Sometimes banana bread isn’t satisfying enough on its own. I never ate fluffernutters when I was growing up, but that didn’t stop me from realising that marshmallow and peanut butter would be a great combination with the banana bread I baked this morning. It doesn’t hurt that marshmallows are one of my absolute favorite things, either. The key to the sandwich is to use marshmallow fluff, which is nice and oozy. I don’t usually have this around, so I melt regular marshmallows. The heat seems to work really well with the peanut butter.
The recipe for the bread is really basic. I’ve been making this recipe for a long time and it came about as an amalgamation of many other banana and quickbread recipes that I’ve used. If your bananas are firm, then heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds (unpeeled) to speed up their “ripening”. I usually add the extra spices, but often measure them based on how spicy I feel at the moment. A little bit of nutmeg would be nice in this, too. I should also mention that I sometimes substitute applesauce for the butter, which turns out fine and lets you feel nice and virtuous at breakfast.
Banana Bread
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 medium/large bananas, smashed
1 tsp vanilla
(Optional: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp allspice)
Preheat oven to 375F and grease an 8×4″ loaf pan.
Beat egg and sugars. Add in bananas, vanilla and melted butter and mix well.
Stir in dry ingredients and spices, if using, until just combined.
Pour batter into pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until tester has a few crumbs, but no batter, clinging to it.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Wrapped well, this should keep for several days.
Makes 1 loaf.
The fluffernutter variant shown above was very, very delicious. The warm marshmallow made the peanut butter – I used natural creamy for textural consistency – all melty and nice. And I am of the opinion that you can (a) never go wrong with marshmallows and (b) always have more marshmallow. I suppose that the same thing would go for peanut butter, except that you will inevitably have to interrupt peanut butter eating to wash it down with something.
Ok, I’m digressing. Just so you know, I would eat this again. Everyday, if possible.
Banana Bread Fluffernutter
2 slices banana bread
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 marshmallows, or 4 tbsp Fluff
Place marshmallows on one banana bread slice. Spread other slice with peanut butter.
Microwave marshmallow slice for 20-30 seconds, until marshmallows puff. Top with peanut butter slice.
Eat.
Serves 1.
Niki
March 12, 2005oh yum, that sounds really good. I reckon you couldn’t go wrong with a bit of chocolate as well ;-). There’s a new spread on the market here in Aust – a mix of peanut butter and chocolate. Finally! It’s common to mix the two flavours in the US, but not over here. Finally I get something that tastes like my beloved Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups!
Incidentally, Marshmallow fluff isn’t easily available down here so microwaving is a great tip.
galinusa
March 13, 2005Yum! Yum! It looks delicious!!! Except I really really am NOT a banana of all sorts fan! But marshmallow and peanut butter sounds divine!
Nic
March 13, 2005Mm… peanut butter, marshmallow and chocolate… You guys are on to something!
drbiggles
March 14, 2005Oh my. Yeah, no. Banana bread you bet. Fluff? I like sugar, but damned. And you didn’t mention how it was? How was it?
Nic
March 14, 2005I didn’t mention how delicious and gooey it was? How could I have missed that! I guess I thought it was self-evident from the photo. The only caveat for eating this is that you’d better have a glass of some sort of beverage: milk, tea, etc. You’ll be thirsty (in the same good way that chocolate cookies make you thirsty).
Molly
March 15, 2005I didn’t grow up with fluffernutters either, but I’ve been fascinated with the idea of them since I first saw marshmallow fluff in college. Your rendition looks DELICIOUS! And to think: I just baked some banana bread/cake yesterday! Perhaps an experiment is in order…
Nic
March 15, 2005Molly – I agree! I’m sure it’ll taste great (as does anything with marshmallow, of course)!
drbiggles
March 15, 2005OH yeah? And yet, you still didn’t describe what it tastes like.
Would you do it again?
Nic
March 15, 2005Alright! I give up! I have edited the post. Happy now? Of course you are.
Pille
August 31, 2005Aaah – I see now. Will tell my Sis that if she uses Fluff AND peanut butter (another novelty back home), she’ll have even happier kids:)
kai
November 3, 2005hi i just tried your recipe for banana cake and it was GORGEOUS! http://www.kaicooks.blogdrive.com thanks! it was a real hit with my family 🙂
Chloe
April 19, 2006Hi Nic,
I just have to say I keep coming back to this recipe everytime I have leftover banana’s… I just love it! I tried it today with applesauce instead of butter and the results were still good! YUMMY!! 🙂
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Home Bakery
March 13, 2010I just tried this, but I added a handful of chopped walnuts. It tastes fine. It cooked really quickly, in nearly 25 minutes, but I used a pan with a larger surface area. This is missing something for me. :/ I kept thinking maybe it would have been better in muffin form. But it was so easy to make, so I’ll try again.
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May 22, 2010I just have to say I keep coming back to this recipe everytime I have leftover banana’s… I just love it! I tried it today with applesauce instead of butter and the results were still good! YUMMY!! 🙂