These banana bread brownies are soft and moist from ripe bananas and sour cream with crunchy walnuts! Topped with brown butter frosting they are the best indulgence.
Other go-to recipes with bananas to try include banana bread with cake mix, banana nut bread and mini banana muffins.
Table of Contents
Why I Love These Banana Bread Brownies
While I absolutely love my easy banana cream pie, these banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and my double chocolate banana bread, these banana bread brownies are my new recent go-to dessert!
By creating a batter that is more brownie than easy banana bread, this recipe will stun your taste buds. Moist and flavorful, the brownie is a treat in itself. But then there’s the brown butter frosting that knocks this dessert out of the park.
Recipe Ingredients
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweet taste.
- Sour cream: Adds moisture and makes these rich and delicious.
- Butter: Your butter will need to be softened. Learn how to soften butter if you forgot to set it out!
- Large eggs: Helps bind the banana brownies together.
- Bananas: You will need three ripe bananas. These are the bananas that are brown and spotty!
- Baking staples: All purpose flour, baking soda, salt and vanilla extract.
- Chopped walnuts: Optional but recommended for added texture.
- Brown butter frosting: Butter, brown sugar, milk, vanilla extract and confectioner’s sugar.
How to Make Banana Bread Brownies
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until combined. Blend in bananas and vanilla extract.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: In separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together to remove lumps then add the flour to the banana mixture and gently mix until until just combined. Stir in walnuts if desired.
- Bake: Spread batter evenly into prepared 13×9 pan and bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean when inserted in the center. Remove from oven to cool slightly.
- Spread frosting on warm brownies: While brownies are baking prepare your brown butter frosting by first making brown butter. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over warm brownies and top with chopped walnuts.
Substitutions and Variations
- Fold chocolate chips into the batter for an extra sweet taste (use 1/2 to 1 cup).
- White chocolate chips would make these similar to my favorite blondie recipe.
- Swap walnuts for pecans.
- Use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream to lighten it up a bit.
- Add in a teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Top with cream cheese frosting, sour cream frosting or even a coconut pecan frosting.
- You can make these into thinner banana bars by using a larger 12×18″ baking sheet.
More recipes we love with brown butter include these brown butter blondies, brown butter chocolate chip cookies and brown butter rice krispie treats!
More Recipes to Make with Ripe Bananas
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Banana Bread Brownies
Video
Ingredients
Brownie Batter:
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup butter , softened
- 2 large eggs
- 3 ripe bananas , mashed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon table or fine sea salt
- 1/2-1 cup chopped walnuts , you can omit if desired
Brown Butter Frosting:
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Prep. Heat oven to 375°F. Line a 9×13" pan with parchment paper, or grease and flour. Set aside.
- Cream wet ingredients. In a large bowl, beat together 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup butter, and 2 large eggs until creamy. Blend in 3 ripe mashed bananas and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- Dry ingredients. In separate bowl, whisk (or sift) 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt together.
- Combine. Add the flour to the banana mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in 1/2 – 1 cup walnuts if desired. Spread batter evenly into pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean.
- Brown butter. Prepare the frosting as the brownies bake by heating 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup brown sugar to the melted butter and bring to a boil, stirring continuously for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat immediately.
- Make frosting. Add 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 3 Tablespoons milk. Whisk together until smooth (it will be thinner than frosting). Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over brownies. This is best done when both ingredients are warm. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top if desired.
- Serve. Slice brownies into 24 squares. Serve warm, room temperature or even cold!
Notes
- Add chocolate chips to the batter before baking. Start with 1/2-1 cup.
- Use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
FAQs
The key to super moist, sweet and flavorful banana bread brownies is using bananas that have fully ripened. Your bananas should be covered in brown spots and soft to the touch. The riper the banana, the sweeter the brownies!
Yes, it’s so easy to freeze bananas and it’s a great way to never toss a ripe banana again even if you don’t plan to bake with it right away. Just peel and slice your bananas then freeze in a single layer. Once frozen transfer to a freezer safe bag up to 3 months! When ready to use thaw and drain excess juices.
Once the brownies have cooled, store them in a covered container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
Yes, You may also freeze this recipe for banana bread brownies if you prefer. Flash freeze them first on a baking sheet for about an hour, then stack in a freezer container with a piece of parchment paper in between each layer.
Let the brownies sit on the counter at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
Categorized as: American, Bars, Brownies, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Fruit Desserts, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Holy moly! These are incredible!! I’d give 6 stars if I could!
This makes me so happy to hear! Glad you loved them, Shannon :)
I always make my mother in law banana bread but decided to make these instead. WOW! They are amazing!! Thanks so much!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Beth! :)
WOW! This sounds amazing! I can’t wait to try it!
Banana bread as a brownie is the best thing ever!! They are so moist & taste amazing!!
These look do good, I will be making them very soon!