These tender, moist and delicious Banana Bread Bars are made even more amazing because they’re topped with brown butter icing.
Banana Bread Bars
When there are sweet, ripe, ugly bananas on your countertop, it’s a no-brainer to make some banana bread. But once in a while you need to break out of the habit. Bake some banana bread bars instead. You’ll be glad you did!
This recipe comes from a new cookbook by Lauren Allen: Tastes Better from Scratch- Easy Recipes for Everyday Life. Lauren is the author of the popular blog- TastesBetterFromScratch.com. The cookbook is filled with her favorite classic recipes, plus fan favorites from the website. These are recipes that an everyday home cook will want to make!
Here are a few family-friendly recipes in the book that you might want to make:
- Belgian Waffles
- Homemade White Bread
- Taco Pie
- Italian Meatball Subs
- Baked Wedge Fries
- Gourmet Mac and Cheese
- Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats
- Rolo Cookies
🛒 Ingredients Needed:
- granulated white sugar
- unsalted butter
- Greek yogurt
- eggs
- ripe bananas
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- baking soda and salt
- powdered sugar
- milk
✏️ How to make Banana Bread Bars:
*The complete, printable recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post.
PREPARE THE BANANA BREAD BARS:
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Spray a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and butter. Use an electric mixer to beat them together until creamy. Mix in the yogurt (or sour cream), eggs, bananas and vanilla.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt; mix just until moistened.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 23 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Meanwhile, make the frosting.
PREPARE THE FROSTING:
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the butter. Allow it to come to a simmer and cook just until it starts to turn a delicate brown and has a nutty aroma. (Watch it carefully, so you don’t burn the butter). Remove the pan from heat immediately.
- Whisk in the powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons 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. Allow them to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
➡️ Tips and Substitutions::
- Add 2/3 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips to the batter before baking.
- Use a cream cheese frosting in place of the brown butter frosting.
- Use sour cream in place of the Greek yogurt.
Make Ahead:
Bake and frost these banana bread bars 1 to 2 days ahead of time. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
How to Freeze:
Bake in a disposable baking pan. Once cool, cover with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before cutting and serving.
❤️ What I Love About This Recipe:
- Even without the frosting, these banana bread bars are delicious.
- The brown butter frosting is addicting. It puts these bars over the top!
- I love to have a new recipe to use up my ripe bananas!
Favorite Banana Bread Recipes:
Banana Bread Bars
Ingredients
BANANA BREAD BARS:
- 1½ cups granulated white sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 3 to 4 medium ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
BROWN BUTTER FROSTING:
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 to 5 tablespoons milk
Instructions
PREPARE THE BANANA BREAD BARS:
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Spray a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and butter. Use an electric mixer to beat them together until creamy. Mix in the yogurt (or sour cream), eggs, bananas and vanilla.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt; mix just until moistened.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 23 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Meanwhile, make the frosting.
PREPARE THE FROSTING:
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the butter. Allow it to come to a simmer and cook just until it starts to turn a delicate brown and has a nutty aroma. (Watch it carefully, so you don't burn the butter). Remove the pan from heat immediately.
- Whisk in the powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons 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. Allow them to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.