Brown Butter Banana Bread
Got bananas with brown spots sitting on your counter? Don't toss them! Make the best brown butter banana bread recipe ever. Moist, delicious and made in one bowl - so easy!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 3 large ripe bananas
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and browned
- 3 Tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon softened butter for baking
Instructions
- IMPORTANT READ: I highly recommend to weigh your dry and wet ingredients for best accuracy. Toggle between the US Customary and Metric tab in the ingredients section above for weight in grams. Shop my exact scale here. (affiliate link) If you don't have a scale, fluff the flour with a fork in its container, and then spoon it into the measuring cup before leveling off with a flat edge. Do not scoop directly into the flour bag. This will add way too much flour to the batter, making it dry!
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 176°C. Prepare a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Let any excess parchment paper fall over the sides. Brown the butter and set aside to slightly cool. How to brown butter: To a small pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Preferably use a light colored pan so you can see the brown butter better as it cooks. It can burn easily. Stir frequently and watch carefully as the butter starts to slowly simmer, then bubble and finally a soft foam on the top layer. You’ll notice the colors changing from yellow to golden yellow to toasted brown with specks. Those brown specks are the butter’s milk solids caramelizing. We want this! We need this! Continue stirring to ensure the milk solids are evenly golden and toasted. This process takes about 5-7 minutes. Once it resembles the color of graham crackers, remove off the heat and proceed with the directions. See extended directions on How to Brown Butter here: https://bakecookrepeat.com/recipe/how-to-brown-butter/1/2 cup unsalted butter
- In a large mixing bowl, add the browned butter and sugar. Whisk together until the sugar is dissolved, then add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract. Whisk until all the ingredients are shiny and smooth. Then, add smashed bananas or use a fork to smash the bananas in the same bowl. Whisk again until combined.Note: Do not reduce the sugar quantity. It plays an important role in the rise and structure of the bread. This recipe uses less than the typical banana bread recipe. It is not very sweet to begin with!Note: Room temperature eggs are an important part of baking. If the eggs are not room temperature, place them in bowl with WARM water for 5 minutes. Replace the water until eggs are no longer cold.3 large ripe bananas, 2 large eggs, 3 Tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and sea salt. Note: I highly recommend to weigh your dry and wet ingredients for best accuracy. Toggle between the US Customary and Metric tab in the ingredients section above for weight in grams. Shop my exact scale here. (affiliate link) If you don't have a scale, fluff the flour with a fork in its container, and then spoon it into the measuring cup before leveling off with a flat edge. Do not scoop directly into the flour bag. This will add way too much flour to the batter, making it dry!2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Fold in the dry ingredients, half at a time - until no more flour is visible. Do not over-mix. In this step, you may include up to 3/4 cup of your favorite add-ins like walnuts or chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Place thin slivers of butter on the top center of the loaf before baking. Don't skip this step!Note: The way the butter melts during baking creates the iconic, beloved center crack we all know and love! It also adds richness to a typically, plain crust.1 Tablespoon softened butter
- Bake at 350°F / 176°C for 53-55 minutes until the exterior is caramelized in color and peaks of the yellow cake are exposed from the cracks. As the banana bread cools in the pan, it will continue to bake. Do not over-bake.
- Remove from the oven. Brush the tops with butter! Leave the banana bread in the tin for at least 10 minutes for the loaf to hold its shape. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool. This helps prevent a soggy bottom from forming as the moisture is released. Cooled off banana bread tastes WAY better than hot banana bread. Be patient!Note: Turning the loaf on its side to cool, instead of traditionally on its bottom, is a trick I learned that prevents the loaf from sinking due to the heaviness of the loaf. A wire rack also prevents a soggy bottom from forming as the moisture is released.
Notes
- Allow the banana bread enough time to cool before slicing. Some bread tastes amazing hot - this is not one of them. Banana bread tastes better as it cools. Trust me!
- Measure flour by weight in grams instead of cups. Shop my exact scale here. (affiliate link) If you don't have a scale, fluff the flour with a fork in its container, and then spoon it into the measuring cup before leveling off with a flat edge. Do not scoop directly into the flour bag. This will add way too much flour to the batter, making it dry!
- Need help browning butter? See How to Brown Butter blog post.
- This recipe makes one hefty banana loaf with plenty to share. But for those that would like to prep and freeze, I suggest using two separate bowls for each batch. Over-mixing the batter will lead to dense bread. This is a baking no-no. Leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder may not react the same way in a larger batch and potentially affect the bread's rise and texture. We want to avoid this. For a more detailed explanation, read more in this recipes blog post.
Nutrition
Calories: 246kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 4gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 184mgPotassium: 44mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 338IUVitamin C: 0.002mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
The provided nutritional value above is an estimate per serving. 100% accuracy is not guarenteed. Please see Nutrition Information Disclaimer in our Privacy Policy.
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