Best homemade Banana Bars recipe is a cross between banana bread and banana cake with a gooey brown butter frosting slathered on moist, easy-to-make bars.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 15X10 jellyroll baking pan (see recipe notes for 9x13 pan).
In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, mashed bananas and vanilla until well combined. Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix into creamed mixture until just blended.
Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, rotating pan 1/2 through baking. Bars are done when toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Brown Butter Frosting
As soon as bars come out of oven, or a little before, start to make frosting. In a medium saucepan melt butter. Once the butter is fully melted watch carefully and stir occasionally so butter doesn't burn. First the butter will foam, then the milk solids will start to settle at the bottom. Watch for the milk solids to turn from white to golden brown. Once that happens, immediately remove from heat.
Whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar, salt, and milk. Stir in remaining powdered sugar. Add more milk if necessary for a thinner consistency. Immediately pour and gently spread on warm bars using an offset spatula.
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Notes
Making Banana Bars in 9X13 panIf you prefer a thicker cake to frosting ratio, this banana bar recipe can also be baked in a 9X13" pan.It will take longer to bake, so add 10-15 minutes to baking time. Be sure to insert a toothpick in the middle to check for it to be clean before taking them out of the oven.Yummy Additions:
Mix chopped pecans or walnuts into the banana bar batter, or sprinkle on top of the frosting immediately. Press down lightly to stick.
Melt 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter in the microwave for 20 seconds. Drizzle on top of frosting and swirl together.
Make the brown butter frosting more of a glaze by halving all the frosting ingredients except leaving amount of milk the same.
For a touch of tang in frosting replace milk with buttermilk or substitute milk with 1/3 cup sour cream.
Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to batter and sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top of warm frosting.