Sweet, tender, and oh-so-tasty, these banana bread brownies with brown butter frosting will become your new favorite treat.
Just when you thought banana bread couldn’t get any better, this recipe takes it to the next level.
Imagine biting into the familiar goodness of banana bread but in brownie form. They’re lusciously dense and packed with sweet banana flavor.
The crowning glory is the brown butter frosting. It’s like a hug for your tastebuds.
Whether for breakfast or a sneaky midnight snack, these banana bread brownies are true show-stoppers.
Banana Bread Brownies
Banana bread brownies aren’t actual brownies. There’s no chocolate involved. This recipe is pure banana goodness packed into a brownie form.
They’re simply sublime. The natural sweetness of the bananas and the indulgent richness of the brown butter frosting marry together. They create the perfect, addictive bite.
The texture is a harmonious blend of softness with a slight crunch from walnuts Think of these treats as banana bread with an edge.
Here’s the kicker: this recipe is ridiculously easy! Whip up the base, slather on the frosting, and you’re done in less than an hour.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to whip these babies up:
For the Banana Bread Brownies
- Granulated Sugar – The sweet foundation that balances the flavors and adds tenderness to your brownies.
- Sour Cream – This tangy addition keeps the brownies moist and gives them a subtle depth of flavor.
- Butter – The fat that adds richness and helps make the brownies tender.
- Eggs – The binding agent that also helps to give the brownies structure and lift.
- Ripe Bananas – The star ingredient provides natural sweetness, moisture, and classic banana flavor. Be sure they’re ripe for extra sweetness!
- Vanilla Extract – A splash enhances the flavors.
- All-Purpose Flour – The backbone ingredient, providing structure to your brownies.
- Salt – Just a pinch to balance the sweetness and intensify the banana flavor.
- Chopped Walnuts – For a nutty crunch that complements the softness of the brownies.
For the Brown Butter Frosting
- Butter – Browned to perfection, it’s the flavorful base that makes this frosting extra special.
- Powdered Sugar – It adds sweetness and helps make the frosting smooth and spreadable.
- Vanilla Extract – The ultimate flavor enhancer.
- Milk – It thins out the frosting to your desired consistency and adds creaminess.
How to Make Banana Bread Brownies
1. Prep your pan. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line your pan with parchment paper. Be sure to leave overhangs on the sides so you can easily lift the bars right out of the pan after baking.
2. Combine the sugar and wet ingredients. Beat together sugar, sour cream, softened butter, and eggs in a large bowl until the mixture’s nice and creamy. Stir in the mashed bananas and vanilla extract.
3. Mix in the dry ingredients. In the same bowl, sift in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix them carefully with a rubber spatula and stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour.
4. Bake the brownies. Pour and spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they’re golden brown on top. Let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before you frost them.
5. Make the frosting. Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a boil. Continue cooking until it turns golden brown. Remove it from the heat and transfer it to a large bowl. Whisk in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth and well combined.
6. Assemble, serve, and enjoy! Spread the browned butter frosting evenly onto the brownies while still warm. Slice and dig in!
Tips & Variations
Try these easy tips and recipe tweaks to take your brownies over the top.
- Give the brownies a chocoholic twist. Ditch the walnuts and fold in 2/3 cup of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.
- Go the eggless route. Replace the egg with a flax egg or an extra 1/4 cup of mashed ripe banana. I haven’t tested this, but it’s worth a try!
- Cut the sugar in half. Cut down on sugar by using half the amount. Replace sour cream with Greek yogurt.
- Make gluten-free brownies. Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose.
- Go nuts with nuts. Add more nuts like almonds and pecans. Mix them in the batter or sprinkle them on top.
- Spice it up. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter.
- Try cream cheese frosting. Swap brown butter frosting with cream cheese frosting.
- Drizzle them with caramel syrup. It gives them a touch of decadence.
- Go bananas. Add sliced bananas on top before serving.
How to Ripen Bananas
Are your bananas not ripe enough yet? No problem. Here’s how to speed up the process:
1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the unpeeled bananas on the sheet and bake them for 10 minutes. Flip and bake them for another 10 minutes. Let them cool before peeling and mashing.
How to Store & Freeze
Follow these easy steps to enjoy your treats at a later date.
To Store: Allow the banana bread brownies to cool completely, then store them in an air-tight container. They’ll keep well at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: Arrange the cooled brownies (frosted or unfrosted) in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze them for an hour or until rock solid.
Stack them up in a freezer-safe container with a piece of parchment paper in between layers. Freeze them for up to 4 months.
To Thaw: Let the brownies thaw in the fridge overnight. You can also set them on the counter to thaw for an hour.
Bonus: How to Freeze Bananas
Peel the bananas and chop them up into about half-inch rounds. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them for 1-2 hours or until rock solid.
Place the frozen slices in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Best Banana Bread Brownies (With Brown Butter Frosting)
15
servings15
minutes25
minutes436
kcalThese banana bread brownies with brown butter frosting are so addictive! Learn the easy recipe, and prepare to be hooked.
Ingredients
- For the Brownies
1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 granulated sugar
1 cup 1 sour cream
1/2 cup 1/2 butter, softened
2 2 eggs
3 3 -4 ripe bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons 2 vanilla extract
2 cups 2 all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon 3/4 salt
1/2 cup 1/2 chopped walnuts
- For the Frosting
1/2 cup 1/2 butter
4 cups 4 powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons 1 1/2 vanilla extract
3 tablespoons 3 milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 15×10-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides.
- For the banana bread bars, beat the sugar, sour cream, softened butter, and eggs in a large bowl until creamy. Mix in the bananas and vanilla.
- Sift in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix carefully with a spatula until well combined. Mix in the walnuts.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake it for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before frosting and serving.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting. Heat the butter in a large pan over medium heat until it boils and browns. Remove it from the heat and transfer it to a large bowl.
- To the bowl, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Spread the frosting over them warm banana bread brownies. Serve them and enjoy!
