Brown Butter Banana Bread

Soft and tender, this moist brown butter banana bread has lovely caramel notes complementing the banana flavor. Browning butter is just one little extra step and makes the best banana bread recipe—caramelized milk solids in the brown butter pair perfectly with the banana flavor.

This brown butter banana bread recipe is a great way to use up overripe bananas. They give so much flavor and moisture to the banana bread. The riper they are, the sweeter they are too.

The batter has a little yogurt in there, too. Brown butter, also known as beurre noisette or burnt butter, is simply butter that has melted and then cooked a step further so that the milk solids in the butter caramelize.

It brings this amazing depth of flavor nutty flavor. I honestly think this is the best ever banana bread!

How to make easy brown butter banana bread

Preheat the oven to 356°F/180°C. Grease or line an 8.5x4.5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper

Let the butter melt in a small saucepan over medium heat.. Avoid using a dark pan, as you will struggle to see the caramelization of the butter at the bottom of the pan and run the risk of burning it.

Once melted, let it cook for around 3-4 minutes until the milk solids have caramelized and the butter has a nutty aroma. Pour the nutty browned butter into a large bowl.

Ensure you use all those deep golden brown bits that accumulate at the bottom of the saucepan. They have all the flavor. Allow the butter to cool down for around 10 minutes.

Mash the bananas with a fork in a large bowl. Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl. 

Add the cooled butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the mashed bananas. Whisk it well together until all combined. 

Tip the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients along with the yogurt.

Fold it together with a rubber spatula until well combined but not overmixed.

You will see the brown flecks of butter throughout the batter.

If you add chocolate chips or nuts, these can also be folded through the banana mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.

Slice the extra banana lengthwise and place the sliced banana on top of the batter. Sprinkle with a little turbinado sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 50-60 minutes until the top of the bread springs back when touched and a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. The baking time will depend on your oven.

Remove the moist banana bread from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before slicing. 

Serving and storing

Serve the fresh banana bread loaf in slices with a pat of butter. The leftover banana bread can be covered and stored at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

Banana bread freezes very well too so this recipe could be doubled or tripled and extra loaves can be frozen. Cover the cooled bread tightly with plastic wrap or in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Let it defrost at room temperature and slices can be warmed in the toaster or microwave. 

Related recipes

This is one of my favorite banana bread recipes, and I hope you love it too! For more delicious recipes, check out these!

• double chocolate banana bread,
• gingerbread banana bread or
• sourdough chocolate banana bread

Brown butter makes baking taste so good! Check out these other brown butter recipes.

Continue to Content

Brown Butter Banana Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This brown butter banana bread has lovely caramel notes complementing the banana flavor.

Print

Ingredients

• 113g (½ cup) unsalted butter
• 240g (2 large) ripe bananas, plus 1 additional banana for topping
• 150g (¾ cup) soft brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 250g ( 2 cups*) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 125g (½ cup) natural yogurt (or use sour cream)
• Optional - Turbinado sugar for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease or line an 8.5x4.5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Let the butter melt in a small saucepan over medium heat.. Once melted, let it cook for around 3-4 minutes until the milk solids have caramelized and the butter smells nutty. Pour the browned butter into a large bowl and cool down for 10 minutes.
3. Mash the two bananas with a fork in a large bowl.
4. Add the cooled butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk it well together until all combined. 
5. Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl. 
6. Tip the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and the yogurt and fold with a rubber spatula until well combined but not overmixed. You will see the brown flecks of butter throughout the batter.
7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
8. Slice the extra banana lengthwise and place the sliced banana on top of the batter. Sprinkle with a bit of turbinado sugar.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 50-60 minutes until the top of the bread springs back when touched and a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
10. Remove the baked banana bread from the tin and let it cool on a cooling rack for 20 minutes before slicing. 

Notes

* The cup sizes given are US-sized. Note that these are smaller than metric. For best results use grams.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 339Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 414mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 2gSugar: 22gProtein: 6g

This is an informational estimate only. I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist