Banana Bread Brownies

These banana bread brownies taste like bananas but are baked in brownie bars and topped with a creamy frosting.

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These banana bread brownies are a cross between moist banana bread and delicious brownie bars. The one-of-a-kind bars are bursting with banana flavor and topped with an out-of-this-world creamy brown butter frosting.

Banana Bread Brownies Ingredients

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These banana bread brownies offer a delicious fusion of moist, banana-infused brownies with a rich cinnamon flavor.

Topped with a velvety frosting made of pantry staples, these brownies are a perfect blend of sweet, nutty, and indulgent flavors, creating a heavenly dessert experience.

You’ll need:

For The Brownies:

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ cup of unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup of light brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup of granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 ripe medium bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
• ¾ cup of buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• ¾ cup of chopped walnuts

For The Frosting:

• ⅓ cup of unsalted butter
• 2½ cups of powdered sugar
• ¼ cup of half-and-half cream
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

PRO TIP:

If you don’t want to wait for the perfect window when your bananas are perfectly ripe for baking, you can follow these instructions. To ripen bananas in the oven, bake them on parchment paper on a baking sheet at 300°F for 30-40 minutes until they are darkly blackened and soft to the touch.

You can also speed up the cooling process by opening them and gently mashing them in a big bowl to help heat escape more quickly. Be sure to let them cool before adding them to your batter. 

Substitutions And Additions

NUTS: This banana bread brownie recipe will work fine if you want to leave out the nuts because of allergies or if you simply are not a fan of nuts.

CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Mini chocolate chips make a great addition if you love chocolate. Add ¾ cup instead of the walnuts or in addition to the walnuts.

BROWN SUGAR: To make the brownies a bit less sweet, or if you’ve run out of brown sugar, you can use coconut sugar or maple syrup as a substitute.

VANILLA EXTRACT: To change up the flavor profile, consider using almond extract, coconut extract, or orange extract instead of vanilla extract.

Almond extract adds a subtle nuttiness, coconut extract introduces a tropical twist, and orange extract brings a citrusy aroma.

How To Make This Banana Bread Brownies Recipe

Let’s dive into making the easy brownie batter, baking the banana bread brownies, and topping them with creamy frosting.

For The Brownies

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.

STEP THREE: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined and fluffy.

STEP FOUR: Add the eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla, and mix well.

STEP FIVE: Gradually add the flour mixture to the banana mixture, mixing until well combined.

STEP SIX: Stir in the chopped walnuts.

STEP SEVEN: Pour the brownie banana bread batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 20 minutes until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs.

For The Brown Butter Frosting

STEP ONE: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until it is a golden brown color and has a nutty aroma.

Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar, half and half cream, and vanilla.

STEP TWO: Using a silicone or rubber spatula, spread the frosting over the warm banana brownies.

How To Serve These Easy Banana Brownies

These warm bars would be a delicious dessert or afternoon snack.

If you are looking for an even more indulgent treat, they would be delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream on top.

Of course, no dessert is complete without a drizzle of hot fudge sauce or caramel sauce.

If you are craving regular brownies, check out our lunch lady brownies. Or what about coconut brownies which feature decadent squares stuffed with creamy coconut filling?

MORE BROWNIE RECIPES

Dessert Bars

Peanut Butter Brownies

Dessert Bars

Dr Pepper Brownies

Storage

Now that you’ve baked up a batch of scrumptious brownies, it’s time to talk about how to store them properly to keep that deliciousness intact.

MAKE AHEAD: If you want to get a head start on your baking, you can prepare the brownie batter and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking.

Simply cover the batter tightly with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container.

When you’re ready to bake, remove it from the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for a bit, and then bake according to the recipe instructions.

ON THE COUNTER: These banana bread brownies will last for up to four days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

IN THE FREEZER: To freeze these banana bread brownies, place them into a freezer-safe airtight container wrapped in plastic wrap and freeze for up to three months.

To thaw them, put them on the kitchen counter at room temperature for about one hour.

Why We Love This Recipe

PERFECT FUSION: These brownies bring together the best of both worlds, combining the moist and comforting flavors of banana bread with the indulgent richness of brownies.

INCREDIBLY MOIST: Thanks to the ripe mashed bananas and buttermilk in the recipe, these brownies are incredibly moist and tender, ensuring each bite is full of flavor and softness

FAMILY FAVORITE: Banana bread brownies are a crowd-pleaser and a hit with both kids and adults. They make a delightful addition to gatherings, potlucks, and family dessert tables.

With all the deliciousness of banana bread baked in brownie form, this sweet treat will be a hit for dessert or a snack. If you have ripe bananas and are looking for a way to use them up, these banana bread brownies would be perfect

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Banana Bread Brownies

5 from 5 votes

These banana bread brownies taste like bananas but are baked in brownie bars and topped with a creamy frosting.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 24 brownies

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Ingredients

  

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Brownies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 ripe medium bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• ¾ cup chopped walnuts

Frosting

• ⅓ cup unsalted butter
• 2½ cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup half and half cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

 

Brownies

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, mashed banana, buttermilk and vanilla and mix well.
• Gradually add the flour mixture into the banana mixture, mixing until well combined.
• Stir in the chopped walnuts.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs.

Frosting

• In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until it is a golden brown, and has a nutty aroma. Immediately, remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar, half and half cream and vanilla.
• Using a silicone spatula spread the frosting over the warm banana brownies.

Notes

• If you don’t want to wait for the perfect window when your bananas are perfectly ripe for baking, you can follow these instructions. To ripen bananas in the oven, bake them on parchment paper on a baking sheet at 300°F for 30 to 40 minutes until they are darkly blackened and soft to the touch. You can also speed up the cooling process by opening them and gently mashing them in a big bowl to help heat escape more quickly. Be sure to let them cool before adding to your batter.
• These banana bread brownies are moist and dense. If you prefer a more cake-like texture, bake them for 25 minutes or until there are no crumbs when you test with a toothpick.
• Start making the frosting when you remove the banana bread brownies from the oven so that they will be warm but not too hot when you frost them.

Nutrition

Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 251IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg

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