Description
An ultra-moist banana bread recipe elevated with nutty brown butter and finished with a shiny, salty-sweet brown butter glaze. This recipe uses very ripe bananas for maximum flavor and ensures a tender, airy crumb.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 large ripe bananas (about 1.5 cups mashed)
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter (for browning)
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (60g) walnuts or pecans (optional, toasted)
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter (for glaze)
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (for glaze)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides.
- Mash the ripe bananas in a bowl until smooth and set aside.
- Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the foam subsides, brown specks appear, and the butter smells nutty (about 3-5 minutes). Pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in the mashed bananas.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in nuts if using.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Tent with foil if browning too quickly.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- While the bread cools, brown the 2 tablespoons of butter for the glaze in a small saucepan. Let cool for 2 minutes.
- Whisk the browned butter, powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon heavy cream until smooth. Add more cream if needed for a drizzle-able consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled bread and let it set for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Ensure bananas are very ripe (black skins) for best flavor and moisture. Do not overmix the batter to avoid a dense texture. Cool the bread completely before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting into the bread. For gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50-60 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 28
- Sodium: 180
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
Keywords: banana bread, brown butter, glaze, moist banana bread, baking, breakfast, dessert, easy recipe