Okay, so this is basically the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever made in my entire life.
And I am not sorry about it one little teeny tiny bit.
It’s already two weeks into January, which means we have SUFFICIENTLY repented for the indulgences of December. It’s totally time for some peanut butter banana bread topped with a peanut butter glaze and brown sugar-candied bacon. Right? Work with me, people.
As we all know, I love bacon in my desserts, but there’s totally a time and a place for it. It has to complement the flavors of the dessert by adding a little smoky/salty bite, or else it’s just not meant to be. I’m not about to add bacon to my mint chocolate chip ice cream or my peach pie. But when it’s right, it’s SO RIGHT. And that’s exactly what this Elvis banana bread is. It’s an incredible, insane, out-of-this-world amount of right.
For those of you who aren’t familiar, an “Elvis” peanut butter sandwich is a peanut butter, banana, and bacon sandwich, and it is a glorious thing. Elvis apparently loved the stuff enough to have the combo named after him, so he is clearly a genius. I took those flavors and used them to majorly shake up my favorite banana bread recipe (although please ignore those early-days pictures…shudder). I added some creamy peanut butter to the standard banana bread situation, then topped it all off with a smooth peanut butter glaze and BROWN SUGAR BACON. The brown sugar bacon completely makes the dish. I can’t believe I’ve never made before, because it is basically just straight up crack. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to eat normal bacon ever again. (Well that’s a lie, but trust me when I say it is incredible.)
This Elvis banana bread is absolute, pure sweet-and-salty decadence. Between the moist and lightly spiced banana bread, the nutty peanut butter glaze, and the sweet and crunchy bacon, the whole combo just shines, and it’s truly fantastic. I’m not going to pretend like this is at all healthy in any way whatsoever, but I’m also not going to pretend like it’s not the most amazing banana bread ever and it’s not totally worth breaking your January diet for. New Year’s Resolutions are stupid, anyways! Please come eat peanut butter brown sugar bacon banana bread with me?
- 3 ripe bananas, smashed
- 1/3 cup salted butter, melted
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- Pinch of ground cloves
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
- 1 tbsp. milk (I used low-fat)
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter a loaf pan (I used 9x5 but 4x8 would also work) and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combined the smashed bananas with the salted butter with a spatula or wooden spoon. Add the brown sugar and mix to combine. Add the egg, vanilla, and peanut butter, then mix to combine again. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; combine. Sprinkle on the baking soda and salt; combine. Finally, add the flour and stir until everything is totally combined. Pour into the prepared pan (make sure to smooth out the top) and bake for 45-60 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- When the banana bread is done, allow to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Allow to cool for at least an hour before glazing.
- While your banana bread is cooling, make your bacon. Cook your bacon in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through and crispy. Add the brown sugar to the pan and mix together for about 30 seconds. Then remove the pan from the heat, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Finally, make the glaze. Combine all 3 ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk until a glaze forms. You can add an extra tbsp. of milk if you’d like a thinner glaze.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled banana bread, then top with chopped brown sugar bacon. Enjoy!!
- Make sure to store this treat in the fridge – there’s bacon in it, after all!
Banana bread adapted from Smitten Kitchen and peanut butter glaze adapted from Tablespoon.
Looking for more sweet bacon treats?
Salted Caramel Bacon Ice Cream Pie
Browned Butter Bacon Rice Krispies Treats
Maple Bacon Shortbread Cookies
