Vegan Peanut Butter Bread

Slices of peanut butter bread on vintage blue and white patterned plates with white handled cutlery to side, wooden board with rest of peanut bread to side with chopping knife.

Course: Afternoon tea, Breakfast, Snack, Supper

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 1

Servings: slices

Calories: 208kcal

Author: Jacq

This Peanut Butter Bread is a vegan version of the 1930s' peanut butter bread that was popular during the US Great Depression when budgeting, making-do, and substituting ingredients was key to survival. More recently, Peanut Butter Bread has made a comeback due to the global pandemic where it became a popular lockdown bake! This recipe uses every-day pantry ingredients and no margarine or oil is required.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

1 Ib loaf pan lined with baking paper
Mixing bowl
Measuring jug
mixing spoon
sieve
cooling rack

Ingredients

300 grams plain flour (all-purpose flour)
60 grams soft brown sugar (light brown sugar or other brown sugar)
1 tablespoon baking powder (use a level tablespoon, meaning run a knife over the top of the tablespoon measurement to avoid using too much powder)
135 grams peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
280 millilitres plant-based milk (such as soya or oat, or your usual milk)
¼ teaspoon salt (optional as your peanut butter may be salty enough)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract/essence (optional but adds more flavour)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 140°C Fan / 160°C / 325°F / Gas Mark 3.

Prepare a loaf pan by greasing with a little vegan butter, margarine or oil and lining with baking paper.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl and stir through the sugar and salt.
300 grams plain flour, 60 grams soft brown sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
In a measuring jug mix the peanut butter, milk and vanilla together.
135 grams peanut butter, 280 millilitres plant-based milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract/essence
Scoop the peanut butter mix into the flour and mix until its all just combined.
Add the mixture to the loaf pan and level out the surface.
Bake for 45-60 minutes, on the middle oven shelf. Exact times will depend on your oven and the bread will be ready when it has risen, is firm, and light golden. A skewer popped in the bread will come out clean once it has baked through. As this is a quick bread there will likely be a crack on the surface but this is perfectly fine and is to be expected.
Fan ovens bake faster so check after 45 minutes for doneness, our bread was ready after baking in a fan oven for about 45 minutes.
Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes in the loaf pan before removing to cool completely on a cooling rack or just place on a chopping board to cool.

Notes

Store peanut butter bread wrapped well in baking paper and an extra layer of kitchen foil for up to 4 days. The wrapped bread can also be placed in a bread tin or other covered container. Or place into a food-grade bag intended for keeping bread fresh.
Freeze well wrapped in a layer of greaseproof or baking paper and a second layer of kitchen foil or a freezer-proof bag or food wrap for up t2-3 months.
Older slices can be toasted to refresh. Or place in a warm oven or air-fryer for a few minutes.
The vanilla extract is optional but does provides additional flavour. The salt is also optional and may not be required if salt is already an ingredient within your peanut butter.
For a nut-free bread replace the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter [ground sunflower seeds] or toasted soya butter which is a peanut butter replacement. One brand is Wowbutter creamy toasted soya spread and can be found on Amazon, Tesco, Holland & Barrett, and Walmart.
For a gluten-free peanut butter bread replace the flour with gluten-free plain flour or all-purpose gluten-free baking flour, use gluten-free baking powder, and add about.½ teaspoon of xanthum gum to the flour to help the crumb bind together. An extra tablespoon of milk may need to be added if the bread mixture looks too dry as gluten-free flour tends to result in a drier mixture.

Nutrition