This brown butter banana bread is the kind you’d find in a glass display case at your favorite bakery. It slices up springy and tender with a nice amount of caramelized flavor. That’s because we’re not only browning our butter, we’re also getting a little toffee-ish flavor from brown sugar. And don’t forget to brown some extra butter so you can slather every slice in whipped brown butter.
Jump to the recipe to hit the ground running, or read on for my brown butter best practices. The recipe has you covered even if you’ve never browned butter before. But these 3 tips are good to know if you’re a newbie:
A guide to browning butter:
If you want to become a brown butter black belt, I recommend checking out Cloudy Kitchen’s “Brown Butter 101.” Erin outlines absolutely everything you need to know (and shares her technique of using powdered milk for extra caramelization).
However, you don’t need to be an expert to make this brown butter banana bread. You just need the following 3 brown butter basics. This is all accounted for in the recipe. But in case you’re someone who needs to understand they “why” behind a seemingly arbitrary suggestion, this list is for you:
1. Don’t take your eye off the pan, even for a second.
I was recording a video for this blog post when I suddenly realized that I forgot to set up my mic. I dashed over to the shelf, dashed back, plugged it in… and a mere 20 seconds latter, my butter was burnt. Needless to say, I had to start over.
The bottom line? Brown butter can go from underdone to overdone in just a few seconds. Don’t take your eye off that pot! Have everything you need close at hand, and plan to be glued to the stove.
2. Be prepared to chill it immediately.
So now you know that brown butter doesn’t take long to go from done to burnt. But even once you remove the pan from heat, it can continue cooking from the residual heat of the pan. In fact, the milk solids can sometimes continue cooking from the residual heat of the butter itself, even after you pour it out of the pan.
That’s why it’s important to have a way to bring down the temperature quickly. In this recipe, I have you immediately add it to the mashed banana. So don’t skip that first step where I tell you to mash the banana! If you have your bananas ready to go, you won’t be peeling them while your butter is burning.
3. Use low heat the first time you try it.
If you’re a pro at making brown butter, you can easily get away with medium heat. But if you’re new, start out lower than you’d think. It will take longer at lower heat, but you’ll have more control over the final level of browning.
A few useful links:
- I’ve got a growing collection of favorite banana bread recipes. Some feature fun flavor variations and some are adapted to meet dietary restrictions (dairy-free, egg-free, etc.).
- I’ve also got a whole lot of great loaf cakes, in case you’re trying to make more frequent use of that 8×4 inch pan.
- My guide to avoiding over-mixing is essential for making the best brown butter banana bread. (But really, it’s essential for any banana bread or other quick bread!)
Brown Butter Banana Bread
- Yield: 8 slices
Ingredients
- 1 cup [240 g] mashed banana from about 3 very overripe bananas
- 12 Tbsp [170 g] unsalted butter*
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup [130 g] packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups [200 g] all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ripe banana, split lengthwise (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F [180° C].
- Butter an 8 x 4 inch [20 x 10 cm] loaf pan.**
- Place the mashed bananas in a medium mixing bowl and set near the stove. Don’t skip your step or you’ll risk burning your butter.
- Brown the butter: Place the butter in a wide light-colored skillet over medium heat. As soon as the butter melts, reduce the heat to low or medium-low. Let it gently bubble stirring constantly (and keeping a close eye on it) for about 4 to 5 minutes.*** It is done once it’s amber (sort of the color of whiskey) with brown flakes. Once it’s done, pour directly onto the mashed bananas and stir together.
- Add the eggs, brown sugar, vanilla (if using), and salt to the mixing bowl and whisk together until completely incorporated.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.****
- Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Do not over-mix (stop mixing as soon as there are no dry pockets of flour).
- Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan.
- Place the banana halves cut-side-up on top of the loaf (if using).
- Bake for about 1 hour. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or wooden skewer into the center of the loaf. If it comes out with batter, it needs more time, but if it comes out with just some crumbs, it’s ready to take out.
- Remove from the pan and cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
* If using European butter, start with 10 Tbsp [140 g] instead. Whether you’re using US butter or European butter, you should end up with 130g (just shy of 2/3 cup) of melted browned butter. Feel free to weigh it if you’re unsure. European butter has a higher percentage fat and lower percentage water when compared to US butter. We cook off all the water in this recipe, so you will need less European butter than US butter to end up with the same amount of brown butter.
** To make this into muffins instead of a banana bread loaf, place 9 muffin liners in a muffin tin (homemade parchment liners or store bought paper ones). If using parchment ones, butter them lightly. Evenly distribute the batter between the 9 liners, then top each with a 1/2 in [13mm] banana slice. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
*** If you’re using a wide skillet, things will move more quickly than in a stout saucepan. You can use any pan you’d like (as long as it is not dark), but note that it will brown more slowly in a squatter pan. The timing also depends on your stove, so depend on your nose and eyes. Do not depend on a timer.
**** If you want to save on dishes, place a fine mesh sieve over a paper towel and add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder to the sieve. Sift the dry ingredients directly onto the wet ingredients (and don’t forget the dust that filtered onto the paper towel too).
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