Let’s talk about banana doughnuts for a sec. Or to start bananas. You know those people that can eat a banana as a snack? “It’s portable,” they say. Or, “it comes in its own packaging.” Yeah, I get these things are true, but I would never pack a banana in my bag for a portable snack, and I’m not gonna pick up one at a gas station as a healthy snack.
Don’t get me wrong — I love bananas, but they have to be in something. Like ice cream. Or smoothies. Or my favorite — banana cream pie. I’ll even eat them in a fruit salad, but I’m just not gonna peel and eat a banana. It’s weird, I know.
Because of this weirdness, I frequently buy bananas, but they often turn black before I can get around to using them. Which is fine, because the blacker a banana, the sweeter it is, which makes it perfect for sweetening up otherwise unhealthy foods. Like banana doughnuts. Or is it donuts? Either way.
I’m not gonna get all crazy and say that these are healthy doughnuts, because I think that a doughnut is by definition not healthy. But they are probably lower in sugar than something from a doughnut shop. The “frosting” is just straight up peanut butter, melted in the microwave, and they are baked in a doughnut pan instead of fried.
While I’m all for natural peanut butters, I’d probably use your favorite popular brand. For the record, I used Peanut Butter and Co. White Chocolate Wonderful. So, yeah, maybe slightly better, but still a doughnut.
These are sweet, but not too sweet, and perfect with coffee. If you’re expecting your favorite Dunkin’ Donut’s favorite, you’ll be disappointed, but if you like peanut butter and chocolate, these are pretty awesome.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Doughnuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup AP flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 very ripe bananas
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- Extra chocolate chips and sprinkles for toppings, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a doughnut pan with cooking spray.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, add the egg, buttermilk, vanilla, and bananas, and mix well, until bananas are well mashed and mixture is smooth. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Line a medium bowl with a gallon sized freezer bag and transfer the batter to the bag. Lift out of the bowl, and holding it over the pan, snip the corner off.
- Pipe the batter into the pan. Bake for 10 minutes or so, until doughnuts spring back when touched lightly. Let cool completely.
- When ready to ice, put the peanut butter in a wide microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds or so, until smooth and melted. Dip the doughnuts into the peanut butter and immediately top with sprinkles and/or chocolate chips.
