Peanut butter quick bread is a moist, flavorful depression era quick bread drizzled with a sweet peanut butter glaze. Love peanut butter? You’ll love this bread!
Peanut Butter Quick Bread
Peanut butter quick bread is a depression-era recipe that replaced some of the ingredients that were hard to find like butter and sugar with peanut butter instead. Modern day peanut butter became wildly popular after peanut butter made its debut in the U.S. at the 1904 World Fair, although some form of peanut butter has been around since the Old World.
Peter Pan and Skippy were some of the first brands of peanut butter widely produced and sold. Today, the U.S. ranks number one in peanut butter consumption with many different brands and varieties like crunchy, smooth, or natural to choose from. Peanut butter continues to be an extremely popular flavor and baking ingredient in cookies, cakes, pies, brownies and quick breads.
How to Make this Recipe
The recipe for this peanut butter quick bread was adapted from a 1940’s recipe. The updated version has a moist, cake-like texture and contains granulated sugar and cooking oil in addition to the peanut butter. It has a sweet peanut butter glaze that is drizzled over the loaf after baking. If you love peanut butter, you will love this quick bread.
Since this is a quick bread and should not be over-mixed, this recipe can be made without using a mixer. To start, peanut butter, cooking oil and both granulated and brown sugar are combined in a large mixing bowl. Eggs, vanilla extract and milk are then added, followed by the sifted dry ingredients of all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. After baking, the cooled bread is drizzled with a sweet glaze made from powdered sugar, peanut butter and either milk or half and half. See additional tips below on baking this bread and for storage.
Tips for Peanut Butter Quick Bread
- Using a parchment-lined baking loaf makes for easy removal from the pan after baking.
- This bread can easily be overbaked; bake only until a few crumbs remain on a toothpick when inserted into the center of the loaf.
- This bread is better the 2nd day; you can bake the bread one day and then glaze the next.
- Store in airtight container for up to 72 hours.
- Bread freezes well unglazed in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
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Peanut Butter Quick Bread
Equipment
- 8 1/2" x 4 1/2 "loaf pan
- parchment paper
- mixer and mixing bowls of various sizes
Ingredients
For the quick bread
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cooking oil
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons creamy peanut butter
- 3 teaspoons milk or half and half
Instructions
For the quick bread
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift or whisk the 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1/2 cup cooking oil, 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter , 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Add in 3 large eggs,, one at a time and stir until combined. Add in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Slowly add in the 1/2 cup milk. Add in the dry ingredients and mix only until combined.
- Pour the batter into a parchment lined and greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2 " loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour – 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out with only a few crumbs.
- Allow to cool in pan 30 minutes after baking, then remove from pan and allow to cool on wire rack until completely cool. Glaze once cooled.
For the glaze
- Place the 1 cup powdered sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add 3 teaspoons milk or half and half or half and half and the 2 teaspoons creamy peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Pour over cooled loaf; allow glaze to set before slicing.
Notes
- This bread can easily be overbaked; bake only until a few crumbs remain on a toothpick when inserted into the center of the loaf.
- This bread is better the 2nd day; you can bake the bread one day and then glaze the next.
- Store in airtight container for up to 72 hours.
- Bread freezes well unglazed in an airtight container for up to 3 months.