Banana Bread Brownies – Moist, Flavorful, and Easy to Make
A delightful hybrid dessert: these banana bread brownies blend the moistness of banana bread with the fudgy texture of brownies. Topped with a rich brown-butter (or vanilla) frosting, they’re deeply comforting, quick to bake, and easily customizable—perfect for dessert, snack, or breakfast treats.
- Prep Time: 10–15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20–30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12–16 squares
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- For the Banana Brownie Base:
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- For the Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 °F (190 °C). Grease a 9×13″ baking pan.
- In a large bowl, beat sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.
- Fold in mashed bananas and vanilla extract.
- Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined.
- Fold in chopped walnuts, if using.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 20–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- While baking, brown the butter for frosting in a saucepan over medium heat until golden and nutty.
- Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth.
- Spread warm frosting over warm brownies. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.A
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas (brown-spotted) for maximum flavor and moisture.
- Greek yogurt is a perfect 1:1 substitute for sour cream.
- Frosting can be skipped or swapped for cream cheese frosting for a tangy variation.
- Add-ins like chocolate chips or pecans work well instead of walnuts.
- Store in an airtight container: 3 days at room temp, 5–7 days refrigerated, or freeze up to 3 months.