Ripe bananas are not just for banana bread. Banana bars with browned butter glaze are an easy and delicious alternative. Perfect with a cup of tea for a snack or for dessert.
Banana bread is the “go to” recipe for most people to use up dark overripe bananas that are past their prime. But what if I told you that I found a recipe that is just as easy and even more delicious? These banana bars with browned butter glaze are an easy, crowd pleasing dessert and a great recipe to use up your ripe bananas.
Bananas are a great snack, but more often than not I buy too many and they go past their prime. After which I throw them in a bag in my freezer. Once I have 5 or 6 I pull them out and make something, a banana bread or muffins.
But this time I decided I wanted something a little more decadent than my favorite banana bread, something with frosting. Let’s face it, anything with frosting or glaze is an elevated and delicious treat. The glaze is sweet and a little salty from the browned butter and a delicious addition to this banana cake.
Ingredients for Banana Bars with Browned Butter Frosting
adapted from The Welcome Mat
- 1-1/2 c. sugar
- 1 c. sour cream
- 1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1-3/4 (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 c. all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Ingredients for Frosting
- 1/2 c. butter
- 4 c. powdered sugar
- 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp. milk
How to Make Banana Bars with Browned Butter Glaze
These bars are made with simple ingredients and come together very quickly.
- Pre-Heat oven to 375F. Prepare a 15 x10-inch sheet cake pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy with an electric mixer( or use your stand mixer with a paddle attachment). Add the mashed bananas and vanilla extract and blend.
- Then add dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, salt, to the wet ingredients, and blend for another 1 minute.
- Stir in the walnuts (optional).
- Spread the cake batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown in a preheated oven.
While the bars are baking make the browned butter frosting. Once the bars are cooled spread with the browned butter frosting.
Browned Butter Frosting
- Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Let the butter turn light brown and remove from heat immediately. Make sure to watch the butter while cooking it can quickly go from browned to burnt.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Mix until smooth. Immediately spread the brown butter frosting over the cake while it is still warm, it spreads much easier.
Variations for Banana Bars
- Add peanut butter chips to the batter.
- Add chocolate chips to make chocolate chip banana bars.
- Make tangy cream cheese frosting instead of the glaze.
Faq
Can I Use Yellow Bananas in banana bars and cake?
I do not recommend using yellow bananas. Overripe bananas and brown bananas are more flavorful. They also have more moisture which helps make moist banana bars and cake resulting in better texture and flavor.
How to Store These Banana Bars
You can store the bars wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container. At room temperature they will last 3 days or a week in the refrigerator. You can also store in an airtight container and freeze the bars for up to 3 months.
That’s It
The next time that you find yourself with a few bananas I hope that you try these easy banana bars with browned butter glaze. They are the perfect treat with a cup of tea or coffee and are an easy dessert to make for your next barbecue or family gathering.
If you prefer a more traditional cake this recipe for moist banana cake is scrumptious and so is the cream cheese frosting. Or if you are looking for the “best” banana bread recipe try this one from Cooks Illustrated.
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Banana Bars with Browned Butter Glaze
Ripe bananas are not just for banana bread. Banana bars with browned butter glaze are an easy and delicious alternative. Perfect with a cup of tea for a snack or for dessert.
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 30 bars 1x
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Banana Bars
1–1/2 c. sugar
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1–3/4 (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
Ingredients for Frosting
1/2 c. butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1–1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. milk
Instructions
PreHeat oven to 375F. Prepare a 15×10-inch sheet cake pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside
For the bars:
In a large mixing bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy with an electric mixer( or use your stand mixer with a paddle attachment). Add the mashed bananas and vanilla extract and blend.
Then add dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, salt, to the wet ingredients, and blend for another 1 minute.
Stir in the walnuts (optional).
Spread the cake batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown in a preheated oven.
While the bars are baking make the browned butter frosting. Once the bars are cooled spread with the browned butter frosting.
For the browned butter frosting
Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Let the butter turn light brown and remove from heat immediately. Make sure to watch the butter while cooking it can quickly go from browned to burnt.
Add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Mix until smooth. Immediately spread the brown butter frosting over the cake while it is still warm, it spreads much easier.
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Welcome Mat.
