Every slice of this brown butter banana bread features a moist crumb, banana flavor, and rich, nutty notes. This easy recipe requires no special equipment, and the brown butter elevates it into a bakery-worthy treat!
Today, I’m sharing all of my bakery secrets for making perfectly moist and super-flavorful brown butter banana bread!
If you’ve browned butter before, you know how the delicious toasty flavor can elevate any recipe—from brown butter snickerdoodles to brown butter cinnamon rolls. But like my browned butter rice krispie treats, this recipe is quick and easy to make in one bowl. It’s even better than from a bakery!
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Fresh bananas: Like when making my cookie dough banana bread or banana donuts, brown bananas with lots of brown spots are perfect! Depending on their size, you will use 3 to 4 bananas.
Brown sugar: I’ve used dark brown and light brown sugar. Use what you have on hand!
Sour cream: Sour cream adds even more moisture and richness. This acidic ingredient also reacts with the baking soda, helping the banana bread rise in the oven. Substitute full-fat plain Greek yogurt.
Cinnamon: For a classic banana bread flavor. You could also add nutmeg or cardamom to the batter!
Find the full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions in the recipe card below!
How to Brown Butter
Step 1: Melt the butter over medium heat. Stir it occasionally so that it melts evenly. (Image 1 below)
Step 2: Stir constantly. The butter will intensely sizzle, pop, and bubble (Image 2 below). Stand by and watch it carefully!
Step 3: Look for a golden color. After a few minutes, the butter will foam intensely, smell nutty, and turn golden yellow. (Image 3 above).
Step 4: Take it off the heat. As soon as amber-brown milk solids are on the bottom of the pan (Image 4 above), scrape the brown butter into a heatproof bowl. You can learn more tips and tricks in my how to brown butter guide!
How to Make the Banana Bread
Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients. Combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (Image 1 below). Set aside.
Step 2: Combine the mashed banana and sugar. In a large bowl, whisk the mashed bananas and sugars (Image 2 below). This releases more of the natural sugars in the banana. It’s a trick I learned working in bakeries!
Step 3: Whisk together the wet ingredients. In the same bowl, whisk in the eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and browned butter (Image 3 below).
Step 4: Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Whisk the dries into the wets until combined (Image 4 above).
Step 5: Pour batter into loaf pan. Pour the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan (Image 5 below).
Step 6: Bake! Drag a butter knife through the center (Image 6 below). This allows the bread to bake with a split in the center, a classic signature of bakery banana bread. Bake in the oven until golden brown, then cool on a wire rack before removing it from the pan.
Step 7: Make the brown butter icing. Whisk the reserved brown butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract (Image 7 above).
Step 8: Cover the banana bread with the glaze. Pour the glaze over the cooled loaf (Image 8 above). Then, use a serrated knife to cut into individual slices.
Tips for Success
Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is my #1 baking tip! If you do not have a scale, use a spoon to fluff the flour first, then spoon it into your measuring cup.
Slice once cool. This banana bread is very moist and will fall apart if cut while hot.
Use ripe bananas. Aim for them to be brown and spotted but not black and mushy.
Line the loaf pan with parchment paper or spray it with non-stick spray. Otherwise, the banana bread will stick to the pan and be difficult to remove.
How to Store and Freeze
Storage: To keep the banana loaf soft and moist, store it in the fridge, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to one week. After one to two days, the glaze will melt at room temperature.
Freezing: It can be frozen whole or in slices. Wrap the whole loaf or the individual slices in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container for up to one month. Defrost in the fridge before serving!
More Brown Butter Recipes
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Brown Butter Banana Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
Banana Bread Batter
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, *See notes below for measuring*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana, about 3-4 bananas
- 1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Brown Butter Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons reserved melted brown butter, from above
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Before you start. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Line a metal 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper to hang over both sides.
- Brown the butter. Cook the butter in a stainless steel pan until it smells nutty and has amber-colored milk solids. Immediately scrape the browned butter into a heatproof bowl, reserving 3 tablespoons for the glaze. Chill the remaining brown butter in the freezer while measuring the other ingredients (aim for warm but not scalding hot butter for the batter).12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.1 1/2 cups (195 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Whisk together the wet ingredients. Whisk together the mashed banana, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Then whisk in the eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and brown butter.1 1/2 cups (360 g) mashed ripe banana, 1/2 cup (100 g) light or dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 2 (100 g) large eggs, 1/3 cup (80 g) sour cream, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Whisk the wet and dries together. Whisk the dries into the wet until just combined.
- Bake the banana bread. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and drag a butterknife through the center in a straight line. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out covered in a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the loaf. Let the pan cool on a wire cooling rack for 20 minutes, then lift the parchment to remove it from the pan. Let it continue cooling completely on the rack while you make the glaze.
- Make the brown butter icing. Whisk together the powdered sugar, reserved brown butter (if it has solidified, gently warm it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds until liquid), milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons (35 g) reserved melted brown butter, 2 tablespoons whole milk, 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pour the icing over the banana bread. Once completely cool, pour the brown butter glaze over the loaf. Let the glaze set for 15-20 minutes, then cut into 9-10 slices with a serrated knife. Enjoy!
- You can add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or chopped nuts to the batter before baking if desired! Store leftover slices in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge. If stored at room temperature, the glaze will start to melt after 1-2 days which is why I recommend storing it in the fridge. To freeze, wrap each slice in plastic wrap then store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!
My first time making anything with brown butter, and the elevated flavor is amazing! Turned out so well, I used my remaining over ripe bananas to make another loaf! Maybe I’ll share some with a neighbor, maybe I’ll just freeze the second loaf for a future treat!
As soon as I saw this on IG I ran to make it and it was sooooooo delicious!