1/3 cup salted butter, melted
¾ cup brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of kosher salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
For the peanut butter glaze:
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp. milk (I used low-fat)
For the brown sugar bacon:
4 slices thick-cut bacon, finely chopped
1 tbsp. brown sugar
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter a loaf pan (I used 9x5 but 4x8 would also work) and set aside. In a large bowl, combined the smashed bananas with the salted butter with a spatula or wooden spoon. Add the brown sugar and mix to combine. Add the egg, vanilla, and peanut butter, then mix to combine again. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; combine. Sprinkle on the baking soda and salt; combine. Finally, add the flour and stir until everything is totally combined. Pour into the prepared pan (make sure to smooth out the top) and bake for 45-60 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. When the banana bread is done, allow to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Allow to cool for at least an hour before glazing. While your banana bread is cooling, make your bacon. Cook your bacon in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through and crispy. Add the brown sugar to the pan and mix together for about 30 seconds. Then remove the pan from the heat, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Finally, make the glaze. Combine all 3 ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk until a glaze forms. You can add an extra tbsp. of milk if you’d like a thinner glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled banana bread, then top with chopped brown sugar bacon.