Make a perfectly rich and moist loaf of banana bread with this Brown Butter Banana Bread recipe. It is a classic banana bread recipe that is elevated by the flavor of salted brown butter.
Weeknight-easy
Beginner-friendly
You’ll Learn: Why serving cold is recommended
Worth It: It has a satisfying, deep flavor
Bonus: Flexible toppings and serving ideas to keep it interesting
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich brown butter taste – the salted brown butter is really what gives this loaf of banana bread its amazing flavor. It is richer than a standard banana bread thanks to the golden flecks of toasted butter. After the loaf is chilled, the rich buttery flavor is even stronger.
- Fluffy and moist – this loaf is nicely balanced between the dense chew you know and love from banana bread and the fluffy rise of a quick bread. When you first take a bite you will notice that it is soft and fluffy and then as you chew you get that sweet, dense banana bread texture.
- Customizable – this is a very classic and standard banana bread recipe. You can add ingredients to alter the flavor. Add mix ins like nuts, spices or change up the type of sugar to enhance and change the recipe.
Serving Suggestions
I like to toast a thick slice of this bread in a skillet in butter. The edges get crispy and caramelized while the inside stays soft and moist.
Add toppings to the warm banana bread like some creamy peanut butter and banana slices or some greek yogurt for extra protein. It is wonderful as a sweet addition to a breakfast spread or as an afternoon snack.
I like to make an Elvis inspired toast with the banana bread as a base topped with peanut butter and a few slices of crispy bacon.
If you like quick bread recipes, try this lemon blueberry bread or strawberry pound cake. For your next brown butter recipe, make these brown butter rice krispies.
Recipe variations
This brown butter banana bread recipe makes a classic loaf with a little extra flare. Add even more flavor with mix ins like mini chocolate chips, chopped walnuts or chopped pecans. Fold the mix ins into the batter after the flour mixture.
This is already the best banana bread recipe, but chocolate chips or chopped chocolate add even more sweetness and depth of flavor. Stir in a teaspoon ground cinnamon or a teaspoon ground nutmeg to the batter for a bit of spice.
Ingredients
- Salted butter – salted brown butter is what elevates this from a basic banana bread recipe to one with depth of flavor. You can use unsalted butter instead, but be sure to add an extra 1/2 teaspoon salt to the batter
- Ripe bananas – the riper the bananas, the sweeter the banana bread. I like to wait until my bananas have lots of brown spots before I make the bread.
- Large eggs – three eggs give this bread lift, rise and spring. Use room temperature eggs to mix with the browned butter.
- Granulated sugar – I like to use plain granulated sugar, but you can use coconut sugar or brown sugar instead. Brown sugar will result in a darker, denser banana bread.
- Vanilla extract – a few teaspoons of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste are an essential addition to the batter.
- All purpose flour – to make this recipe gluten free, use a 1 to 1 gluten free flour blend in place of all purpose flour.
- Baking soda and baking powder – the blend of both rising agents give this fluffy quick bread its rise and lift.
- Kosher salt – an extra sprinkle of salt brings out the flavor of the ripe bananas and browned butter.
How To Make
step 1: Brown butter and Cool
To begin, prepare the brown butter. Place a stick of salted butter in a small saucepan and melt butter over medium low heat. Allow the butter to melt completely. The milk solids will separate from the liquid butter and toast on the bottom of the pot.
Whisk occasionally until the top of the melted butter looks foamy. Once it looks foamy, whisk constantly until you start to see small golden brown flecks at the bottom of the pan and smell a nutty aroma. Then, immediately remove from heat (Image 1).
Allow the brown butter to cool slightly. You want it to still be liquid but not hot to the touch. I like to place it in the fridge for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350F and grease or line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
step 2: Mash bananas and Mix Wet Ingredients
Then, peel the bananas and place in a large mixing bowl. Mash bananas with a potato masher or the back of a fork (Image 2).
Next, add the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and cooled brown butter to the bowl with the mashed bananas (Image 3). Whisk the banana mixture all together until evenly combined (Image 4).
step 3: Fold in dry ingredients and Bake
In a separate bowl mix together the all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Pour into the large bowl with the wet ingredients (Image 5).
Fold the dry ingredients into wet with a flat spatula. Mix until the flour is just mixed in. Be careful not to overmix because that can result in a tough banana bread.
Pour batter into a prepared loaf pan (Image 6). Bake at 350F for 52-55 minutes. To check for doneness insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf and if the toothpick comes out clean the banana bread is done.
Allow to cool completely before slicing. I like to transfer the loaf to a wire rack. This is key for a moist banana bread. Store in the fridge and serve chilled for an extra rich and buttery taste!
storage, reheating and freezing
Allow the banana bread to cool completely before slicing. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. I like to reheat slices individually in a skillet with butter or in the toaster oven.
Freeze the loaf whole or as slices. Wrap tightly and then place in a freezer safe airtight container. Keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw each slice individually or all at once.
Check out these other Banana Bread Recipes
If you’re looking for a healthier option, try this High Protein Banana Bread that has 9 grams of protein per slice!
Keep reading to find the full recipe for these healthy, simple and delicious cookies! If you make them, please let me know in the comments or on Instagram.
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Brown Butter Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 stick 1/2 cup salted butter
- 3 medium ripe bananas
- 3 eggs – room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare the brown butter – place a stick of salted butter in a small sauce pan over medium low heat. Allow the butter to melt completely. Whisk occasionally until the top of the melted butter looks foamy. Once it looks foamy, whisk constantly until you start to see small brown flecks at the bottom of the pan and immediately remove from heat.
- Allow the brown butter to cool slightly – you want it to still be liquid but not hot to the touch. I like to place it in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease or line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Peel the bananas and place in a large mixing bowl. Mash bananas with a potato masher or the back of a fork. Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and cooled brown butter to the bowl with the mashed bananas.Whisk that all together until evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl mix together the all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into wet with a flat spatula. Mix until the flour is just mixed in – be careful not to overmix.
- Pour batter into a loaf pan. Bake at 350F for 52-55 minutes. To check for doneness insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf and if the toothpick comes out clean the banana bread is done.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing – this is key for a moist banana bread. Store in the fridge and serve chilled for an extra rich and buttery taste!
Recipe Notes
- Freezer Instructions: allow bread to cool completely before cutting into slices. Add a small piece of parchment between each slice to prevent them from sticking together. Wrap in tinfoil and then place in a freezer bag. Reheat each slice in the toaster oven for 5 minutes or in the microwave covered in a damp paper towel for 1-2 minutes.
- Add mix ins like mini chocolate chips, chopped pecans or walnuts just before baking.
- If using unsalted butter, add an extra 1/2 tsp of salt to the batted
- Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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