Banana Bread Bars with Vanilla Bean Browned Butter Glaze
Banana bread bars with a glaze that soaks in! Dense enough to be satisfying, but still perfectly light, fluffy, and packed with rich banana flavor!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time27 minutesmins
Cooling Time2 hourshrs
Total Time2 hourshrs37 minutesmins
Course: Bars & Blondies
Cuisine: American
Keyword: banana bars with sour cream, banana bread bars
Servings: 12
Calories: 279kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
Bars
1large egg
½cuplight brown sugarpacked
¼cupliquid-state coconut oilcanola or vegetable may be substituted
¼cupcup sour creamlite is okay; or Greek yogurt may be substituted
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1cupmashed ripe bananasabout 2 large/3 med bananas
1cupall-purpose flour
½teaspoonbaking powder
½teaspoonbaking soda
pinchsaltoptional and to taste
Glaze
6tablespoonsunsalted butter, browned (how to brown butter tutorial)
2cupsconfectioners’ sugar
2teaspoonsvanilla bean pasteor seeds from 1 large vanilla bean; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract may be substituted
pinchsaltoptional and to taste
about 1/4 to 1/3 cup cream or milkor as necessary for consistency
Instructions
Make the bars:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
To a large bowl, add the egg, brown sugar, coconut oil, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
Add the bananas and stir to incorporate.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, optional salt, and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined; don’t overmix.
Turn batter out into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing it into corners and sides as necessary.
Bake for about 27 to 28 minutes (start watching closely by 25 minutes) or until the center is golden and set, springy when touched lightly, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Baking times will vary based on moisture content in bananas; bake until your bars are done.
Place pan onto of a wire rack to cool while you make the glaze.
Make the Glaze:
Brown the butter. Cook butter over medium-high heat in a small saucepan until it’s amber to brown in color, about 5 minutes depending on pan size, but watch it closely so it doesn’t burn. I swirl the pan in the last minute or so to make sure I can really see the color changes. Butter will go through stages of hissing, sputtering, and making noise until the water cooks off at which point the browning occurs. Butter will smell nutty and aromatic.
Transfer butter, including brown bits at the bottom of the pan (they’re flavor powerhouses, keep them) from pan to large mixing bowl which stops carryover cooking.
Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla bean paste, optional salt, and slowly add the milk, whisking until smooth.
As necessary, add additional cream (or confectioners’ sugar) to reach desired glaze consistency. Glaze should be of medium thickness and easily pourable.
Evenly pour glaze over bars (they don’t have to be cooled first), smoothing it lightly with a spatula if necessary, but glaze will likely just slide into place.
Allow bars to cool in pan uncovered for at least 2 to 3 hours, (or overnight and cover with a sheet of foil) before slicing and serving so glaze can set up.
Notes
Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week (I’m comfortable storing glazed items at room temp), or in the freezer for up to 6 months.