Browning the butter really adds a depth of flavor to banana bread, not to mention it smells extra amazing when in the oven. This is my go-to recipe when I have ripe bananas, and has taken me a while to get it right. Enjoy it hot, fresh from the oven.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 3 very ripe bananas
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (Optional)
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (Optional)
Directions
Step 1
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a low simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until butter is browned, fragrant, and foamy, with brown bits in it, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Measure 1/3 cup of browned butter; reserve remaining browned butter for another use.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan.
Step 3
Mash bananas in a large bowl; stir in brown sugar, white sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and 1/3 cup brown butter.
Step 4
Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl. Fold flour mixture into banana mixture just until all ingredients are moistened; pour into prepared pan.
Step 5
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Cook?s Note
Browning the butter will reduce the volume somewhat. For this reason, I begin with 1/2 cup of butter and measure 1/3 cup of butter after browning. Don't skip the browning step! It really adds depth to the flavor.Chocolate chips, nuts, or whatever else you enjoy can be added in.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings Per Recipe 6 | |
Calories 389 | |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat17g | 22% |
Saturated Fat10g | 51% |
Cholesterol72mg | 24% |
Sodium439mg | 19% |
Total Carbohydrate55g | 20% |
Dietary Fiber3g | 9% |
Total Sugars25g | |
Protein5g | |
Vitamin C5mg | 26% |
Calcium29mg | 2% |
Iron2mg | 11% |
Potassium279mg | 6% |
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
Powered by the ESHA Research Database ? 2018, ESHA Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved
source by allrecipe
-
- by: Anthro74
- 9 years ago
Best banana bread recipe I’ve tried and I’ve tried a few! Easy to make and delicious flavor. I wouldn’t change a thing. And what’s better is if you look at the ingredients here versus other banana bread recipes, this is relatively light. Just bought more bananas at the store, as we went through the first loaf in 24 hours!
-
- by: Tami Maretti Quintana
- 9 years ago
I was tired of tossing overripe bananas so I came on this site looking for a good recipe for banana bread. This one sounded easy & I really like the idea of the browned butter. That was last night, thank God I had more bananas because we finished the loaf and I am now waiting for another to finish baking! The browning of the butter is essential…it smells so heavenly and tastes delicious… do NOT skip this step! The only thing I did differently is that I buttered my loaf pan and sprinkled cinnamon/sugar on the bottom and sides, makes it a little sweeter and gave it a little “crunch” on the ends. Thanks for a fantastic recipe…. I can hardly wait til the bananas over ripen again!
-
- by: Sweet Apron
- 9 years ago
This was a great recipe. I added a big handful of cinnamon chips that I had in the freezer. Just use the whole 1/2 of butter (after browning). In addition, I used all brown sugar. Like most quick breads, it tastes much better after it has rested overnight. The banana flavor intensifies.
-
- by: Tracy
- 9 years ago
I made this… and was leery as it had no sour cream or sour milk like every other recipe I’ve used.. but I was also desperate for a recipe since my mom sent home THREE bunches of ripe bananas with me.
It turned out really awesome, good texture, moist and lots of flavor. I’ll definitely use this recipe again, and am becoming a BIG fan of browning butter in various recipes.
-
- by: Blueyedtxan
- 9 years ago
This recipe sounded so good til I reached the part about the cinnamon & nutmeg. I wasn’t sure I’d like the addition of the two, and I was right. Plus, mine came out a tad dry, too, but that’s easily remedied by slathering on a ton of butter! I will definitely make this again, but I will omit the cinnamon & nutmeg.
-
- by: Jackie123
- 9 years ago
I’m not a very experienced cook so I made the bread exactly as the recipe indicated, except I doubled the ingredients and made 2 loaves. It was delicious! My son who has a very sophisticated palette loved it. I didn’t get the butter to “brown” because I dont think I used the right pot, but it didn’t seem to matter. Next time I’ll add some crushed walnuts!
-
- by: Jdrecipes
- 9 years ago
This is a delicious banana bread, but I would have added the whole 1/2 cup of butter and not measured out only 1/3 or I would have added a bit of sour cream or applesauce. It was slightly dry. I baked it for 50 mins at 350, but I wouldn’t have wanted to leave it in for less just to make sure the batter was cooked all the way through. I added 1 tsp salt but kept everything else the same as the recipe. The browned butter adds the delicious depth of flavor. Just fell a bit short of being the perfect recipe. I think I can work on it, though. This recipe has the possibility of being THE ONE.
