Rich, nutty, and sweet, Brown Butter Banana Bread is a delicious variation on the classic! This recipe is easy to make, great for a crowd & freezer-friendly!

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If I could, I would name this post "Banana Bread or Bust." I mean, seriously, how does one really ever say "no" to banana bread?

I mean, I sure don't know how. Coming hot of the oven, with all of the nutty banana aromas tantalizing me throughout the baking, the anticipation is like nothing else.

Add a dimension of browned butter, and banana bread is really taken to a whole new level. Brown butter is surprisingly easy to make (all you need is 2 steps and an eye on the butter's progress!) and very rewarding.

The result: a banana bread that may have you telling your family to banana bread or bust, but more likely to snooze before they lose. Because yes, this bread will likely disappear that quickly. 😉 Enjoy, friends!

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This brown butter bread recipe is...

• Nutty - both whole wheat flour and the browned butter contribute to the flavor, making a moist and tender whole wheat banana bread recipe.
• Sweet - most of the sugar in this recipe actually comes from the bananas. We only add ¾ cup additional sugar, which is a conservative amount of sugar for a quick bread recipe. The overripe bananas make the bread just the perfect amount of sweet.
• Delicious year-round - save the sweltering days of summer when the thought of turning on the oven is just unbearable, there aren't many times of the year that banana bread isn't amazing.
• Great for get togethers - I don't think I've ever brought a loaf of this bread to a party, picnic, or potluck where it wasn't enthusiastically received! If you are baking this bread for a large get together, double or triple the recipe to feed a crew (notes below!).

Ingredients:

• Overripe bananas - the browner, the better
• Unsalted butter
• All-purpose flour
• Whole wheat flour - both white whole wheat flour and traditional whole wheat flour work well in this recipe
• Brown sugar - either light or dark brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Large eggs
• Greek yogurt or sour cream - in particular, plain Greek yogurt of any fat percentage. If using sour cream, use full-fat sour cream.
• Pure vanilla extract
• Baking soda
• Seasonings - ground cinnamon and salt

Ingredient substitutions:

• Butter - salted butter can work in place of the unsalted butter. Just reduce the salt in the recipe by a pinch if so.
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt - reduced fat sour cream can work for the regular sour cream in a pinch. Vanilla low-fat yogurt can substitute for the plain Greek yogurt.
• Sugar - coconut sugar can substitute for both the brown sugar and the granulated sugar, if desired.

How to make banana bread:

For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Heat the butter to medium heat in a light colored skillet. Melt the butter until it just starts to foam. Cook the butter for 2-3.5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the butter turns a golden-amber color.
• Remove the skillet from the heat. Pour the butter into a cool bowl. Let the butter cool for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.

• Cream the brown sugar, sugar, and browned butter together until smooth, creamy, and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl while mixing as needed.
• Mix the eggs into the creamed butter until smooth and creamy, and a light color of yellow/orange.

• Mix in the Greek yogurt or sour cream, mashed bananas and vanilla extract.

• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until combined.
• Slowly mix the flour into the batter, just until the streaks of flour disappear.

• Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake the bread for 55-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Recipe pro-tips:

• Measure the flour by weighing it. Weighing flour is the most accurate way to measure it and accurately measuring flour can make a huge difference in your baking results. I highly recommend weighing the flour if you don't already. You can find a food scale for under $10 on Amazon or at most Targets and WalMarts here in the states.
• Use overripe bananas. You want bananas with as many brown spots as possible. The browning creates more sugars in the bananas, contributing more banana flavor and sweetness to the bread.
• Don't burn the butter. You want the butter to be a golden-amber color, but not cooked any further or burnt. Once the butter turns golden-amber, remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter into the bowl to cool.
• How to mash bananas. There are many ways to mash bananas. You can mash them with a potato masher (as I did), two forks, or a pastry cutter. You can also mash them in a stand mixer with a wire whisk attachment. Whichever way you mash them, mash the bananas until they are smooth and runny. You don't want any large chunks of bananas remaining.
• Doubling the recipe. This recipe can easily be multiplied. Just increase the ingredients by the desired amount and follow the directions as listed, browning the butter for additional time until it's golden-amber as needed, and dividing the batter between the same number of pans that you multiplied the recipe by.

Making high altitude banana bread:

You can easily make this bread at high altitude. I live at 5200 feet and the bread turns out perfectly every time. Just follow the directions as listed, using a glass baking pan (if possible) for the best results.

Serving suggestions:

Banana bread is delicious enjoyed for breakfast - toasted and slathered with peanut butter or butter, of course! 😉 - a snack, or even for dessert. It's always welcome at family get togethers, baby showers, bridal showers, barbecues, and more. Oh, and let's not forget what a great house warming gift this bread is!

Tools needed to make this recipe:

• Light colored skillet
• Measuring cups & spoons
• Food scale
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Silicone spatula
• Stand mixer
• Loaf pan
• Cooling rack

More baking & bread recipes:

• Apple Cinnamon Bread
• Lemon Blueberry Muffin Bread
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread
• No Yeast Oatmeal Bread
• Whole Wheat Beer Bread
• Date Cake with Rum Toffee Sauce
• No Yeast Dinner Rolls
• Sweet Yeast Dinner Rolls

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This recipe was adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction's My Favorite Banana Bread Recipe.