Last Updated on February 17, 2024 – Originally posted in April of 2016
Featured Comment
I made the Peanut Butter bread. It’s a mild peanut butter taste. The texture is wonderful. It’s great plain or toasted. Peanut Butter bread with Nutella. Wonderful! ~ Rebecca
A reader on my Facebook page asked for a peanut butter bread recipe. I had never tried peanut butter bread before, but the idea stayed with me. After some research and several test bakes, I developed the recipe below.
This loaf bakes up thick and slightly chewy, with a pleasant peanut aroma and a subtle peanut butter flavor. It’s wonderful toasted for breakfast and pairs nicely with Nutella, jam, or a pat of butter.
About Peanut Butter and History
Despite popular myths, George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter. By the time he published How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption, techniques for making peanut butter already existed.
For another peanut butter twist at breakfast, try chocolate bread. Toasted chocolate bread with peanut butter is a delicious combination—rich, slightly sweet, and satisfying.
Peanut Butter Bread Instructions
This recipe makes a two-pound loaf on the basic or white cycle with a medium crust setting.
Follow the ingredient order recommended by your bread machine manual. For machines like my Zojirushi, I add the liquids first. After the kneading starts, check the dough within 5–10 minutes. It should form a smooth, round ball. If the dough is too dry, add water a teaspoon at a time. If it’s too wet and sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together and clears the sides of the pan.
Peanut Butter Bread Ingredients
For a two-pound loaf on the basic/white cycle with medium crust:
4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups water
2/3 cup peanut butter (creamy works well)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
Notes:
- Use bread flour for the best texture; all-purpose flour can work but will yield a slightly softer, less chewy loaf.
- Adjust the water slightly depending on your peanut butter’s oil content. Natural peanut butter may require a touch less liquid; commercial creamy peanut butter may need the full amount.
- If your machine has a dispenser for yeast, follow the manufacturer’s guidance; otherwise add yeast on top of the dry ingredients away from the liquids if required by your model’s instructions.
Bake according to your machine’s basic or white program. Once the loaf is done, remove it from the pan and cool on a rack for at least 15–20 minutes before slicing. The crumb firms up as it cools, and slices will cut more cleanly.
Serving suggestion: toast slices lightly and spread with Nutella, honey, or a thin layer of extra peanut butter for a delicious breakfast or snack.