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This incredibly soft brown butter banana bread features a soft crumb and super moist texture. The brown sugar and banana give it a sweet flavor we all love in classic banana bread, while the brown butter gives it a unique, rich, and nutty flavor you can’t get anywhere else. You’ll need about 3 large overripe bananas.

a piece of brown butter banana bread with butter on top

The base of this recipe comes from my favorite classic banana bread recipe that we use in our Nutella banana bread and apple banana bread. It’s a classic recipe you can print, get dirty, and pass on to your family for years. You may even memorize it.

We love to take our classic, tried, and true recipes and put a little twist on them, like when we turned our chocolate chip pudding cookies into death by chocolate pudding cookies. Sometimes you come up with something even better. Dare I say this is the best banana bread? Maybe even better than the original?

File this recipe in the back of your mind and pull it out if you’re like me and keep seeing those spotty bananas hanging out in the pantry. They’re just waiting to be given the chance to turn into the moist brown butter banana bread. No wasting bananas and the best banana bread ever.

Bonus because you can freeze baked banana bread when you’re ready to eat it (for the holidays when the family is in town).

5 slices of browned butter banana bread stacked on parchment paper

What Does Brown Butter Do in Baking?

Brown butter has a distinctly rich, nutty, and toasty flavor you can’t get anywhere else. It takes the butter in any traditional baking recipe or dessert and pulls that nutty buttery flavor to the forefront when regular butter may just add richness and texture to the recipe. It has a similar nutty flavor like oat flour added to this oat flour banana bread.

It takes the butter from the background of the recipe and makes it the star of the show like in our brown butter oatmeal cookies, brown butter blueberry coffee cake, and brown butter toffee cookies.

Can you just swap brown butter in any recipe that calls for melted butter? Surprisingly, no. Most butter is made of up 15% water. When you melt and brown the butter, that water evaporates out of the butter, which changes the recipe and how much moisture should be added back in.

Luckily, this recipe makes those adjustments for you. Leaving you with super moist and soft banana bread. As a rule for other recipes, add 1 Tablespoon of liquid (ie milk, sour cream, greek yogurt, more butter) for every 1/2 cup of brown butter.

What You’ll Love this Brown Butter Banana Bread

  • Bursting with banana flavor (from 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas!).
  • Rich and nutty flavor thanks to the browned butter.
  • Freezes well for make-ahead holidays and parties.
  • Easy to customize with add-ins like chopped nuts or chocolate chips.
  • It has the perfect texture —ultra-soft with moist crumbs.
  • Easy to make with one bowl—no hand mixer necessary.

Key Ingredients & Why You Need Them

Here are the simple ingredients to make this homemade banana bread. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.

brown butter banana bread ingredients
  • Unsalted butter: this is the second most important ingredient, next to the bananas. It’s melted and browned to add depth and a nutty flavor to the recipe.
  • Flour: all-purpose flour or 1:1 gluten-free flour (like Bob’s Red Mill) work well. Make sure to use the spoon and level method when you measure the flour.
  • Leavens: the mixture of baking soda and baking powder help the banana bread rise. Make sure they’re not expired!
  • Salt and vanilla extract: for flavor.
  • Bananas: use very overripe bananas for the most delicious banana flavor.
  • Brown sugar: you can use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, which plays well with the rich flavors of the butter. It also yields soft and moist baked goods.
  • Granulated sugar: the addition of granulated sugar offers more sweetness and texture.
  • Eggs: to bind the bread together.
  • Sour cream: the acid in sour cream balances the recipe well and brings moisture back into the bread that was lost when browning the butter. Because sour cream is a good substitute for yogurt in baking, you can also use plain yogurt here.

How to Ripen Bananas Quickly

  • 20-Minute Method: place the bananas (with the peel) on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 250°F. Reduce the bake time based on initial ripeness.
  • One-day method: put the bananas in a paper bag, close and leave it at room temperature and you’ll have ripe bananas the next day. The ethylene the bananas release speeds up the ripening. Add an apple to speed this process up even more.

Make the Browned Butter First

Melt butter and cook it slowly to toast the milk solids and give it the most delicious brown butter flavor. It takes about 5 minutes and makes a world of difference when it comes to baked cooks!

Slice the butter into equal pieces. This helps it melt and cook evenly. Place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the butter around to melt it and continue to stir constantly for 5 minutes.

how to brown butter

The butter will begin to bubble and foam and the butter will turn golden brown. Some of the bubbles will subside around the 5-minute mark and you’ll start to see the milk solids start to toast and turn a golden brown color. It should smell buttery and nutty. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into a medium bowl to cool.

brown butter cooling in a white bowl

How to Make Brown Butter Banana Bread

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full printable instructions are in the recipe card below. You can also view the video tutorial below to watch instead of reading.

While the butter is cooling, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

Place the banana in a large mixing bowl and use the back of a fork or a potato masher to mash bananas. You should have 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas (about 3 large ripe bananas). Add the cooled butter, eggs, sour cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla and whisk well until combined and all of the lumps are gone. It’s okay to have some lumps of bananas.

wet ingredients in a mixing bowl for brown butter banana bread

Pour the flour mixture into the banana mixture and use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix until completely combined. Be careful not to over mix or the bread will become dense.

how to make brown butter banana bread

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly into each corner with a spatula or spoon. If desired, slice another ripe banana down the center lengthwise then place the sliced banana, cut-side-up, in the center of the loaf.

brown butter banana bread batter in a loaf pan

Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, until the top and sides are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center just barely comes out clean. Start checking the bread for doneness around 40 minutes and tent it with aluminum foil if it’s starting to look too brown.