-
- by: Lorrie
- 8 years ago
This was a great banana bread but I’m not sure browning the butter made the difference. I think you could just add melted butter and pretty much get the same flavour. For the people who are having discrepancies with the cooking times and perhaps ending up with a dry loaf, please remember there are a variety of different materials used to make bread pans. Anything from light silver colour to dark teflon to glass and now silicon. Lighter coloured pans do not absorb the heat like a dark coloured pan. So if you are using a dark colour, you may want to turn the heat down slightly and/or reduce the cooking time. Teflon and silicon add a different texture to foods cooked in those pans again. (sides are often tough or rubbery). My suggestion is to find as many light coloured cooking pans, cookie sheets and muffin tins as you can! You will always end up with a more uniform product that doesn’t cook on the outside faster than it does on the inside. 🙂
-
- by: Cookingwithlove
- 8 years ago
My family liked it. It’s a nice change from my usual recipe. It is moist and flavourful. The browned butter is Ghee or clarified butter – which is what is used in indian cooking. I never considered using ghee. It’s a nice touch. I did add a 1/4 tsp of salt, just from experience and since I used unsalted butter.
-
- by: Cookdap Member
- 8 years ago
My family liked it. It’s a nice change from my usual recipe. It is moist and flavourful. The browned butter is Ghee or clarified butter – which is what is used in indian cooking. I never considered using ghee. It’s a nice touch. I did add a 1/4 tsp of salt, just from experience and since I used unsalted butter.
-
- by: Spiffycg
- 8 years ago
Stuck to recipe for bread except tripled it. Very good bread, not the strongest banana flavor though. Used the rest of the browned butter to make a simple cinnamon caramel glaze (pwd sugar, browned butter, cinnamon and nutmeg) which really added a nice flavor to the bread. Will make this recipe again though I’ll probably put in extra bananas. My father says it’s the best banana bread he’s ever tasted in his life.
-
- by: Cookdap Member
- 8 years ago
I live above 5,000′ in a dry environment just for starters. I always use organic unbleached white spelt flour instead of whole wheat when I bake, except for yeast breads which require a higher-gluten flour. I also teach gluten-free cooking so can adapt this recipe and any other to g-f cooking principles.
I melted 1/3 cup as it doesn’t make sense to melt 1/2 cup if you’re only using the 1/3 cup, unless you’re making ghee which is good for baking as it imparts a less dense finish.
It definitely needed salt, which I thought was odd that this ingredient was missing. Next time I’ll add 1/2 tsp sea salt. The cinnamon and nutmeg gave a nice undertone of flavor and cinnamon is also good for regulating blood sugar as it slows the rate of absorption of sugar into the system. It’s also very warming and nice to use in winter dishes.
Usually w/a quick bread like this, I would use baking powder and baking soda, although the bread rose beautifully and was easy to cut after it cooled. I always toast and then butter w/a sprinkle of cinnamon as it brings out more flavor in the bread. I like the fact that there is not a huge amount of sugar in this recipe.
Another tip for those who said it didn’t have as much banana flavor is to broil the bananas a few mins which caramelizes them somewhat. It seems to impart a richer banana flavor. I also use 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans. Unsweetened coconut flakes would be good too. I think pumpkin seeds might be interesting to use, especially for t
-
- by: Mary Vis
- 7 years ago
I added 4 banana’s instead of the 3 like many of the reviews suggested, I also used the entire 1/2 cup of the browned butter, baked at 325 because I use a dark pan and baked for only 40 minutes—-It was dry, tasteless and had a very dense texture. Not impressed and would not recommend. There are far better recipes out there for bannana bread.
-
- by: Debbie Siebe Grim
- 7 years ago
I doubled the recipe, because we really love banana bread. I have tried many banana bread recipes and this is my least favorite so far. The one thing I like about this recipe is that it was a lighter texture than I usually find. However, there was no flavor. I don’t understand it. I even questioned my daughter afterward to make sure we hadn’t forgotten to put in the cinnamon and nutmeg. She was certain she had added it. It is possible that we did not brown the butter enough, but I don’t think I’ll bother trying this one again.
-
- by: Judy Glivar
- 7 years ago
This is an amazing recipe! The best, since I was not a fan of banana bread, this changed my view. I used ground up oats instead of flour, used maple syrup instead of the sugars, and yes the melted butter MADE the recipe. Also added chopped walnuts. Made it 2 days in a row, as the first one went so quickly. Thank you!!! Would highly recommend this recipe!
-
- by: Joel Wayne Hammett
- 7 years ago
Very easy and consistent results every time. I like my bread a bit sweeter so I sprinkle dark brown sugar in top before baking. I also add a splash of banana extract to the butter. After cooking (before cooling) I pour the remaining butter over the top and let it soak in.
