Banana bread brownies with brown butter frosting are an incredibly delicious dessert. The banana bread is dense and moist. The frosting is creamy, rich, sweet, and decadent. The combination is incredible.
"I followed the directions exactly and have made this a few times already. It is absolutely delicious and everyone who has tried it has loved it. Thank you for sharing!"
★★★★★-Joy
These banana bread brownies are moist, dense, and full of delicious banana flavor.
But let's talk about the frosting.....
The frosting is what seals the deal. It is rich, buttery, sweet, and creamy. I could eat it for days if my waistline would let me. It is freakin' AWESOME!!! (Like lick the bowl good.)
The combination of the frosting layered on the banana bread bars tastes like banana's foster. You are going to love it! Enjoy! Xoxo -Katie.
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Ingredient notes and substitutions for banana bread brownies
You will need the following ingredients to make banana bread brownies:
- baking soda- Check the expiration date and make sure it is not expired. Expired baking soda will impact the texture of the cake.
- butter- Salted or unsalted butter will work. Soften to room temperature.
- sour cream- You can substitute with plain or vanilla real Greek yogurt.
- bananas- The riper the bananas, the better these banana bars will be. This is a great way to use overripe bananas.
- vanilla extract
- eggs
- sugar
- salt
- all purpose flour
(*The full recipe card with ingredient measurements is located at the bottom of the post.)
Steps to make banana bread brownies
Follow these steps to make the banana bread brownies.
- In a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, eggs, and butter until creamy.
- Blend in mashed bananas and vanilla until bananas.
- Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until completely blended.
- Spread banana bread batter into pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. (Be careful not to overcook. You don't want to dry them out. Check with a toothpick to make sure they are done. They will also continue to bake as they rest in the pan.) In the last 10 minutes of baking, make the frosting.
Ingredients for brown butter frosting
You will need the following ingredients to make the brown butter frosting.
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- butter-I prefer salted to cut the sweetness a bit.
- whole milk
Steps to make the brown butter frosting
Follow these steps to make brown butter frosting.
- Slice butter and add to a medium sized sauce pan.
- Cook butter over medium until it reaches a toasty brown color. Watch carefully and stir the entire cooking time to prevent it from scorching. (It only takes a second to burn towards the end of the cooking process if you are not stirring.)
- Once the butter turns a toasty brown color, reduce heat to a simmer. Immediately add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk. Mix until smooth. It should be thicker than a glaze but a little thinner than a frosting.
- Spread on Banana Bread while the bread is still warm. Allow to completely cool before serving. Cut into bars.
*Click here for more detailed instructions on how to brown butter.
Watch how to make
Serving Tip
Cool the brownies at least 2 hours before serving. Do not cut the banana bread brownies before completely cooling. Allowing the brownies to completely cool retains the moisture.
How do you store the banana bread bars?
Store the banana bread bars in an air tight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. You can refrigerate them, but they will loose some of their moisture.
If you are serving them outdoors in high heat, keep them cool in the cooler before serving or the frosting will melt.
If you like this recipe, try some of these:
Please leave me a comment below if you make these banana bread brownies and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.
Also post your picture of your dessert on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
📖 Recipe
Banana Bread Brownies with Brown Butter Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1½ cup bananas mashed (3 to 4 bananas)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Brown Butter Frosting
- ½ cup butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
Banana Bread Brownies
- In a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, eggs, and butter until creamy.1 ½ cup sugar, 2 eggs, ½ cup butter
- Blend in bananas and vanilla.1½ cup bananas, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until completely blended.2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Spread into 9x 13 greased and floured baking pan. Bake at 375 for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. (Be careful not to overcook. You don't want to dry them out. Check with a toothpick to make sure they are done. They will also continue to bake as they rest in the pan.)
- In the last 10 minutes of baking, make the frosting.
Brown Butter Frosting Instructions
- Slice butter and add to a medium sized sauce pan.½ cup butter
- Cook butter over medium until it reaches a toasty brown color. Watch carefully and stir the entire cooking time to prevent it from scorching. (It only takes a second to burn towards the end of the cooking process if you are not stirring.)
- Once the butter turns a toasty brown color, reduce heat to a simmer. Immediately add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk. Mix until smooth. It should be thicker than a glaze but a little thinner than a frosting.4 cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 3 tablespoons whole milk
- Spread on Banana Bread while the bread is still warm.
- Allow to completely cool before serving. Cut into bars.
Heather Doucette says
So easy to make and absolutely delicious! I've made these several times and they are always a crowd pleaser! 😋😋😋
Tom says
I have a neighbor who works for a banana importer, so we have a lot of free bananas! These easy banana bread brownies are too delicious. We usually add a pinch of nutmeg but are equally good without. They are perfectly moist & chewy, but the brown butter frosting is the crowning glory. When our bananas get very ripe, we freeze them with their peels on. They defrost quickly and are perfect for baking. Now, we just have to figure out what to do with all the extra calories.