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We enjoy every last bite of these cake-like banana bread bars because they never last long when I make them. The brown butter frosting is only 4 simple ingredients and makes them outstanding. You can customize the bars by adding nuts or chocolate chips instead of frosting, and I like to cut them into small squares for a bite size after school treat.
How to Make Banana Bread Brownies:
Mix we Ingredients: Cream butter and sugar: Beat in the sour cream and eggs, bananas and vanilla extract.
Add dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, and mix just until moistened. Stir in walnuts, if using.
Bake: Pour batter into a 9×13 inch baking pan or half sheet pan. For a 9×13’’ pan, bake for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with few crumbs.
Make the glaze: Heat butter over medium heat and allow it to come to a simmer until it turns a delicate brown (watch carefully so you don't burn the butter). Remove from heat immediately. Whisk in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk until smooth.
Pour Glaze over Bars: This is easiest when the bars are warm. Spread gently with the back of a spoon.
Recipe Variations:
- Add nuts: add chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter before baking.
- Add chocolate chips: add mini milk or semi sweet chocolate chips.
- Change the frosting: I love the brown butter frosting but this cream cheese frosting would also be delicious.
- Healthier banana bread bars: cut the sugar in half for a lighter version and use 3-4 Tbs of butter for the frosting instead of 6.
Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:
To make ahead: bake and frost them one to two days ahead of time. Store them covered, in the refrigerator.
To freeze: allow them to cool completely and freeze them frosted or unfrosted right in the pan. Cover them well with plastic wrap and aluminum foil before freezing and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw completely before serving.
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Banana Bread Brownies
Ingredients
For the Banana Bread Bars:
- 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, (or sour cream)
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 3-4 ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
For the Glaze:
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9×13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the sour cream and eggs, bananas and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and mix just until moistened. Stir in walnuts, if using.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and bake for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with few crumbs. Make frosting while the bars bake.
For the Brown Butter Frosting:
- Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Allow it to come to a simmer until it starts to turn a delicate brown and has a nutty aroma (watch carefully so you don't burn the butter!) Remove from heat immediately.
- Whisk in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of milk until smooth. (Add a little more powdered sugar, or milk, if needed to thicken or thin the frosting). Pour the warm frosting over the warm bars. Spread gently with the back of a spoon.
Notes
- Add nuts: add chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter before baking.
- Add chocolate chips: add mini milk or semi sweet chocolate chips to batter before baking.
- Change the frosting: I love the brown butter frosting but this cream cheese frosting would also be delicious.
- Healthier banana bread bars: cut the sugar in half for a lighter version and use 3-4 Tablespoons of butter for the frosting instead of 6.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe June 2017. Updated January 2021.
Process photos by Nikole from The Travel Palate.
Yes! A really good brownie banana cake that was a huge hit with all my family. Moist, delicious and I didn’t even ice them, just put extra chocolate chips and walnuts on top. Yummy! Ten stars!
I made these banana bread brownies last night…. they are quite possibly one of my top 5 desserts of all time!!!! SO DELICIOUS!!!!!! I will continue to make and enjoy this dessert! Thank you.
Insanely delicious banana bread and frosting. OMG. Out of the oven it tastes like a warm banana bread cinnamon bun with a brown butter finish. Holy smokes
These are ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! Rather than use the pan size recommended in the recipe, I used a regular loaf pan. I found the cake pan made skinny squares. For the first 15 minutes I baked the loaf at 375 and then reduced the heat to 350 for the final 45 minutes. Checking to ensure it was cooked through by inserting a knife in the center. (because doesn’t everyone check to ensure a cake is cooked through this way before removing it from the oven?). And the brown butter frosting?? Don’t let the other comments deter you – it is one of the factors that makes this soooooo GREAT! Heat your butter until it just starts to turn brown – this is what gives it the incredible flavour – watch carefully to ensure you don’t burn it. Then I added just enough milk to make it glaze-like in consistency. The color of the frosting is definitely not white and it’s not fluffy. It’s a warm ivory in color and a glaze consistency.
I didn’t start to make the frosting until the loaf had been cooling for awhile. This is my new go-to recipe. Thank you!!
I made these yesterday and they are Amazing. I did not make a frosting since I wasn’t reading the greatest reviews about the frosting. However, I added chocolate chips to the batter and walnuts on top. So, So Good!!!
Do you think I can make this in two cake rounds and do more of like a layered cake with the recipe? My family loves these and we make them all the time! Our little guy is turning 1 this weekend and hoping to maybe use this recipe for his cake! Thanks in advance for the advice!
The cake was good but I was disappointed in the brown butter frosting. Are your pictures of the cake with brown butter frosting? Mine was not that white and fluffy. Also, you shouldn’t start making the frosting until the cake was almost out of the oven. My frosting st for a while waiting on the cake to bake. I should have used the cream cheese frosting as you suggested or no frosting at all.
It didn’t work for me… Followed the instructions, took it out from the oven after over 30mins, put the cream on top, cut the cake and…. the cake is not cooked 😪 also, not sure if the icing really needs 2 cups of powdered sugar over 4 table spoons of butter… It’s way too sweet for me.
The glaze doesn’t work
Very very 😋 delicious
Nice and dense but bit more cake like than brownie. Amazing flavor. The brown butter frosting did not turn out as I expected. May not have added enough milk but it was difficult to spread and hardened into a crumbly mess. I would make again but do a fluffier frosting like the suggested cream cheese
Made this recipe 1/2 the sugar and added 4 bananas. Making it again today.