Frugal Foodie Mama: Strawberry Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Inspired by the classic flavors of a PB&J, this Strawberry Peanut Butter Banana Bread is sure to quickly become a family favorite...

Strawberries are in peak season in Florida right now, and that means spring is just around the corner, folks. (Thank goodness!) That also means that you can pick up strawberries for pretty cheap at your local grocery store. I have been snagging fresh strawberries for about $2 a package for the past couple of weeks now.

In season, cheap strawberries is the perfect motivation for me to get in the kitchen and create. My family & I love anything that is inspired by the flavors of a PB&J, so I decided to take my recipe for Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Banana Bread & give it a peanut butter & jelly spin by leaving out the chocolate chunks & adding in sliced strawberries & strawberry jam. The results definitely got my family's seal of approval. :)

If you happen to live in Florida, then you are probably lucky enough to get to go to a local strawberry patch to pick fresh strawberries. But for the rest of us, here are a few tips for picking out sweet, ripe strawberries from the produce section at your local grocery store:

Look for berries that are firm & red in color. If too many berries in the package are bruised or wrinkled or if you see any molding at all, don't buy it.
The leaves on top of the strawberries should look fresh & green.
Discreetly give the package a sniff. If it smells sweet & full of strawberry flavor, then you probably have a good package of strawberries in your hand.

A few tips & suggestions for making this banana bread:

For a little added texture, swap the creamy peanut butter for crunchy peanut butter in this recipe.
Don't have plain Greek yogurt on hand? No worries! Vanilla yogurt or even strawberry yogurt would be amazing in this banana bread.
Not a fan of strawberries? Try fresh raspberries & raspberry jam or preserves in this recipe instead.
Don't skip the strawberry jam swirl in this recipe! It really gives this banana bread it's wow factor as far as presentation goes. Plus, it adds a little extra sweetness & strawberry flavor.
For even more PB&J flavor, serve slices of this banana bread with a little strawberry jam & peanut butter on the side for spreading.

Yield: 1 loaf Author: Carrie Robinson

Strawberry Peanut Butter Banana Bread

prep time: 15 mins cook time: 55 mins total time: 70 mins

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 ripe bananas, peeled & mashed
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup of strawberries, hulled & sliced
2-3 tbsp of strawberry jam or preserves

instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray the inside of a loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, milk, yogurt, & peanut butter until well combined. Then mix in the vanilla, eggs, & sugars.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Fold in the sliced strawberries, reserving a few to arrange on top of the loaf.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Heat the strawberry jam/preserves in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. Drizzle it in small globs over top of the batter. Using a butter knife, swirl the jam vertically & then horizontally. Arrange a few strawberry slices on top of the swirled jam.
Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. The banana bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Gently slide a butter knife along the edges of the pan, & remove the bread from the pan by gently turning it upside down over the wire rack. Allow the loaf to cool completely.
Slice & enjoy!
Leftover banana bread will stay good for 3-5 days as long as you keep it wrapped tightly.