The Best Easy Peanut Butter Bread Recipe

This is a simple, easy treat we love anytime of year – my kids love it toasted with butter or nutella for breakfast.

bread sliced with ice cream and chocolate sauce on it

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

Depression Era Peanut Butter Bread

Ever since this depression era bread took over the internet in a reddit thread, I’ve been wanting to try this amazingly easy, ingredient friendly bread out – it is salty, sweet, and SO easy – you will love it!

The reddit bread omitted eggs for a recipe perfect to omake it through the depression – but we’re adding a bit more sugar and some eggs to give this bread a lighter, more pound-cake like flavor that is a little more sweet – like a peanut butter cookie.

Yes, we’re really over here making peanut butter cookie bread… and you won’t believe the amazing flavor!

My kids beg for this bread- and it is so easy, it is an indulgence I am quick to whip up for them!

stack of sliced bread and peanut butter on a knife

How To Make Peanut Butter Bread

This bread is one of our new favorites because it is so incredibly easy to make – in just one or two bowls – you don’t need a mixer, to wait to proof yeast, or many ingredients to make this bread.

To make this recipe we will need the following ingredients:

All-purpose flour (2 cups): The base of the bread, providing structure. Its proteins develop gluten when mixed, giving the bread its form and chew.
Baking powder (3 teaspoons): A leavening agent that helps the bread rise, creating a light and fluffy texture.
Salt (½ teaspoon): Enhances the overall flavor and balances the sweetness, while also highlighting the nuttiness of the peanut butter.
Granulated sugar (½ cup): Adds sweetness and moisture to the bread, complementing the peanut butter flavor.
Creamy peanut butter (½ cup + 1 tbsp): The star ingredient, contributing rich flavor, fat, and moisture to the bread.
Eggs (2 large): Bind the ingredients together, provide structure, and add richness and moisture to the loaf.
Whole milk (1 cup): Adds liquid to the batter, helping to combine the ingredients and creating a tender crumb.

Peanut butter dessert bread recipe ingredients.

Prep the Pan

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 8×4-inch bread pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

A bowl of peanut butter batter with a red spatula in it, ready to be baked into a delicious peanut butter bread dessert.

Combine Mixture

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and peanut butter together until light and fluffy. Add in the dry ingredients alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mix until smooth.

Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes back clean.

Tips and Tricks To Perfect Peanut Butter Bread

If you find yourself running into any problems, check out our top tips to make this bread more easy:

Add More Peanut Butter. The original reddit recipe calls for only 1/2 cup peanut butter – but I found there was more flavor I really loved with an additional one to two tablespoons.

Use Two Bowls. While this recipe is a one-bowl wonder, we found it was easier to mix the milk and peanut butter separately before adding it to the rest oof the ingredients, especially if your peanut butter is very thick. It can be hard to stir everything in nicely without a mixer if adding all to one bowl.

Cool before slicing. This bread has a great crumb if you let it set – but slicing bread before it is fully cool does tend to make it crumble too much.

How to Store Peanut Butter Bread. Store peanut butter bread in a bread bag, plastic bag, bread box, or covered with a cloth in a cool, dry place for up to four days.

How to Freeze Peanut Butter Bread. You can freeze peanut butter bread (so you can make a big batch) and store in the freezer for up to four months. Let thaw naturally on the counter overnight from frozen.