Best Ever Banana Bars
These Best Ever Banana Bars have earned their title! Moist, cakey, soft and tender bars PACKED with sweet banana flavor and topped with a thick, luscious cream cheese frosting! Perfect for any banana lover!
Servings: 24 bars
Ingredients
For the Banana Bars:
- 1 cup (2 sticks OR 16 Tbsp) unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/2 cup water
- 1½ cups granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (from about 2-3 medium bananas)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk can substitute sour milk or almond milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp banana extract, optional
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3½ cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° degrees F. Line a 15x10x1 rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then spray the pan and parchment liberally with cooking spray; set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the butter and water over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, letting butter melt completely. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugars, mashed bananas, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and banana extracts with a whisk until fully combined. At this point if you're using any mix-ins like nuts or chocolate chips, add them here.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the baking soda, salt, and flour. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet banana mixture using a handheld electric mixer, mixing the flour in slowly until just barely combined. Slowly stream in the butter mixture until fully combined.
- Pour the banana batter into the prepared pan. Carefully transfer to the oven on the center rack. Place a cookie sheet underneath the banana bar pan on a lower rack to catch any drips just in case. Bake for 18-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, but not wet, crumbs. Cool completely.
- For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract until fluffy, about 1 minute. Gradually add in the confectioners' sugar until frosting is light and fluffy. Spread the frosting over the cooled bars in an even layer. Cut into squares and serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate. Keep bars stored covered in the fridge. Bars can keep in the fridge covered for about 4 days.
Notes
The key to flavorful banana bars is to use perfectly ripened bananas. Don't choose bananas with barely any spotting or brownness. You want a spotty, browner banana which means it is fully ripened, sweeter, and more flavorful.
Banana extract is optional, but I like a punchier banana flavored dessert so I added it.