Banana Bread Brownies with Brown Butter Frosting 🍌🍫
These decadent bars combine the best of banana bread and chewy brownies, topped with a rich brown butter frosting. Perfect for using up ripe bananas!
Ingredients
(Makes 16-20 bars)
Brownie Layer:
- 2 large eggs
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1½ cups)
- 1½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240g) sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- ½ cup (113g) butter, softened
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ cup (60g) chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (optional)
Brown Butter Frosting:
- ½ cup (113g) butter
- 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3-4 tbsp milk (as needed)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
1. Make the Brownies
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13″ baking pan.
- Wet ingredients: Beat eggs, mashed bananas, sugar, sour cream, softened butter, and vanilla until smooth.
- Dry ingredients: Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt, then fold into wet mix. Stir in walnuts/chocolate chips.
- Bake: Spread batter into pan. Bake 25-30 mins until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
2. Brown Butter Frosting
- Brown the butter: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until golden-brown and nutty-smelling (~5 mins). Let cool slightly.
- Mix frosting: Beat browned butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and 3 tbsp milk until smooth. Add more milk if too thick. Spread over cooled brownies.
3. Serve
- Chill 30 mins to set frosting, then slice into squares.
Tips:
- Riper bananas = sweeter flavor!
- No sour cream? Use plain yogurt or buttermilk.
- Extra decadence: Drizzle with caramel or add a cream cheese swirl to the batter.
These are moist, fudgy, and packed with banana flavor—like banana bread and brownies had a baby! 😍
Want a chocolate-swirl version? Swirl ¼ cup melted chocolate into the batter before baking!