Banana Bread Brownies

Banana Bread Brownie Ingredients

Banana Brownies

• Sugar (1½ cups): Sweetens and helps the tops bake lightly golden.
• Butter, softened (½ cup): Adds richness and a tender crumb to the bars.
• Sour cream (1 cup): Keeps the brownies exceptionally moist with a soft, tight crumb.
• Eggs (2 large): Bind and add structure so squares slice neatly.
• Ripe bananas, mashed (3–4): The star flavor and extra moisture; spotty bananas are best. The banana peel should be covered with brown and be very soft to the touch. See How to Ripen Bananas.
• Vanilla extract (2 teaspoons): Warm aroma that rounds out banana sweetness.
• All purpose flour (2 cups): Provides structure without making the bars cakey.
• Baking soda (1 teaspoon): Reacts with sour cream and bananas for gentle lift.
• Salt (¾ teaspoon): Balances sweetness and brightens flavor.

Brown Butter Frosting

• Butter for frosting (½ cup): Browned for a toasty, nutty depth.
• Powdered sugar (3 cups): Whips into a smooth, fluffy frosting.
• Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon): Adds bakery style sweetness to the frosting.
• Milk or half and half (¼ cup): Adjusts frosting to spreadable consistency.
• Cinnamon (to sprinkle): Warm spice finish that complements banana and brown butter.
• optional toppings – chopped walnuts or pecans, a drizzle of Caramel Sauce, chocolate chips, or sliced bananas (add right before serving otherwise they’ll brown)

How to Make Banana Bread Brownies

PREP. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray, or Line the Pan with Parchment Paper.

BATTER. In a large bowl, beat 1½ cups sugar and ½ cup softened butter. Add the 1 cup sour cream, 2 eggs, 3-4 very ripe mashed bananas, and 2 teaspoons vanilla, and blend until smooth. Stir in 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ¾ teaspoon salt, and mix to combine.

FROSTING. Add ½ cup butter to a medium skillet. Heat butter over medium-low heat, stirring gently, until foamy. Watch carefully for the butter to turn a light golden brown color, then remove from heat and immediately pour the butter into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

• Add 3 cups powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla to the bowl, and mix to combine. With the mixer on low speed, add ¼ cup milk to form a smooth and creamy frosting.
• Beat on high speed for 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies, then sprinkle with cinnamon.

Kristyn’s Recipe Tips

• Use very ripe, spotty bananas for the best flavor and moisture.
• Mix just until combined after adding the dry ingredients to keep the crumb tender.
• Bake until the center tests clean, then cool completely so the frosting spreads smoothly.
• Brown the butter for frosting carefully, remove as soon as it turns light amber and smells nutty.

5 from 7 votes

Banana Bread Brownies Recipe

By: Kristyn Merkley

Banana Bread Brownies bake soft and moist with real bananas, then finish with fluffy brown butter frosting and cinnamon for a crowd pleasing treat.

Servings: 12

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 35 minutes mins

Total: 55 minutes mins

Equipment

• 9×13 baking dish

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

Brownies

• ▢ 1½ cups sugar
• ▢ ½ cup butter, softened
• ▢ 1 cup sour cream
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 3-4 ripe bananas, mashed
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt

Frosting

• ▢ ½ cup butter
• ▢ 3 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ¼ cup milk or half and half
• ▢ cinnamon

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease or line with parchment a 9×13 baking pan.
• In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter. Add the sour cream, eggs, mashed bananas, and vanilla, and blend until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix to combine.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake 35-40 minutes, until the brownies are lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

• Add the butter to a medium skillet. Melt the butter over medium-low heat, stirring gently, until foamy. Watch carefully for the butter to turn a light brown color, then remove from heat and immediately pour the butter into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Add the powdered sugar and vanilla to the bowl, and mix to combine. With the mixer on low speed, add the milk to form a smooth and creamy frosting. Beat on high speed for 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies, then sprinkle with cinnamon.

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Notes

Ripen bananas faster. Check out this How to Ripen Bananas post.

Store frosted banana brownies covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Freeze. If frosted, put it in the freezer for a couple of hours. Wrap the bars in plastic wrap and again with foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Unwrap and thaw. 

Nutrition

Serving: 12g, Calories: 505kcal, Carbohydrates: 79g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 78mg, Sodium: 401mg, Potassium: 179mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 59g, Vitamin A: 659IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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This recipe was first shared August, 2021.