The walnuts are optional, you could add pecans, chocolate chips, or peanut butter chips instead.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Category: cake
- Cuisine: American
GOOD MORNING DEAREST!
Oh yes, we are watching as much of the games as we can get; our reception is not good here, but the gymnastics are our favorites. I best not show Ruben these bars or else I will be baking today, and it is too hot for that!!!!
How are you? Busy still? ME TOO. I have another house guest coming NEXT WEDNESDAY FOR A WEEK!!!!!!!
Have a lovely day, Anita
I have been watching the Olympics, and really enjoying them. Your banana cake looks amazing and I will have to try it. Amazing about pinterst! I have not joined but want to after hearing so much enthusiasm about it. Have a great week! Those photos have made me very hungry. I hope you can stay cool!
Oh, my! These looks sooo good! I think this is a recipe we will be trying soon!
Oh my, I have a bowl of ice cream in front of me now. I really need this to go with! Yummy. Thanks so much for sharing with the copy cat party. Enjoy!!~
I must say those Monkey bars do look very delish!
If only you could email me one!! lol
I don't bake much either, but sometimes it is a good thing. I like to make gluten free peanut butter cookies
and they are really good and healthy too.
Your pics are great, but now I have a need to go to the kitchen and look for something sweet to eat! lol
Have a great week,
Blessings, nellie
Oh these look so good. Need to give these a try. Thanks for joining TTT.
These look so good. I am going to make them today. I have a link party, and I would love it if you would link this post. It is called Wednesdays Adorned From Above Link Party. You can find it at
https://www.adornedfromabove.com/2012/08/natural-translucent-face-powder-update.html
I hope to see you there. Have a great Day.
Debi Bolocofsky
Adorned From Above
http://www.adornedfromabove.com
Hey, I enjoyed your post. Lovely use of bananas I found it via Stone Gable's On the Menu Monday. I have linked in some rhubarb and banana jam I made to use up some bananas that were turning brown. Have a nice week.
PS It would be neat if you linked in to Food on Friday: Bananas!
I made these bars and LOVED THEM! I shared them with everyone I know! Now I am blogging about them and sharing the recipe, and giving you credit! They are awesome!
Yum! I love delicious copycats! Bookmarked this page!!!
Linking from Debbiedoo's,
xo,
Ricki Jill
I'm glad I visited from The Polohouse. These bars sound wonderful and I kept ignoring them on Pinterest. I may have to give them a try now 🙂
You shouldn't. They're amazing! 🙂
These look amazing!!
So excited to get this recipe, Elizabeth.
THAT is a LOT of hits for a recipe!!!
Woa!
I like banana bread but I will love it with
ICING on top. It's all about the icing for me.
🙂
Thanks for sharing this with Favorites on the First.
I soOOOoo appreciate it!
xoxox
Alison
Wow, do these ever sound delicious! Thanks so much for sharing!
CAS
You had me at Banana!How awesome! So glad you joined in on the copy cat challenge. Who doesn't like to copy desserts:)Enjoy~
How yummy do these look? I actually have some bannanas that are ripe this morning…. I might just give your recipe a try. 🙂
Thanks for sharing. Your photos make your recipe look even more delish. 🙂 I'm following now. Hope you'll come by and say hi.
~Liz
Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe last week with Wednesday's Adorned From Above. The link party is open now for this week.
Just follow this link.
https://www.adornedfromabove.com/2012/08/apple-cinnamon-roll-pull-aparts-and.html
Debi Bolocofsky
http://www.adornedfromabove.com
I LOVE these bars. I just made some myself, and they're sooo addicting!
https://thekitchenkook.blogspot.com/2013/01/moist-banana-bars-with-brown-butter.html
What a nice twist on banana bread! The frosting looks delicious! Thank you for sharing! XO
Yum! This sounds amazing! I’m definitely trying this recipe.
These sound delicious, I want to eat the entire plate. I am going to share these in my Saturday newsletter.
Yummy! I love anything banana. Definitely going to try and make these!!
Oh my gosh these sound and look amazing! The brown butter glaze is a marvelous idea…definitely need to make that for cakes and other breads too! Love this recipe thank you!
Thank you Tammy, I hope that you try them and enjoy them.
Oh my word, you had me at brown butter glaze!