Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Banana Bread

My kitchen smelled like a peanut butter factory the afternoon my neighbor stopped by with overripe bananas she couldn't use. Instead of letting them go brown in her fruit bowl, she handed me three spotty ones with a knowing grin—she'd seen my baking experiments before. I decided to fold them into something that combined childhood comfort with grown-up flavors: banana bread studded with chocolate, bound together with creamy peanut butter and oats. That first loaf disappeared within hours, and now it's become my go-to way to rescue bananas before they turn to mush.

I'll never forget bringing this to a community book club where I didn't know anyone well yet. Everyone was nibbling polite store-bought cookies until someone tried a thick slice of this bread still warm from my cooler. The room went quiet for about three seconds, then someone asked for the recipe before we'd even opened the book. By the end of the meeting, I'd written it down on three different napkins, and somehow it became my unofficial introduction to the neighborhood.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: Use 1½ cups (180 g)—the foundation that gives structure without being dense like whole wheat would make it.
• Old-fashioned rolled oats: 1 cup (90 g) adds texture and a subtle earthiness that balances the chocolate and peanut butter sweetness.
• Baking soda and baking powder: 1 teaspoon and ½ teaspoon respectively—the soda reacts with the acidic bananas for lift, while the powder adds extra rise.
• Salt and cinnamon: ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon deepen the flavors and make everything taste more complex than it actually is.
• Ripe bananas: Three medium ones mashed (about 1 cup) are crucial—they should be spotted and soft enough that you can practically push your thumb through the skin.
• Creamy peanut butter: Use ½ cup (120 g) of the good kind without added oils if you can find it; it creates moisture and richness that keeps this bread tender for days.
• Light brown sugar: ½ cup (100 g) packed adds moisture and a subtle molasses depth that regular white sugar can't quite match.
• Neutral oil: ¼ cup (60 ml) of canola or sunflower oil keeps the crumb tender and prevents that dense, dry quality quick breads sometimes develop.
• Eggs: Two large ones bind everything together and help create a tender crumb structure.
• Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon pure vanilla brightens the peanut butter flavor and adds warmth without being obvious.
• Semisweet chocolate chips: ¾ cup (130 g) are your joy factor—they melt slightly into the warm bread and create little pockets of sweetness throughout.
• Roasted peanuts: ¼ cup (25 g) chopped and optional, but they add a textural crunch that keeps the bread from feeling too soft and uniform.

Instructions

Prep your pan and oven:

Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan thoroughly, then line it with parchment paper—this small step saves so much frustration when you're trying to turn out a warm loaf. I learned this the hard way after half my first loaf crumbled apart.

Combine all the dry teammates:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until everything is evenly distributed and you don't see any flour pockets hiding in the bottom. This whisking step aerates the flour and distributes the leaveners evenly, which makes a huge difference in how the bread rises.

Get the wet mixture silky smooth:

In another bowl, combine your mashed bananas, peanut butter, brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla, then whisk it all together until you have a smooth, unified mixture without any visible chunks of peanut butter. The smoother this mixture is, the more evenly it will distribute through the dry ingredients.

Marry wet and dry with a gentle hand:

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold them together slowly—this is not the time to be aggressive with a wooden spoon. Overmixing develops gluten and creates a dense, tough bread instead of that tender, tender crumb you're after; stop as soon as you don't see dry flour streaks anymore.

Fold in your flavor additions:

Gently fold in the chocolate chips and chopped peanuts, saving a handful of chips to scatter across the top before baking for visual appeal and a little extra chocolate in the first bites. Keep this motion gentle and quick.

Get it into the oven:

Pour your batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula so it bakes evenly, then sprinkle your reserved chocolate chips and peanuts across the surface. This topping creates a slightly crunchier exterior and looks intentional rather than haphazard.

Bake until golden and just cooked through:

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, checking around the 48-minute mark by inserting a toothpick into the center—it should come out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it, not completely clean and not wet with batter. If it's still gloppy, give it another few minutes; if it looks done but a toothpick still comes out wet, the center might still need time despite the outside looking perfect.

Cool with patience:

Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes (this helps it set enough to handle), then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Slicing it while it's still warm will result in a crumbly mess, even though the temptation is real.

Save

There's something oddly satisfying about taking something on the verge of being waste—those bananas destined for the compost—and turning it into something that makes people close their eyes and smile when they bite into it. That's when I realized this bread is really about transformation, about finding richness in what most people would throw away.

Storage and Make-Ahead Magic

This bread keeps beautifully at room temperature wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container for three days, which makes it perfect for baking on Sunday and snacking throughout the week. If you want to make it further ahead, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then foil before freezing—it'll keep for up to two months, and you can slice it straight from the freezer or thaw it overnight in the fridge.

Flavor Variations That Work

The beauty of this bread is how flexible it is—I've swapped the peanut butter for almond butter on nights when I wanted something slightly lighter, and I've even added shredded coconut when I had some on hand. You could also drizzle an extra tablespoon or two of peanut butter across the top of the batter before baking if you want those ribbons of peanut butter running through every slice, or fold in some chopped dark chocolate instead of chips if you prefer larger chocolate chunks.

Ingredient Swaps for Allergies and Preferences

For anyone with a peanut allergy, sunflower seed butter or tahini work remarkably well as substitutes while keeping that rich, creamy quality. If gluten is a concern, you can replace the all-purpose flour with a good quality gluten-free blend (measure by weight for best results), and the bread comes out just as tender and moist as the original. For dairy concerns, check your chocolate chip package or use dairy-free chips—and you can always double-check that your peanut butter doesn't have any hidden milk products if that's a priority for your kitchen.

• Sunflower seed butter and tahini both create a slightly earthier flavor that pairs beautifully with bananas and chocolate.
• If you're making this nut-free, omit the peanut topping but don't skip the butter base, which provides essential moisture and flavor.
• Gluten-free bakers should watch the bake time closely since gluten-free flours sometimes cook differently and may need an extra minute or two.

Save

This bread has become my quiet gift to people, my way of saying I was thinking about you without making a big fuss about it. Wrap a slice in wax paper and leave it on someone's desk, and you've just made their day infinitely better.

Questions & Answers

→ Can I use natural peanut butter instead of creamy?

Natural peanut butter works fine, though the texture may be slightly denser. Just make sure to stir it well before measuring, as the oil tends to separate.

→ How do I know when the bread is done baking?

Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf. It should come out with just a few moist crumbs attached, not completely wet batter. The top should be golden brown and firm to the touch.

→ Can I make this dairy-free?

Yes! Use dairy-free chocolate chips and ensure your other ingredients are dairy-free. The bread is naturally dairy-free except for the chocolate chips.

→ How should I store leftovers?

Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic and foil for up to 2 months.

→ Can I reduce the sugar?

You can reduce the brown sugar to ¼ cup, though the bread will be less sweet. The ripe bananas provide natural sweetness, so it still tastes great with less added sugar.

→ What if I don't have oats?

You can substitute an additional ½ cup of flour for the oats, though the texture will be less hearty. Quick oats work as a substitute for old-fashioned rolled oats in a pinch.