Allow the bread to cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes. Use the parchment paper to pull it out of the pan then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

brown butter banana bread in a loaf pan

Frequently Asked Questions

What does browning butter do?

Browning butter separates and toasts the milk solids for a nutty aroma and flavor. See the section above for more details about baking with brown butter.

What makes banana bread dense?

Baked goods, especially cakes and quick bread, can become too dense when they’re over-mixed. Mixing the dough too much will overdevelop the gluten, and that’s what causes dense and springy banana bread. Working the gluten is ideal for yeast bread, like our pecan sticky buns, but not for quick bread.

Can bananas be too brown for banana bread?

The bananas should be covered all over in brown spots with a noticeable banana fragrance. You can also use bananas that are mostly covered in brown. If they’re looking ripe, pull the peel away and double check the banana itself isn’t covered in brown spots.

Why is my banana bread gooey in the middle?

If the center is gooey the banana bread is underbaked. Stick a toothpick in the center of the bread to see if it comes out just barely clean. Use a medium-dark baking pan for even baking.

Storage and Freezing

Allow the brown butter banana bread to cool completely then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it at room temperate for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Baked banana bread will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and serve cold or warm each piece in the microwave and enjoy with butter.

a loaf of browned butter banana bread sliced into pieces

If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!

More Banana Bread Recipes

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5 from 13 votes

Brown Butter Banana Bread

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
This incredibly soft brown butter banana bread features a soft crumb and super moist texture. The brown sugar and banana give it a sweet flavor we all love in classic banana bread, while the brown butter gives it a unique, rich, and nutty flavor you can’t get anywhere else.

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Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (1 stick; 113g) unsalted butter cut into equal slices
  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (1:1 gluten-free flour if needed) spooned and leveled
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (345g) very ripe mashed bananas (about 3 large bananas) plus an additional banana for topping
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream or greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup (50g) of granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and line the center with a piece of parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Brown the butter: Place the cubed butter in a medium to small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the butter around to melt it and continue to stir constantly for 5 minutes. The butter will begin to bubble and foam and the milk solids will begin to separate. Some of the bubbles will subside around the 5-minute mark and you'll start to see the milk solids toast and turn a golden brown color. It should smell buttery and nutty. When you see the brown bits in the bottom of the pan, immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into a separate bowl to cool.
  • Make the banana bread: while the butter is cooling, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
  • Place the banana in a large bowl and use the back of a fork or a potato masher to mash bananas. You should have 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas (about 3 large ripe bananas). Add the cooled butter, eggs, sour cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla and whisk well until combined and all of the lumps are gone. It’s okay to have some lumps of bananas.
  • Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix until completely combined. Be careful not to over mix or the bread will become dense.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly into each corner with a spatula or spoon. If desired, slice another ripe banana down the center lengthwise then place the sliced banana, cut-side-up, in the center of the loaf. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, until the top and sides are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center just barely comes out clean. Start checking the bread for doneness around 40 minutes and tent it with aluminum foil if it’s starting to look too brown.
  • Allow the bread to cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes. Use the parchment paper to pull it out of the pan then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!

Video

Equipment

  • 9×5-inch loaf pan

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 212mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 336IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Recipe Rating




16 Comments

  1. Esther says:

    5 stars
    It’s great! Easy to make and super delicious…not overtly sweet. I even tried the ripening banana trick…worked like a charm!

    1. Molly Thompson says:

      Love it, Esther! That trick has saved me so many times when I’m craving banana bread but don’t have overripe bananas:) I hope you try more of my recipes!

  2. Maureen Elow says:

    Haven’t baked this yet but noticed there are two typos in the Storage and Freezing instructions (write, temperate)

    1. Molly Thompson says:

      Thanks! I made those updates.

  3. Joyce says:

    5 stars
    This banana bread is still good even if you sub the AP flour with whole wheat pastry flour, use less sugar, and add cinnamon and nutmeg!

    1. Molly Thompson says:

      Thanks for sharing, Joyce! Love that you adapted and shared your changes! Thanks.

  4. Amber says:

    5 stars
    Made these the other night for my family and they ate the whole loaf right away. Best banana bread I’ve ever had! So moist!! 🥰 thank you Molly!

    1. Molly Thompson says:

      The best compliment!!! Thanks, Amber! I love it.

  5. Maria says:

    5 stars
    This was amazing!!

    1. Molly Thompson says:

      Thanks, Maria!!

  6. Grace says:

    5 stars
    This Banana bread was so moist definitely making again!!

    1. Molly Thompson says:

      Thanks, Grace!!

  7. Erin says:

    The recipe says 1/2 cup butter and directions say 1 cup. Which is correct?

    1. Molly Thompson says:

      It’s 1/2 cup!

  8. Nic says:

    This recipe is AMAZING 😍😍😍😍

    I made it gluten free and my family loved it.

    Thank you!!

  9. Jideofor says:

    5 stars
    Looks Delicious