Brown Butter Banana Bread

Name: Brown Butter Banana Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: Makes 1 loaf
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 3 ripe Bananas; 115g Unsalted Butter; 150g Light Brown Sugar; 2 Eggs; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 220g Plain Flour; 1 tsp Baking Soda; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Recipe by Maya Rowntree ZestyPlate Kitchen

Save

Classic banana bread made deeply nutty and caramel-rich with browned butter.

This is banana bread with the volume turned up: browning the butter first adds a deep, toasty, almost caramel note that makes the whole loaf taste richer. It's a one-bowl, no-mixer bake that's forgiving for beginners and reliably moist for days. The best possible use for those sad, spotty bananas on your counter.

Prep 15 min Cook 55 min Total 70 min Easy

Ingredients

3 ripe Bananas
115g Unsalted Butter
150g Light Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
220g Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Preparation

Brown the butter in a small pan over medium heat, swirling often, until it smells nutty and turns golden with brown flecks, about 4-5 minutes. Pour into a large bowl and let cool for a few minutes.
Mash the bananas well, then whisk into the butter with the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth.
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until no streaks of flour remain - don't overmix.
Pour into a lined 900g (2lb) loaf tin and bake at 175°C (350°F) for 50-60 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen

Use very ripe, heavily spotted bananas - they're sweeter and mash more smoothly.
Watch the butter closely as it browns; it goes from golden to burnt in seconds.
Stop mixing the moment the flour disappears - overmixing makes the loaf tough.
It slices best the next day, once the crumb has settled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes - wrap the cooled loaf (whole or sliced) tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or toast slices from frozen.

Usually underbaking or too much banana/leavening. Bake until a skewer comes out clean, and measure the bananas if yours are very large.

Absolutely - fold in a handful of chocolate chips or toasted walnuts with the dry ingredients.