-
- by: Teresa
- 6 years ago
I have made a few different recipes for banana bread and this by far is the best I have made!
Browning the butter is an awesome twist.
Plus I tried other reviews and buttered my pan and sprinkled brown sugar and cinnamon on inside bottom. Wonderful finishing touch! My definite go to recipe -
- by: Cookdap Member
- 6 years ago
Loved this recipe. Made just a couple of changes, did not have any brown sugar so used all white sugar and added 1/2 tbs of molasses. Also we had 4 bananas to use up so took another reviewers suggestion and broiled them on each side to intensify the banana flavor. It’s so much lighter than the typical dense banana bread. Been looking for the best banana bread recipe and this is it. Thanks!
-
- by: Cookingmama
- 6 years ago
This was probably THE best banana bread I’ve made! I added chopped walnuts and took the suggestion in the video to use the remaining browned butter to coat the inside of the loaf pan. Great idea! I also added four bananas rather than the suggested three. Nice, moist, and tasty loaf bread. I needed to bake almost an hour because the center was still not cooked after the suggested 45 minutes. My husband had a piece while it was still a bit warm and said he loved it. A good way to use up over ripe bananas!
-
- by: Henry
- 6 years ago
I followed the recipe omitting the optional nutmeg, adding one tsp of salt, and using the cinnamon + 1 tsp of sugar to coat the inside of the greased loaf pan, as someone had suggested. Browning the butter didn?t seem to make it any better over just melting it. It turned out good, and it helped to avoid overmixing, stirring by hand only until the flour just disappears. This recipe has a very nice texture and mine was done ahead of expected time.
-
- by: Lilipanduhh
- 6 years ago
I LOVE this recipe! The only thing I did differently was add 1 1/2 teaspoons of both baking powder and soda as I had incorrectly read the recipe. Luckily my mistake did not change anything about the flavor! Absolutely delicious! I recommend a dab of peanut butter on top, too!
-
- by: Suzanne
- 6 years ago
The idea was good, it smelled AMAZING, but it came out really bland (despite the enormous amount of vanilla) I might try redoing this one with more sugar/banana and some salt. I like the idea someone else had posted, with making a browned butter glaze to go with it, something caramely would intensify the flavor. I bet this would go nicely with a little jam or nutella too.
-
- by: Tastytreats
- 6 years ago
I always forget to set the butter out to get to room temp so this recipe is perfect for me. It is more dense than most banana breads but the flavor is wonderful. I tried substituting coconut flour and it was too crumbly. Maybe I need to add an extra egg and beat them before adding. I’d like to know if anyone else tried a gluten free version.
-
- by: Babyd0ll
- 5 years ago
Browned butter gives it a nice aroma but a day and two later it doesn’t taste any different on the taste buds than it would had you melted the butter instead. Speaking of, could’ve used the entire browned butter as it comes out rather crumbly, dense but not moist, and the baking soda pings through loudly (And I’m not sensitive to soda at all). Even using very ripe bananas didn’t do much for depth of flavor or texture here, you’ll need more than 3. The banana flavor is barely there and doesn’t offer much like you’d expect in a BB. It also took longer to bake than stated. I would make this again but alter quite a few things, so as it stands it’s definitely moderately good (not quite a 4): 3.5
-
- by: Jackie Michelucci
- 5 years ago
This is a delicious recipe but I added extra cinnamon, some raisins & walnuts which I toasted in the brown butter and brown sugar before adding them to the batter. I also added one more banana–mainly because I wanted to use all bananas that were too ripe to eat. I didn’t have baking soda on hand but plenty of baking powder so I tripled the amount to substitute. It rose just fine, in fact it rose about 2 in. from the top. The bread came out moist but not too gooey! About halfway through the baking time, I brushed on the remaining butter to give it a nice crispy top! It was delicious!!!!!!
-
- by: Ivia M. Borges-Gomez
- 4 years ago
I double up the recipe but used 2 cups of flour and 1/4 cup of coconut flour. Also used 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup of coconut sugar and 1/4 cup of white sugar. Still though I tasted the batter and it wasn?t too sweet so I put 1 extra tablespoon of agave. Baking on a air fryer you have to adjust the temperature so I baked it at 280 instead of 350 and gave it 60 mins instead of 45. I was scared but I came out beautifully.
-
- by: Margie
- 1 year ago
I found this recipe several years ago and decided to give it a try. I made it as written to include the optional cinnamon and nutmeg. I did add chopped pecans as a personal preference. It is delicious and I threw away my old recipe for banana bread. I have made this recipe at least a dozen times. Browning the butter is key, take your time because you want those brown bits
Leave feedback about this