A beautiful golden loaf of bread chock-full of roasted peanuts and delectable bits of bacon – yes bacon! All swirled in a luscious peanut butter batter.
It seems our love affair with bacon has gone on for years. This is a fun and utterly delicious recipe I found while digging through my Mom’s collection. This unusual recipe dates back to the late ‘50s and includes many familiar ingredients in a traditional quick bread and some that are unique.
Sweet and salty flavors play well together with a creamy peanut butter batter loaded with roasted peanuts and crispy bacon. The results will surprise you. At first bite it reminds you of a peanut butter cookie, not overly sweet but definitely full of peanut butter flavor. Then the crunch of the peanuts and oh, that bacon make for a delightful loaf!
If you can’t find unsalted roasted peanuts – most on store shelves are salted – it’s easy to roast your own. Look for raw peanuts, preferably without their trademark red skins. I buy nuts from North Richland Hill’s Farmer’s Market, a local farmer’s market. The nuts and dried fruits are some of the best I’ve ever come across. Roasting your own peanuts only takes about 20 to 25 minutes. Their nutty aroma will fill your kitchen in the most amazing way when they’re roasted to perfection! Roast a big batch and freeze any extra to maintain their freshness.
Then there’s that marvelous bacon! If you haven’t tried Pederson’s Natural Farms® bacon, search them out. Two of my favorites are the applewood smoked bacon and the cherry smoked – both are wonderful! For this recipe you’ll need a 10-ounce package, about 9 to 10 slices. Anytime I cook a large batch of bacon I find the oven is the easiest and the least messy way to cook it. Spread the bacon out on a wire rack, flipping it occasionally until it’s crispy and crunchy through and through.
Roasted peanuts and crisp, crumbled bacon – hidden treasures inside this peanut butter bread!
Perfect for a brunch or luncheon, snack or dessert – this rich savory, salty, lightly sweet bread will surprise and delight!
Peanut Butter Bacon Bread
1 cup milk
1 extra-large egg
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon melted shortening
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour, divided
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup chopped roasted, unsalted peanuts
1 cup crumbled crispy bacon
Whisk together the milk and the egg.
Pour the sugar along with the shortening into a mixing bowl. Add the milk and egg and mix on medium-low until blended, about 2 to 3 minutes then add the peanut butter.
Continue mixing on medium speed for another 2 minutes then stir in the vanilla extract.
Reserve about 3 tablespoons of the 2 cups of flour to coat the nuts and the bacon. Whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and kosher salt.
Add the flour mixture to the batter in two batches and blend on low speed just until the flour disappears.
Toss the chopped peanuts and the crumbled bacon with the 3 tablespoons of flour. Blend into the batter on low speed.
Scoop the batter into a large loaf pan (9” x 5” x 3”) that has been greased, floured and preferably lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Cool the bread in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and finish cooling on the wire rack. Keep the bread refrigerated and warm to room temperature for serving.
Makes one large loaf.
To roast raw peanuts: Spread them out on a rimmed sheet and pop in a 400-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice while they roast.
To cook bacon in the oven: Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty foil. Set a wire baking rack over the top and lightly spray it with a cooking spray. Lay the strips of bacon out on the wire rack and cook in a 400-degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, turning 3 to 4 times while it cooks. You want the bacon very crisp.
Peanut Butter Bacon Bread
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet(s)
- Wire rack
- Large loaf pan, 9" x 5" x 3"
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1 extra-large egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon melted shortening
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour, divided
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup chopped roasted, unsalted peanuts
- 1 cup crumbled crispy bacon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease and flour a large loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving about 1" overhang on the sides.
- Whisk together the milk and the egg.
- Pour the sugar along with the shortening into a mixing bowl. Add the milk and egg and mix on medium-low until blended, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the peanut butter and continue mixing on medium speed for another 2 minutes then stir in the vanilla extract.
- Reserve about 3 tablespoons of the 2 cups of flour to coat the nuts and the bacon. Whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and kosher salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the batter in two batches and blend on low speed just until the flour disappears.
- Toss the chopped peanuts and the crumbled bacon with the 3 tablespoons of flour. Blend into the batter on low speed.
- Scoop the batter into a large loaf pan (9” x 5” x 3”) that has been greased, floured and preferably lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in a 350-degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Cool the bread in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and finish cooling on the wire rack.
- Keep the bread refrigerated and warm to room temperature for serving.
- To roast raw peanuts: Spread them out on a rimmed sheet and pop in a 400-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice while they roast.
- To cook bacon in the oven: Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty foil. Set a wire baking rack over the top and lightly spray it with a cooking spray. Lay the strips of bacon out on the wire rack and cook in a 400-degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, turning 3 to 4 times while it cooks. You want the bacon very crisp.
