Level up your breakfast game with this brown butter banana bread! Moist, flavorful, and easy to make, this recipe is a family favorite. Enjoy it fresh from the oven or freeze it for later! It's a delicious and comforting treat that's perfect for any time of day.
Measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale
Large heavy-bottomed pot
Large mixing bowl
Hand or stand mixer
Fork
Fine mesh sieve
Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
1cupsalted butterdivided
½cupgranulated sugar
½cupbrown sugartightly packed
½cupsour creamfull-fat
1tablespoonvanilla extract
2largeeggsroom temperature
3mediumbananasoverripe, yellow with brown spots to black
1 ½cupsall-purpose flour
1teaspoonbaking soda
1teaspoonsalt
coarse sugaroptional garnish before baking
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and grease a standard loaf tin with ¼ cup (56g) of butter. Set aside.
Place the remaining ¾ cup (170g) of butter in a medium-large heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-low heat on the stovetop. Cook the butter until it turns dark golden brown, about the color of maple syrup. Remove the pot from the heat and pour the browned butter into a heatproof mixing bowl.
Use a hand or stand mixer to mix in the granulated and brown sugars.
Add the sour cream, vanilla, and eggs to the bowl and mix.
Place the overripe bananas in the bowl. Mash them into the batter with a fork or, if they are very soft, use the mixer.
Sift the flour into the bowl. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the flour. Switch to a rubber spatula or wooden spoon and fold the batter by hand until the flour is just mixed in. A few streaks of flour are ok!
Spoon the batter into the greased loaf tin, smooth the top, and sprinkle with coarse sugar if using. Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the very center of the loaf springs back when pressed lightly with a fingertip. Continue to check the bread every 5 minutes until it’s done then transfer the tin to a wire cooling rack. After 10 minutes, turn the loaf out of the tin onto the rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.
Notes
When browning the butter, stir or swirl it occasionally to prevent burning. As soon as the butter turns golden brown, remove it from the heat. Make sure to scrape out and use as many of the browned bits at the bottom of the pot as possible. They contain a concentrated flavor that will enhance the taste of your brown butter banana bread.
For maximum flavor and sweetness, be sure to choose bananas that are yellow with brown spots or are completely black.
To prevent large mushy pockets of banana in the loaf, mash the bananas thoroughly with a fork or mixer.
Depending on your oven, you may need to bake the loaf for 10 to 15 minutes longer than listed in the recipe. Once you reach one hour of baking time, press the loaf's center with a fingertip every 5 minutes until it springs back and no longer seems jiggly underneath.
Freshly baked banana bread can be stored at room temperature on the counter for up to two days. Be sure to wrap it tightly in parchment paper or aluminum foil to help prevent it from drying out. After two days, the bread should be stored in the fridge or freezer.
Brown butter banana bread can also be stored in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 2 months. To freeze, slice the bread and place the slices in an airtight container or freezer bag. When ready to eat, thaw the slices on the counter for 30 minutes, or heat gently in the microwave.