with peanut butter baking chips, this Peanut Butter Bread is a moist cake-like quick bread that’s perfect for snacking or dessert!
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When I first met Laura, I often joked that she made charcoal at work. She would just look at me sideways and keep going about her business. In truth, I joke because I have no clue what she actually does. It involves heating metals to insanely hot temperatures (like ~1200°C). Then somehow a new alloy just magically appears. Ok, maybe it’s not actually magic…but it might as well be! After all, my background is higher education policy. I respect the sciences, but I have no idea how they work. I’m a liberal arts guy.
Another scientific fact that blows my mind? Peanut butter can be used to make diamonds. Yup, it’s true. That peanut butter that you eat straight out of the jar with a spoon. It can be used to make diamonds. But before you go raiding the peanut butter aisle at the local grocery store, consider this. You need specialized presses that can apply pressure at 1.3 million times the pressure found in the Earth’s atmosphere. That’s more than squeezing your hands together really, really hard. (But if you want to put a spoonful of peanut butter in your hand and squeeze really, really hard, then I’m not stopping you.)
Dan Frost, who works at the Bayerisches Geoinstitut in Germany, used specialized presses to create diamonds (yes, diamonds) from peanut butter. However, as Frost pointed out, it would take weeks to create a synthetic diamond that is only 2 or 3 millimeters in size. It can be done, but it’s not exactly a cash cow type of operation. And the actual quality of that diamond remains a mystery. Still, science is pretty darned cool, right?
Peanut Butter Bread
Peanut Butter BreadWhile Dan (and for all I know Laura, too) can stick to experimenting with peanut butter in the science lab, I’ll stick to experimenting with peanut butter in the kitchen. The latest creation is this Peanut Butter Bread. A quick bread that takes very little time to prepare, this Peanut Butter Bread is amazingly moist and packed with peanut flavor. It’s somewhat cake like, but it has enough flavor to stand on its own without any frosting. (Yes, I just said no frosting required. Someone call a doctor…I’m clearly not thinking straight.)
In all seriousness, though, this Peanut Butter Bread is delicious! I wanted to create a super moist quick bread, and to do that I used sour cream, vegetable oil and…wait for it…a packet of vanilla instant pudding mix. Pudding mix is one of my secret weapons in baked goods. You do need to add a bit more liquid to compensate for the pudding mix, but it leads to a delicious final product.
I kept this Peanut Butter Bread simple and sprinkled Reese’s peanut butter baking chips on top of the bread before baking. You could get creative and add chopped peanuts on top of – or into – the bread, too. However, I did find that I needed to tent the bread with foil to prevent the baking chips from burning. I suspect you’d need to do the same if you sprinkle peanuts on top.
All in all, this bread makes for a great snack or dessert. I was able to get 12 slices out of one loaf. And my favorite way to eat it? If I have the patience, it’s to put a piece in the toaster oven and let it get just slightly crispy on the edges. Mmmm. It might not be diamonds, but it is one heck of a delicious bread! I hope you enjoy this Peanut Butter Bread as much as we do around here. Happy baking!
Did you make a loaf of this Peanut Butter Bread at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). I’d love to see your twists and variations on this one!
Peanut Butter Bread
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3.4-oz. package vanilla instant pudding mix
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup peanut butter baking chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 9”x5” loaf pan with nonstick baking spray; set pan aside. (Optional: Line pan with parchment paper for easy removal of bread once baked.)
- Using a medium mixing bowl, add flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir until well combined. Set dry ingredients aside.
- In a separate bowl, add oil, sour cream, eggs, vanilla extract and milk; whisk together until well combined. Set wet ingredients aside.
- Using a large bowl, add brown sugar and peanut butter; stir until well combined.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the bowl; stir until well combined.
- Add half of the wet ingredients to the bowl; stir until well combined.
- Repeat using remaining dry and wet ingredients.
- Transfer batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle peanut butter baking chips on top of batter.
- Bake for 50 minutes. Tent top of bread with foil and continue baking for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of bread comes out mostly clean.
- Let bread cool in pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack until completely cool.
Looking for other tasty quick bread recipes? Check out some of these other favorites:
Duuuude – Peanut butter can be used to make diamonds???? Gosh – seems like I learn 2 new things a day stopping by your blog and for that I’m so thankful! Though not sure I’ll share this tidbit with Lil S cos she’s likely to start squishing PB in her hands in the kitchen and causing a ruckus with the dogs ~ cos dogs and PB! BTW Laura looks like one bada$$ gal in that picture!
Getting to this PB bread – gosh darn – wow – this is one spectacular bake – slather this with some melted chocolate and I’m in heaven!
Haha! I totally know what you mean about peanut butter and dogs. We have a huge container of PB sitting on the counter with “dogs” written across the top of it. Whenever we need to give them a kong at night or a pill, we dip into that jar. Can’t be getting that jar mixed up with our “humans” one! 🙂
And, yes, I think I’m with you on the chocolate on top of this bread. In fact, this bread came about after I made a combo peanut butter-chocolate loaf. It was so good that I decided to try separating the flavors out and give each a chance to take top spot. Thanks, Shashi!!
