Peanut Butter Jelly Bread

Why you'll love this recipe

Easy and fun treat. Like banana or zucchini bread, this bread comes together really quickly and is devoured just as fast!

Peanut butter flavor is on point. It has just the right amount of peanut butter flavor and is balanced out with fresh strawberries and strawberry jam.

The peanut streusel topping! The bread isn't complete without it! It adds an extra touch of sweet and salty buttery flavor that I'm obsessed with. When eating a slice, I always save the top for last because it's my favorite!

Ingredients

This peanut butter bread uses simple ingredients that you likely already have at home.

Brown sugar. I typically use light brown sugar, but dark will work, too.

All-purpose flour.

Peanuts. Unsalted or salted will work. I like to use unsalted. You'll need ¼ cup to add to the streusel topping.

Butter. Salted butter is all I ever use.

Milk. I recommend whole or 2% milk, but any milk will work.

Eggs.

Peanut butter. The best peanut butter is one made with just peanuts and sea salt.

Baking soda.

Salt.

Scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredient list.

How to make peanut butter bread

Peanut butter jelly bread is incredibly easy and quick to make. Aside from a small bowl you'll need for the streusel, the bread is all mixed together in just one bowl.

Step 1: Make the streusel. Mix together flour, brown sugar and peanuts then add melted butter until it's all combined and crumbly. Then you'll let this chill in the fridge to solidify the butter while you make the bread.

Step 2: Make the bread. Whisk together the brown sugar, milk, eggs and peanut butter until combined. Add the flour, baking soda and salt, then mix again until just combined.

Step 3: Add strawberries and jam. Fold in chopped strawberries followed by strawberry jam.

Step 4: Bake. Pour the bread batter into a loaf pan, add the streusel and bake. I like to cover the bread with parchment paper or aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from browning too much. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).

Step 5: Let the bread cool - enjoy! I recommend letting the bread cool in the pan for 1 hour, then let it finish cooling on a wire rack before slicing. I love to enjoy the bread with lots of salted butter!

Scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions.

Tips & tricks

Let the streusel chill in the fridge. Streusel crumble topping is best made with cold butter, but working cold butter into the dry mixture is a more time consuming process. To make things quicker and easier, you're going to mix melted butter into the dry ingredients, then chill the streusel in the fridge while you prepare the bread. By that time, the butter will be cold and solidified again.

Use your favorite berries. You can substitute with fresh raspberries, blackberries or even blueberries, and feel free to use your favorite jam!

Cover the bread halfway through baking. This bread needs to bake for at least 1 hour, so the streusel topping can get burnt if you don't cover it. I recommend loosely covering with parchment paper or aluminum foil halfway through the bake time.

Check for doneness using a toothpick. Insert a toothpick into the top of the loaf. When the toothpick comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs, the bread has finished baking. If you see wet, raw batter, continue baking.

Commonly asked questions

What is peanut butter jelly bread?

Peanut butter bread is a quick bread similar to banana or zucchini bread. It's made using baking soda as the leavening agent, so it doesn't require any rise time. I like to mix fresh strawberries and jam into peanut butter bread for even more flavor.

Is peanut butter jelly bread healthy?

Peanut butter jelly bread is made with brown sugar and jam (which also contains sugar), but I'm a strong believer that everything can be enjoyed in moderation. The nutrition facts are listed in the recipe card for your discretion.

Can I use any berries?

Yes! Feel free to swap the strawberries for your favorite fresh berries. Same goes for the jam!

Do I have to let the bread fully cool before slicing.

For neat slices, I recommend waiting until the bread is fully cooled. But if you don't care about that, then happily slice into it while it's warm, but not hot, or the bread may be a little gummy on the top and completely fall apart when you slice into it.

Storing leftovers

Store the bread in a plastic bag or airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. If storing longer, I recommend keeping in the fridge. This is a very moist bread, so it can go bad fairly quickly.

You can also freeze the bread for up to 3 months. To do so, wrap the loaf in plastic wrap, then seal inside a plastic bag.