Brown Butter Banana Bread

Name: Brown Butter Banana Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 1 loaf (9x5 inch)
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter; 3 large very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups); 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tbsp granulated sugar, for the top

11 ingredients · 7 steps · 1 hr 50 min

By Melis · developed and cooked in our studio kitchen

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Brown butter banana bread: very ripe bananas, nutty browned butter and brown sugar in a moist, tender loaf. Total time: 1 hr 50 min.

Browning the butter is the one extra step that changes this banana bread. As the milk solids toast, the butter smells like hazelnuts and caramel, and that flavor carries all the way through the loaf.

Use bananas with plenty of brown spots. They mash easily, add natural sweetness and keep the crumb moist for days. A sprinkle of sugar on top before baking gives the loaf a thin, crackly crust.

Should you brown butter for banana bread?

Browned butter adds a nutty, toasty flavor that plain melted butter does not. Melt it in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat and keep swirling for 5 to 7 minutes, until it foams and the bits at the bottom turn golden brown. Cool it for 10 minutes so it does not cook the eggs, and scrape in all the brown bits.

Can you make brown butter banana bread without sour cream?

Yes. Plain yogurt works in the same amount, 1/3 cup. Either one keeps the loaf moist and tender.

How do you know when banana bread is done?

Bake it at 350°F (175°C) for 55 to 65 minutes, until a skewer in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too fast, lay a piece of foil loosely over the pan for the last 15 minutes.

Can you freeze banana bread?

Yes. Wrapped well, it keeps for 3 months in the freezer or 3 days at room temperature. It also slices more neatly the day after baking.

Ingredient notes and swaps

Let the browned butter cool for 10 minutes before mixing, so it does not cook the eggs. Scrape in all the toasted brown bits from the pan. That is where the flavor is.

Add 3/4 cup (90 g) toasted walnuts or chocolate chips if you like. If the top browns too fast, lay a piece of foil loosely over the pan for the last 15 minutes.

How to make Brown Butter Banana Bread

Step 1
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch (23x13 cm) loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment.
Step 2
Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Keep swirling for 5 to 7 minutes, until it foams, smells nutty and the bits at the bottom turn golden brown. Pour into a large bowl and cool for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Whisk the brown sugar into the butter, then the eggs, sour cream, vanilla and mashed bananas.
Step 4
In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Fold into the banana mixture until just combined. A few streaks of flour are fine.
Step 5
Scrape into the pan, smooth the top and sprinkle with the granulated sugar.
Step 6
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a skewer in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Step 7
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out and cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Tips and storage

Browned butter can go from golden to burnt quickly. As soon as the bits at the bottom turn golden brown, pour it into the bowl. The hot pan keeps cooking it if you leave it there.

The butter loses some of its water as it browns, so it will look like less than you started with. That is expected and the recipe accounts for it.

Dark metal pans brown faster than light ones. If you use a dark pan, start checking at the early end of the 55 to 65 minutes. A skewer that hits a pocket of banana can look wet, so test a second spot.

To freeze, cut the cooled loaf into slices and separate them with parchment. You can then take out one slice at a time and thaw it at room temperature.

For serving, toast slices in a skillet with a little butter until the edges crisp. A thin spread of cream cheese or salted butter goes well with the nutty flavor.

Wrapped well, banana bread keeps for 3 days at room temperature or 3 months in the freezer. It slices more neatly the day after baking.

Recipe