You always surprise me! Seriously, holy left field. Diamonds from PB?
Also, no gracias, I’ll take my diamonds from Zales and my peanut butter slathered on and in everything.
Would it be too much to put pb & j on your peanut butter bread? Begs the next question, is there such a thing as too much peanut butter? I say, never! But I’ll let you liberal arts that question in your next pb post 😉
Haha! I’m not sure coming at you from left field is a good thing? But diamonds from peanut butter. Come on. That’s pretty damn cool!
Also, challenge accepted re: the liberal arts debate on too much peanut butter. My initial thoughts are “nope. Never enough.” 🙂
I had no idea that Laura worked with metals. And peanut butter diamonds, sign me up!! 😉
Sign me up for a slice or two of this cake too. Looks SO good!
It would be pretty cool to see a diamond made from peanut butter! Granted, it’s not really feasible, but it’s still pretty cool. However, I think I’ll stick with eating my peanut butter in cake form…or perhaps straight from the jar! 🙂
Well that was one scientific fact that I really had no idea about – I love learning new things!! 🙂
I love peanut butter so much – I actually tried a peanut butter banana bread the other day, but was not at all happy with the texture, so I will stick to your recipe from now on!
Haha! Yes indeed. Diamonds can be made from peanut butter. Granted, it’s a long and expensive process, so it’s not really viable…but it’s still pretty cool! Hmmm, a peanut butter banana bread sounds pretty awesome, Alex. I love the texture of this bread, so I wonder if you could pull up both recipes and kinda merge them together? I might have to try that sometime soon as I do love banana bread, too!
no icing? david you must have a fever:-) Yep i understand what you mean about not being the science person in the family. that’s me and Mr P. I am the arty farty one, the writer and drawer, while he is the architect and science dude. He likes to explain stuff to me in scientific terms, while i just scoff and tell him it’s all just magic to me anyway…
Haha! Clearly the ‘rona has gotten the best of me. I must not have been in my right mind when I left off the icing! 🙂
And, yes, I use the “magic” term all the time with Laura. Depending on my mood, sometimes magic comes out as “smoke and mirrors.” Haha! I know that’s not true, but it’s sometimes fun to tease, right? Thanks, Sherry!
I’m with Laura, I love melting things, mainly aluminum. I did a bunch that in my old day job.
I think frost is on to something as I’ve long suspected the core of the earth was peanut butter. All kidding aside, a very interesting article you linked us to. I’m just wondering if the diamonds tasted like peanut butter…
Graet looking cake. We’re nut free so no PB in or larder, but we have sunflower seed butter. I wonder if that would work?
Interesting. You used to play with metals, too? What was your old day job?? I feel like maybe I should know this, but the melting aluminum comment isn’t pulling up any memories. Hmmm.
Haha. Wouldn’t it be cool if the earth’s core was peanut butter? I mean maybe there’s something to it! One big, gigantic blob of peanut butter. 🙂
So I don’t know about sunflower seed butter here as I haven’t tried it myself. I suspect it would work quite well as the texture is more or less similar. You might have to experiment with that idea! And while you’re at it, why not try making some diamonds out of sunbutter, too?
I specialized in building aluminum or aluminium (depending on where I was)smelting cells all over the world.
Interesting!! I bet you and Laura would have a few things in common to chat about then. 🙂
Peanut butter to make diamonds? Say what?????? I have to load up next time I’m at the grocery, lol 😉 Seriously, though, this peanut butter bread looks right up my alley! We love pb in our home so this wouldn’t last very long. I’m imagining a thick slice with extra pb smeared on top. Annnnnd, now I’m hungry! Hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friend 🙂
Haha! I have this mental image of you heading down the grocery aisle with a cart of peanut butter. (And speaking of peanut butter, Canadian peanut butter is SO good. I totally brought some back on our last trip across the border!) A toasted slice of this peanut butter bread truly is delicious, Dawn. Talk about an awesome snack! And extra peanut butter on top? Ummm, yes, please. 🙂
Who knew!?!? Well, apparently you and Laura. 😀 Such a cool fact.
On to the cake. How incredibly delicious! I’m especially loving those chips on top. ~Valentina
Haha! I told Laura about that peanut butter trick, and she wasn’t impressed. Me on the other hand? Coolest thing ever! However, I think I’ll stick to using PB in recipes…like in this peanut butter bread. It’s SO good. Thanks, Valentina!
Sounds like a treat! I really like peanut butter, so I bet I’d like this bread, too. It’s interesting about sour cream. I recently used some in a dough I was making for pierogi. Amazing how soft and moist the dough came out. Had no idea sour cream could do that.
Sour cream is a “secret” ingredient when it comes to keeping doughs soft and moist. In fact, a ‘sour cream pound cake’ is one of my favorite pound cakes…and it’s because the sour cream keeps the texture so moist and perfect. Yum! And if you like peanut butter bread, then you definitely need to try this one sometime. It’s delicious. And try toasting a slice in the toaster oven, too. Talk about the best snack/dessert ever! Hope you’re doing well, Frank!
