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Ultra-Moist Banana Bread Brownies with Brown Butter Frosting

Close-up of a dense, dark chocolate banana bread brownies square topped with thick peanut butter frosting.
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Create the perfect dessert fusion: ultra-moist banana bread texture mixed with rich, fudgy brownies. This easy recipe uses ripe bananas and finishes with a decadent brown butter frosting for a comforting treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, for frosting
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar, for frosting
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream, for frosting
  • 2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 4 large)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for frosting

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set this dry mixture aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together the 1 cup of butter (for the batter) and the granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the mashed bananas and vanilla extract until just combined.
  5. Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients until you have a thick batter. Do not overmix.
  6. Pour half of the batter into your prepared pan and spread evenly.
  7. Sift the cocoa powder over the batter in the pan. Carefully spread the remaining half of the batter over the cocoa layer. You can gently swirl the layers with a knife for a marbled effect if you like.
  8. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, not wet batter.
  9. While the brownies cool completely, prepare the brown butter frosting. Melt 1 cup of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until the butter foams, then brown bits form at the bottom and it smells nutty (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from heat immediately.
  10. Whisk the brown butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and powdered sugar into the saucepan until smooth. If the frosting is too thin, chill it briefly until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
  11. Once the brownies are fully cooled, spread the brown butter frosting evenly over the top. Cut into bars and serve.

Notes

  • Use bananas that are heavily spotted or almost black for the best moisture and sweetness in this recipe.
  • For a fudgier texture, slightly underbake the brownies by about 2 minutes.
  • If you prefer cream cheese frosting, substitute the brown butter ingredients with 1/2 cup softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://flavorzine.com/banana-bread-brownies/