Yes, the following is better than peanut butter.
I know, you’re all rolling your eyes right now, saying, “How can anything (besides chocolate) be better than peanut butter?” Hear me out; this spread has the one-up on regular pb because it:
- is easier to spread
- is lower in calories (more about this at the end of the post)
- tastes sweeter, without any added sugar, and has a serving of fruit
Above, spread on top of Banana Bread for One.
Another bonus: This recipe doesn’t make as much of a mess as trying to smush sliced banana into a sandwich. As usual, the recipe is so simple that I feel a little silly writing it down.
Banana Butter
- 1 medium banana
- 2 to 4 tablespoons peanut butter, depending on how pb-y you like it (or almond, cashew, walnut butter, etc.)
- optional: I like to add a little cinnamon
My favorite ratio is 4 tablespoons peanut butter to 80 grams (without peel) banana (about 1/2 a large banana). And I often use a frozen banana, which makes this spread taste like peanut butter ice cream!
Procedure: Whir the two ingredients in your food processor or blender until smooth. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge. (If possible, it’s best to let the mixture sit for a few hours before enjoying, as the taste becomes more robust with time.)
Above, spread over a Breakfast Pizza Cake.
Other Ideas for Use:
This creation can be used anywhere you’d use regular peanut butter—warmed up and drizzled over oatmeal, as a sandwich spread, dip, or pudding, as a smooth-and-velvety topping for waffles or pancakes, on vegan ice cream, or simply eaten plain off a spoon (or out of the blender, depending on your level of self-restraint!).
As for calories… Ok, so I’m having a bit of a dilemma: Recently I’ve been getting quite a few requests from readers asking if I can add calorie counts to my recipes. I don’t count calories, but I know that a lot of you (readers and fellow bloggers) do count. So, since I really try hard to make my recipes—and my blog in general—suitable for everyone, and since it’s not hard for me to figure out the calorie counts anyway, I thought I’d ask: Do you want me to add calorie info to my recipes? Please vote; either way, I’m interested in hearing your opinion. And until I figure this dilemma out, here are the nutritional stats for the banana butter:
Banana Butter Calories:
Serving Size: 1 tablespoon (based on my favorite combination)
Calories per serving: about 40 calories
(As a reference, regular peanut butter has about 100 calories per tablespoon.)
Variations:
Yes, there is a chocolate version.
🙂
Anyone who wants the nutritional info for your recipes can do the math just as easily as the chef can!
And honestly, if you do need to know the calorie content of a meal before you eat it, wouldn’t you prefer to calculate it yourself and know that it’s accurate for the exact measurements and brands or types of food that you yourself are using?
Oh I’m so glad you’re not going to start posting calories up. I totally agree with what pretty much everyone’s saying here. I personally count calories but the thing is it is VERY easy to figure out how many calories are in any given recipe. If I want to know I just figure it out, and it’s always more accurate than relying on what the poster might say (since brands vary in cals etc).
Anyway – so great to see you staying true to yourself!
Love ya!
No to calories.
I know from all too bitter experience obsessing over such things is a really good way of ruining your life.
To be honest, if you are posting a peanut butter heavy recipe, I’ll know it’s not low in calories, I’ll also know those calories are nutritionally dense ones, so its okay to eat that now and then.
Think about it. Two nice slices of spelt toast with some PB on has more calories than a small candy bar. Which is better for you, which fills you up longer, and which are you more likely to cram in your mouth without thinking about it.
I say no to calorie craziness.
Now this I must try. It looks and sounds delicious, and just the thing for a one pot kitchen.
hey katie – what’s your take on storing the banana butter? does it keep in the fridge, or does it go bad super quickly? just want to make sure i don’t make too much on my first try and then have to ditch it if i can’t finish it! thanks, girl 🙂
<—–couldn't care less about calories
<—–lovin the idea of bananas whipped with PB!!
Banana butter?! Oh, Katie..you are a genius: two of my favorite flavors in one spread. I can’t wait to put this on my oatmeal!
As for calories, it’s totally up to you. I don’t count calories, so it doesn’t matter to me. 🙂
amaazing!!!! i hav blended a fro banana with cashew butter and makes a ‘ice cream’ thingy..so good..kinda like this..only this is like a alternate pb!
i am so excited haha looks so good, on oats, over yogurt..so many possiblities, and you go girl for not counting calories but thanks for sharing the cals for those of us who do. ah.
xo
maya
That would make the best fruit dip, perfect for a party 🙂
If someone wants a calorie count on a recipe, there are plenty of websites out there they can use to get an approximate idea. If it’s that’s important to them, they’ll figure it out 🙂
This looks incredible 🙂
I cant wait to try it out!
I hope your having a great weekend
I can say first hand that the banana butter is amazing 😀 In my opinion eating it straight up is the best way – though I will definitely be trying the frozen banana combo in the future (haven’t yet ’cause my processor broke and the frozen banana wrecks havoc on my poor blender.)
I know I’m catching up to your posts a bit late and that you’ve already figured out the calorie dilemma but I’ll put my 2 cents in anyway 😉 This is your blog and you personally don’t count calories so I just really don’t see any reason in making yourself calculate up the calories in your recipes – it’s kind of like putting up recipes with meat even though you’re a vegan but some people that read your blog aren’t. I count calories myself and when I made your recipes I tallied out the calories for myself – no biggie.
I just made the frozen version of this last night. I had to add some unsweetened soya milk to get it to whip up all light and creamy, but it was SO GOOD!! And so healthy too. Fantastic. Thanks for the great recipe!
Katie, I just made this with almond butter (although I used more banana than you did in mine in order to make a larger quantity) – and it is FABULOUS!! I just tweeted about what a genius you are, haha.
Question though – I assume this has to get stored in the fridge, how long do you think this lasts before it starts to mold/spoil?
You should go down in the Food Bloggers Brilliant Recipe Inventions hall of fame for this alongside Gena for banana soft serve and Angela for Green Monsters! It’s THAT GOOD!!
Sometimes, I figure out the calories of what I’m baking, because I like seeing how I can play to up the protein/fiber of a recipe and whatnot… And so on those I’ve put up calories, because I might as well share what I did, because it’s there… But if you aren’t keeping track of the calories yourself it’d be silly to go to the work of putting them up!
I’m hoping this is the banana butter post you are talking about in your giveaway post… 😛
I dream of the Cinnamon-Raisin PB&Co peanut butter, but without the raisins. The consistency and cinnamon-y-ness is perfection to me. I love all things coconut, but I haven’t tried any of the Artisana butters so I can’t be positive that I’d love them 😉
Hi Katie,
Creamy-dreaminess can’t get any further than cashew butter! It’s my hands-down favourite nut butter (no, I still haven’t stop raving about it …).
The Artisana nut butters sound interesting, too.