Haha… I wonder how many of your readers just randomly stopped reading this post and went off to the kitchen to squeeze some peanut butter? Probably the same as when you tell people that no one can lick their own elbow, right? Another cracker of a recipe, David! My husband in particular will love this.
For their sakes, I hope no-one actually went to the kitchen and started squeezing peanut butter! Can you imagine that mess!? This bread is super tasty, and it’s packed with peanut-y flavor. We loved it! In other news, I’m off to try and lick my own elbow. Be right back. 🙂
As a lover of peanut butter I can’t believe I’ve never made a bread specifically dedicated to it! But now I don’t have to as you have. Wow I bet this tastes amazing David and I love how you’ve topped it with Reese’s peanut butter baking chips too. I really want a slice of this now!
I’m with ya, Neil. Peanut butter is delicious in its own right, but use it to make Peanut Butter Bread? So tasty! It goes really well with a mid-morning cup of coffee. 🙂
Science is so not my thing either! I’ll leave that to the experts who passed high school chemistry without help from three tutors :). This bread sounds SO GOOD! And I’m glad the diamonds made from peanut butter takes so much effort. Otherwise I’m thinking we’d be facing serious pb shortages and then I couldn’t make this bread. And that would be terrible!
Haha. Oh high school chemistry. I feel like I should’ve liked that class more than I did. But I do know I like playing chemistry class in the kitchen – namely making this pb bread! It’s not often you can say you’re eating diamonds…uh, well…sorta. 🙂
Oh my goodness! The things you know… This bread just might be a diamond of breads! My kids would love, love, love it!
Haha! This peanut butter bread truly is delicious, Kathy. It’s a great snack with a glass of milk or a mug of coffee. 🙂
peanut butter bread sounds so yum david. Never tried this before.
You should totally try this bread, Priya! It’s a delicious one, and it’s really quite easy to make, too.
Woah! thats and interesting fact, it never crossed my mind making diamonds out of peanut butter. But what I do heard before is that you can make human remains into diamonds as well, and some do it, so they can wear their grandparents as a ring. Anyways that recipe looks great, I bet I would love it as I like Peanut Butter cookies, got to try that soon
Oh no…that is just too strange with the human remains into a diamond thing. No thanks! I think anything with carbon can be pressed into a diamond, but don’t quote me on that. I’ll stick to baking with my peanut butter instead! And, yes, I love a good peanut butter cookie, too!
I don’t really care for diamonds, but this is an awesome fun fact, David! But I hope the price for peanut butter doesn’t go up rapidly after your revelation because who needs priceless peanut butter, eh?:)
But this peanut butter bread/cake looks and sounds delightful; I’d certainly toast my slice as well and probably just lightly drizzle with honey.
Haha…if my post causes the worldwide price of peanut butter to go up, then you can count me as super surprised. In fact, if that happens, I’ll buy you a diamond! (Or maybe just a jar of peanut butter.) I do think this bread is mighty tasty, and I like your idea with a little smackerel of honey on top!
I love Science, too, David! Getting my BS in Biology, I thought I might want to be a scientist, but then Finance and Marketing came along and all that went down the (test) tubes! Anyway, I’ll take all the peanut butter I can get, and leave the diamond formation to the mines. And this bread is like a dream come true for me! I can’t wait to make a loaf. or two. One for me and one for the rest of my fam!
Ugh. Finance. I hated that course! Funny thing is my Dad actually taught college-level finance for a number of years. I just didn’t care for it. I much prefer to play with recipes in the kitchen than stare at plots and graphs and figure out how one line would change if I move a different line. I’ll leave those textbooks on a shelf somewhere and stick to this pb bread instead! 🙂
Who knew that you could make diamonds from peanut butter, interesting. Although I think I would rather make this bread with my peanut butter. It looks amazing!
I’m with ya, Dawn! Diamonds from peanut butter is cool, but I prefer to just bake with PB. This bread is a good one for sure! 🙂
I think I’m considering that peanut butter diamond tidbit the craziest thing I’ve heard all day! How bizarre. I’m like you – liberal arts minded. I love to be creative, write, come up with recipes… but science-y stuff? Not really up my alley haha andddd now I want a big ole slice of this peanut butter bread as a late night snack!!
Haha! The diamonds from peanut butter certainly qualifies as bizarre. I much prefer to bake with my peanut butter rather than squish it between my hands. 🙂 Thanks, Nicole!
If I bake this with a ceramic dish, should I change the time of bake or temperature at all? It looks delicious!
Hey Mercy! I don’t have a lot of experience baking quick breads in ceramic dishes, so I can’t say for certain. However, everything I’ve read about ceramic bakeware suggests that you don’t need to change the temperature. Instead, just keep a close eye on the bread as it gets close to the end of baking (say ~50-60 minutes with this recipe). From there, just use the toothpick to test the inside of the bread for doneness. No matter what, the toothpick will always give you an accurate answer! 🙂 I do love this bread, and I hope you give it a try!