Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread (Vegan)

*This post is sponsored by Califia Farms*

A decadent chocolate peanut butter banana bread – dense, rich and topped with a lush frosting. Dessert heaven right here!

Who doesn’t love banana bread? I have never come across someone who doesn’t like to indulge in a moist, dense slice of banana bread. However, this is no ordinary banana bread. For one, it’s a chocolate banana bread, AND it’s topped with a decadent peanut butter frosting. It’s impossible to say no to a slice with your afternoon cuppa.

Banana bread had a serious moment during lockdown. Everyone seemed to be making it apart from me, which is strange seeing as banana bread is my favourite kind of cake. On reflection, I know exactly why I didn’t make any. I was isolating with my partner during lockdown, and no socialising meant I had no one to share my desserts and treats with. That made it difficult for me to make big bakes that I couldn’t share with anyone. Also my partner doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, so anything I made I had to eat myself.

Now that lockdown is a distant memory and it actually feels normal to socialise and see family and friends again, big batch desserts are back on the menu. It was about time banana bread made another appearance in my kitchen!

As well as banana bread, I have a big fondness for chocolate, which you’ve probably gathered when seeing the many chocolate recipes I have on my blog and share regularly on my socials. Adding chocolate makes an already decadent cake so much more so, which can only be a bonus. To make this banana bread even more special and moreish, I decided to top it with a smooth peanut butter frosting.

This chocolate peanut butter banana bread is:

• Vegan
• Gluten-free (if using gluten-free oats)
• Soy-free
• Dairy-free
• Egg-free
• Made using healthier ingredients

To make the cake lighter, I substituted some of the oil for milk. Most cakes use so much oil, which I don’t feel is necessary in a banana bread. The bananas add so much moisture that you don’t need to add too much fat to make it dense and rich.

I’ve teamed up with Califia Farms to show you the many different ways their almond drinks can be enjoyed. In this recipe I used their Unsweetened Vanilla Drink to showcase that their drinks can be enjoyed in many more ways than in your cup of coffee or morning bowl of cereal. It can be enjoyed in so many recipes, sweet and savoury, and it’s perfect for baking. I also love using it to make lighter custards and puddings.

What you need to make this chocolate peanut butter banana bread:

Bananas – as the name of the recipe implies, bananas are the star of the show. The riper the banana the sweeter the cake will be, so make sure you pick up banana with a few brown spots before baking this loaf. Bananas add natural sweetness so you don’t need to use too much added sugar! 

Oats – I almost always use oats in my baking (as well as no baked treats!) as it works really well as a replacement for plain flour. They’re a lot more nutritious and higher in fibre. You can also use gluten-free oats to make a recipe gluten-free! I make my own oat flour by lending oats into a fine flour in a high-speed blender.

Ground almonds – another great alternative to plain flour. It also adds a lot of moisture to bakes, which works perfectly in a banana bread recipe.

Cocoa powder – to add a rich chocolate taste, of course 😉 use 100% cocoa powder. The type you find in the baking section of the supermarket. 

Sugar – let’s be real – you need some sugar when baking a cake. Although I use around half the amount used in a typical banana bread recipe (see the notes below for an even lower sugar version!).

Flaxseed – when mixed with water, ground flaxseed creates a binder that works as an egg replacement. I find that warm water works better than cold and speeds up the setting process. 

Oil – adds a lot of moisture and helps hold everything together. I used coconut oil, but any oil will work.

Milk – to thin the batter out and so I don’t need to use as much oil. Again, any milk (dairy or non-dairy) will work here. 

What you’ll need to make the peanut butter frosting:

The frosting is a simple mixture of 3 ingredients – peanut butter, milk and maple syrup! All you have to do is mix everything in a bowl, transfer into a piping bag and pipe onto your cooled loaf. You also have the option of spreading the frosting on with a knife if you don’t feel like faffing around with a piping bag. It’s so delicious and adds a lovely peanut butter taste that goes so well with the chocolate flavour of the loaf.