Ingredients
½ cup (1 stick / 113g) Unsalted butter
3 large Ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ½ cups)
¾ cup (150g) Granulated sugar
¼ cup (55g) Light brown sugar, packed
1 Large egg, room temperature
2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
2 cups (250g) All-purpose flour
1 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
½ tsp Salt
½ cup Optional add-ins (walnuts, chocolate chips, etc.)
Instructions
1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
2. Brown the Butter: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, swirling until it foams and turns deep amber with a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
3. Mix Wet: Whisk mashed bananas, sugars, and cooled brown butter until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla.
4. Mix Dry: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
5. Combine: Fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined (do not overmix). Gently fold in add-ins if using.
6. Bake: Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 55-65 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Tent with foil if browning too quickly.
7. Cool: Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Pro-Tips:
• Watch the browning butter closely, as it can go from toasted to burnt very quickly.
• Use room temperature eggs so they do not shock the butter/sugar mixture.
• Measure flour by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off for accuracy.
• Overmixing leads to a tougher bread; stir until just combined for a tender crumb.
Variations:
• Add ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips for a decadent twist.
• Mix in ½ cup toasted walnuts or pecans for added texture.
• Swirl in a cream cheese mixture (4oz cream cheese, 2 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp vanilla) before baking.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 60
- Category: Easy Cakes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian