These banana bars with cream cheese frosting are a perfect way to use up brown, overripe bananas. They're super flavorful, moist banana cake bars topped with a thick layer of decadent brown butter cream cheese frosting.
If you have extra bananas on your counter, you have to make these banana bars with cream cheese frosting! These banana cake bars are soft and moist, just like banana bread, but baked in a square pan. This is my favorite way to use brown bananas.
If you love a cozy, comforting banana bread recipe, you'll love this banana bread with cream cheese frosting, upside down banana bread, honey banana bread, and chia seed banana bread too!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Soft and moist- This recipe calls for 2 super ripe bananas, which makes them moist and super flavorful. These bars are fluffier and with a more cake-like texture than banana bread.
- Simple ingredients- The batter is made with pantry staple ingredients and only requires one bowl.
- Brown butter frosting- I love cream cheese frosting, but this specific frosting is brought to the next level by browning the butter! This adds a nutty flavor that complements banana perfectly.
Key Ingredients
- Bananas- Use bananas that are very ripe with lots of brown spots or speckles for the sweetest flavor. Avoid green bananas or stiff yellow ones.
- Oil- Make sure to use a flavorless oil so the banana flavor shines, like vegetable or canola oil.
- Egg- Adds structure to the bars and acts as a binder.
- Apple cider vinegar- The acidity helps tenderize the gluten, making the bars super soft!
- All purpose flour- Adds a hearty yet fluffy texture. Measure it in grams for the most accuracy or use the spoon and level method.
- Baking powder and baking soda- These leaveners make the cake rise Check the expiration date before using to make sure they're still active.
- Granulated sugar- Sweetens the bars and contribute to their soft texture.
- Brown sugar- Light or dark brown sugar work to add more moisture and depth of flavor.
- Unsalted butter- Adds stability to the frosting. For this cream cheese frosting recipe, it's melted down and the milk solids are toasted. Tips for how to brown butter are in the instructions below!
- Cream cheese- Use a room temperature full-fat block of cream cheese. Don't use cream cheese spread or whipped cream cheese because it makes frosting runny.
- Powdered sugar- Sweetens and thickens the frosting while blending into the cream cheese seamlessly.
For the full ingredient list and quantities, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF and line a square baking pan with parchment paper. Then mash the bananas in a large bowl.
Step 2: Whisk in the oil, egg, vanilla extract, and vinegar into the mashed bananas.
Step 3: Gradually fold the dry ingredients, granulated sugar, and brown sugar into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula.
Step 4: Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes. The bars are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 5: Let the bars cool in the hot pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 6: For the cream cheese frosting, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly because it can burn quickly! The white milk solids will sink to the bottom of the pan, turn golden brown, and smell nutty.
Step 7: Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the butter into a bowl. Chill for 60-90 minutes until it reaches a soft, pliable consistency.
Step 8: Beat the softened butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed.
Step 9: Gradually beat in the powdered sugar. Then, add vanilla and salt on low, increasing the speed until the frosting is fluffy.
Step 10: Spread the cream cheese frosting on the banana bars with an offset spatula. Garnish with banana pieces, slice, and serve!
Top Baking Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. Make sure your eggs, butter, and cream cheese are room temperature so they mix smoothly and evenly. Pull them out of the fridge 1-2 before baking.
- Measure the flour properly. Flour is easy to over-measure with measuring cups, so I recommend measuring it in grams with a kitchen scale for the best results. If you don't have one, use the spoon and level method by fluffing the flour and gently spooning it into your measuring cup without packing it in. Then swipe off the excess.
- Don't overmix. After adding the flour mixture, mix the batter until just combined. Overmixing can make the banana bars tough and gummy. Stop mixing when the dry streaks disappear.
- Cool completely. Let the bars cool completely before adding the frosting so it doesn't melt and slide off.
Storage Tips
Store the banana bars with cream cheese frosting an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
If you have leftover frosting, store it in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Give it a good whisk before using it again.
Variation Ideas
- Different frosting- If you want to skip browning the butter, make this small batch cream cheese frosting. You can also try salted caramel frosting, coffee cream cheese frosting, or amp up the banana flavor with this banana buttercream!
- No frosting- The bars are delicious unfrosted or with a peanut butter or Nutella drizzle.
- Add nuts- Fold toasted and chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter.
- Chocolate- Stir in a cup of chocolate chips with the dry ingredients.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use a 9x5" loaf pan or an 8" round cake pan. Double theย batterย to make them in a 10x15" jelly roll pan or 9x13" sheet cake pan.
You can quickly ripen bananas in the oven! Preheat the oven to 300ยฐF and place the unpeeled bananas on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the skins are black. Then scoop the pulp out of the peel.
Yes!ย Freezeย them inย freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.ย Thawย them overnight in theย refrigeratorย before eating.
More Banana Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 1 square baking pan 8x8 or 9x9
- 1 Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment
Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?
Use the buttons below to toggle between grams and cups!
Ingredients
Banana Bars
- 225 grams overripe bananas 2-3 bananas
- 56 grams neutral oil
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ยฝ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 120 grams all purpose flour
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 50 grams brown sugar light or dark
- ยผ teaspoon baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 170 grams unsalted butter softened
- 227 grams full fat cream cheese room temperature
- 480 grams powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยผ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Banana Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF (180ยฐC). Line a square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mash the bananas in a large bowl with a fork or potato masher as chunky or smooth as desired.225 grams overripe bananas
- Whisk in the oil, egg, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar until well combined.56 grams neutral oil, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 ยฝ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Fold the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula until the dry streaks of flour disappear.120 grams all purpose flour, 50 grams granulated sugar, 50 grams brown sugar, ยผ teaspoon baking powder, ยฝ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ยฝ teaspoon salt
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Take the bars out of the oven and let them cool completely before frosting.
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat stirring constantly. The butter will begin to foam and sizzle.170 grams unsalted butter
- After 5-8 minutes, white milk solids will sink to the bottom of the pan and turn golden brown. As soon as the butter is brown with an intense nutty aroma, take off the heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl.
- Place the bowl of brown butter in the refrigerator to solidify to a pliable consistency. This takes about 60-90 minutes.
- Cream the cooled brown butter and softened cream cheese together in a stand mixer on medium-high speed until creamy.227 grams full fat cream cheese
- Gradually mix in the powdered sugar on low speed until fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.480 grams powdered sugar
- Mix in the vanilla and salt on low until fully combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and whip until the frosting is light and fluffy.2 teaspoon vanilla extract, ยผ teaspoon salt
- Spread the frosting on the cooled banana bars, garnish with banana slices and cinnamon, and enjoy!
Patricia
Crazy measurements. I would have to look up each ingredient so that I could convert it to normal โcups and tablespoonsโ. Too much trouble.
Megan Weimer
Hi Patricia, I test all my recipes in metric because it's more accurate than American cup measurements. Also there's a conversion button right by the ingredient list in the recipe card where you can toggle from metric to US Customary measurements. It converts the measurements automatically for you! Hope that helps.
Shelly
Metric is soooo much better. I almost refuse to make a recipe that doesnโt include it so THANK YOU. Also, complaining about free recipes is just such a weird thing to me.