Behold a new classic! Gluten free Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Banana Bread is here to bring peanut butter and chocolate joy to your breakfast and snack times!
I love making banana bread. I think that’s pretty evident when you look back through the recipe files. We have Coconut Banana Bread, Banana, Date and Almond Bread, and Breakfast Bread, and also Banana, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins, Mocha Banana Muffins and Banana and Coconut Baked Doughnuts – phew! I have certainly been through my share of ripe bananas on this blog! 
This banana bread came along one recent Saturday when I was pottering around the house with no concrete plans to fill my time. I’ve taken to relaxing in the middle of the day on Saturdays and then running once the heat of the day has left and the afternoon has settled in. I just wanted to bake something comforting, something that would necessitate a cup of tea and a book and a puppy on my lap for true enjoyment. And nothing is more comforting than a big, hulking loaf of banana bread fresh from the oven. 
At this time of year when there are social engagements galore, dinner parties, Christmas gatherings, and other holiday merriment, I love bringing something for my host to enjoy for breakfast the next morning when she/he finally has a moment to themselves again. When I’m the one hosting, I love knowing that a loaf of something delicious is tucked away in a corner for me to brunch on when I’m enjoying the stillness of a morning at home. Perhaps if you are celebrating Thanksgiving this week a loaf of banana bread might be just the thing to make for breakfast before your feast begins, or to fuel you through some shopping the day after (I’m personally rooting for doing your shopping online in your PJs…).
I’ve upgraded my banana bread recipe here to feature peanut butter and a thick chocolate ribbon, which in my opinion makes it just the right vehicle for a large slather of either peanut butter or Nutella, or both if you just can’t bear to make a choice between the two. And why should you have to choose?! 
This bread is kept moist with a large dose of bananas (3 large mushy bananas go in the batter); Greek yoghurt; a splash of rice bran oil; rich brown sugar; and a dose of honey. These are powerhouse ingredients for a banana bread that’s rich and moist, sweet but not overwhelmingly so, and hearty but not heavy. I can’t stand dry banana bread – what’s the point! And oh, just look at those swirls ⇑⇑⇑⇑. They are super easy to make, and super impressive when you slice this baby up to serve. This gluten free banana bread won’t disappoint you I can guarantee!
I’ve got three more bananas sitting on my bench ready to make another batch this weekend to give me the energy to tackle a few runs, and more importantly – decorating our home for Christmas! Because folks, we need a little Christmas right now. I hope a loaf of this welcoming banana bread finds its way into your kitchen soon. 
Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Banana Bread
gluten free | makes one 9 x 5 inch loaf
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (fine, use smooth if you must…)
- 3 large ripe bananas (generous 1 3/4 cups mashed)
- 1/3 cup honey (local is best)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
- 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
- 1/2 cup almond milk (or your choice of milk)
- 1/4 cup rice bran oil (or other flavourless vegetable oil)
- 3 large eggs
- 80 grams brown rice flour
- 80 grams white rice flour
- 80 grams buckwheat flour
- 80 grams sorghum flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180C (350F) and line a 9 x 5 inch loaf tin with baking paper.
- Microwave the peanut butter for about 15 seconds or until softened. Leave to cool.
- Mash your bananas in a large mixing bowl. Add the Greek yoghurt, honey, brown sugar, vanilla essence, almond milk, oil and eggs. Whisk until very well combined. Add melted peanut butter and stir well.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl whisk together brown rice flour, white rice flour, buckwheat flour, sorghum flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
- Pour half the batter into a second large mixing bowl and stir in the cocoa powder.
- Now, to make the banana bread swirly. Take your plain banana batter and dollop three large scoops into your prepared pan. Then put three large scoops of chocolate banana bread batter on top of that. Repeat until all the batter is used up. Take a wooden skewer and drag it once through the batter in one direction and then back once in the other direction. Anymore than that and your banana bread won’t have nice dramatic swirls.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. If the top of your loaf is browning too quickly cover it loosely with some aluminium foil.
- Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then turn out and cool completely before slicing thickly and serving.
