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Brown Butter Banana Bars topped with vanilla bean frosting are similar in texture to a brown butter brownie but have the great flavor of a moist banana bread.
This recipe makes one large sheet pan of banana bars, so it’s a great dessert for a potluck or party because it makes so many. The butter, sour cream, and mashed ripe banana all give these dessert bars a flavorful moist texture and the walnuts add a great crunch.
If you love different brownies and bars, you’ll really enjoy my banana bread brownies, pumpkin swirl brownies, beet brownies, and brown butter brownies.
What do they taste like?
This is one of those recipes where you take your first bite and pause. You pause because you cannot believe how wonderfully incredible the morsel melting on your tongue tastes.
I dare those few crazy people who don’t like bananas to try these banana bars and tell me they’re not some of the most delicious treats they’ve ever enjoyed. I dare them.
These have that classic banana bread flavor that we all love, but the texture is more dense and it definitely feels more like a dessert than a breakfast treat. Especially with that frosting!
This is one of those recipes that is passed down from one generation to the next simply because it is a classic comfort food dessert.
The frosting is equally delicious.
These bars are definitely mouthwatering on their own, but when topped with brown butter vanilla bean frosting… heaven.
I know the cost of vanilla beans has skyrocketed in recent years, but I guarantee it is worth it in this frosting recipe. Go ahead. Splurge.
I decided to use brown butter in both the banana bars as well as the frosting because it adds a subtle nutty flavor. This goes perfectly with banana-walnut-anything.
Guess what… they freeze well too.
Worried about having too many frosted banana bars? Don’t be.
Just bake the banana bars, allow them to fully cool, smother them in frosting, and slice into individual bars.
To freeze, I prefer to set them in the freezer uncovered for about 30 minutes to allow them to get really cold and hard. That way, when you wrap them, the frosting won’t stick. My preferred method is to first wrap them in freezer paper and then place them in a plastic freezer bag with all of the air squeezed out.
That way I can grab a single banana bar whenever I want one and then just return the rest to the freezer when done.
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Ingredients
Banana Bars:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 1/2 cups bananas mashed , about 3 large or 4 small
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 vanilla beans split lengthwise
- 3 cups confectioner's sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk or half and half more or less depending on desired thickness
Instructions
To make the banana bars:
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk frequently, scraping the bottom. As the butter foams, continue whisking and scraping to release any brown bits that may stick to the bottom. Once the butter has sufficiently browned (not burned) and smells heavenly, remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper or grease with butter.
- Add browned butter, sugar, sour cream, and eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for about a minute. Scrape sides, add bananas and vanilla, and continue to mix on low for another 30 seconds.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to the wet. Start mixing on low speed just to combine and then flash on high speed for about 10 seconds to fully mix. Scrape sides, add nuts, and mix to combine.
- Spread batter in pan and bake in preheated oven until light brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
To make the frosting:
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the vanilla beans. Whisk frequently, scraping the bottom as well as the insides out of the vanilla bean. As the butter foams, continue whisking and scraping to release any brown bits that may stick to the bottom. Once the butter has sufficiently browned (not burned) and smells heavenly, remove from heat. Remove vanilla bean pods from butter and scrape and remaining seeds using a sharp pairing knife to return to the butter.
- Using the whisk attachment on your stand mixer, beat browned vanilla bean butter with the confectioner's sugar. Start slow to incorporate and then turn the speed up to medium and then high until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- One tablespoon at a time, add the milk (I used half and half) and continue beating the frosting until you've reached the desired consistency.
Frost and serve:
- Allow bars to fully cool before you frost with brown butter vanilla bean frosting and cut into individual servings.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in January 2016 and has recently been updated for your reading pleasure.
These bars are incredible and easy to make! It’s just the right balance of banana and browned butter (think rich caramel flavor). I did double the recipe for the frosting.
One can never have too much frosting!
This is a great recipe, it makes a lot. I have taken this to work to share with fellow nurses and they all loved it. It freezes really well too.
Super good. Made with 3/4 cup heavy cream rather than sour cream (I was out). Baked in 13×9 inch metal pan at 350 for about 28-30 mins til the middle set and then a few minutes after that. THE BATTER IS SO GOOD.
I haven’t made these in awhile and now I’m craving them. Great suggestion on the heavy cream!
I’m unable to get the recipe for the frosting! This is a panic!
Here’s the link to the frosting: Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Frosting
This was the best dessert I have ever made! Started it just to use up some browning bananas and by the time I tasted the frosting, I was in love!
This recipe takes banana bread to a whole new dimension of flavor! Sounds delicious!
Oh, I need this in life! This will make for a nice change to my usual brownies. 🙂
These dessert bars look so delicious! I can’t wait to make them!
This is one of our favorite desserts. Every time I’ve made these banana bars, my family goes bananas (pun intended ;-).
The banana bars are great even without the frosting. But adding the brown butter frosting takes them to the next level.
All the flavors meld together so brilliantly into this dessert. The brown butter frosting just makes it even better!